Day: February 8, 2016

AN image of the Virgin Mary stolen from the Greek Orthodox church, Red Hill, has been found. Mornington Peninsula CIU detectives were told two thieves entered the church, on Arthurs Seat Rd, around 3.50am Sunday (31 January). CCTV footage shows them approaching a sealed glass box containing an icon of the Virgin Mary and gold jewellery. After unsuccessfully trying to smash the glass, the thieves removed the case from the counter top, stealing the icon and assorted jewellery. The case, Virgin Mary icon and other smaller pieces of jewellery were found, Thursday, on the side of White Hill Rd, Red…

“SOMEONE cries and asks for help” every time Peninsula Advisory Committee for Elders chair Jeanette Lane and her group run an Elder Abuse Awareness Day. “People talk about family violence but we think elder abuse is about the second or third most common crime in the world,” Ms Lane said. “We run programs on elderly abuse at Rosebud, Hastings and McRae because we want to get the message out there and we see and hear about some dreadful aspects.” Ms Lane was talking in the lead up to the fourth National Elder Abuse Conference, being held by Seniors Right Victoria…

THE Ambassador Hotel function centre in Frankston is being demolished but the site is back on the market after a sale at auction late last year fell through. Winning bidder Harry Matsoukas said he was “not involved with that any more” when contacted by The News last month. Lender the Jadig Group repossessed the property at 325 Nepean Highway late last year after previous owner Joanna Kordos, who had planned to build 37 apartments at the site, did not make loan payments. Jadig Group managing director Jack Gringlas said the company had decided to demolish the function centre since Frankston…

SPORTING and active recreation clubs in Mornington are being encouraged to apply for funding in VicHealth’s active club grants program. “This funding is vital to helping many more Victorians get the recommended minimum of 2.5 hours per week of moderate physical activity,” Mornington MP David Morris said. “As well as the health benefits of keeping us fit and preventing illness, exercise helps reduce stress and keeps us alert and resilient. Research also shows that it’s a great way to get social. “Sport builds community pride and loyalty and offers people the chance to get involved, providing them with a positive…

A GOLF course designed and developed by experts from the Mornington Peninsula has been ranked 24th best in the world – and it has been open just two months. The Cape Wickham Links course on King Island was given the honour by Golf Digest magazine from 32,000 courses world-wide. The Digest is regarded as the world’s most widely-read golf publication, with monthly exposure to 5.5 million readers. It produces its World’s 100 Greatest Golf Course rankings every two years. The links course was developed by Duncan Andrews, of Flinders, owner of The Dunes Golf Links, Rye, and was co-designed by…

SUB-DISTRICT THE 2015/16 MPCA Sub District season is going to go right down to the wire after the conclusion of Round nine on Saturday. Whilst the top two positions on the ladder have been tied up for some time with Dromana on 104 points and Hastings on 94, the real battle sits from third to seventh. Carrum Downs is currently in third place on 66 points and Rosebud is hanging onto fourth place on 60 points. These two sides clashed in Round nine and it was the Cougars who came out victors by 39 runs. Rosebud would have given themselves…

COUNTRY WEEK THE Mornington Peninsula Cricket Associations Provincial and Division Two teams struggled in the Country Week championships. The Provincial team lost its opening two matches against Geelong and Bendigo, the eventual grand finalists, before opening their account against Sale-Maffra on day three of the carnival. It lost its final match of the tournament  to Warrnambool. Tom Wood scored 54 and skipper Matt Foon 51 against Geelong in their score of 8/201 while Chris Dew and Matt Foon collected three wickets each in Geelong’s knock of 267. The MPCA was rolled for 115 against Bendigo (9/212 & 4/67). Justin Grant…

DISTRICT BADEN Powell are in a slump after losing their second match in as many rounds on Saturday in MPCA District cricket. After dominating for the first seven rounds of the season, the Braves have been knocked over by third placed Pearcedale and on Saturday, against the top of the table, premiership fancies, Red Hill. Red Hill were restricted to 200 in their first innings on the wide-open expanses of Overport Road Reserve, but were always in the box seat to defend that total. The score proved to be far too great for the Braves, given the enormous bowling lineup…

PROVINCIAL LANGWARRIN caused one of the upsets of the 2015-16 MPCA Provincial season on Saturday when it knocked over top-of-the-table Peninsula Old Boys. However, it was the other end of the Peninsula that had tongues wagging. MPCA and Sorrento superstar Anthony Blackwell had figures of 4/16 overnight against Pines. He finished with all 10 wickets, bowling 16.2 overs and finishing with 10/41 to help his side to a 24-run victory and maintain fourth place on the ladder. The loss to Peninsula Old Boys was also a talking point. There is little love lost between Langwarrin and POB and it was…

FAMILIES will celebrate all that’s good about reading at the Peninsula Reads Family Fun Day, Village Green, Rosebud, on Sunday 14 February. The day will show what is happening with books on the Mornington Peninsula and offer a range of free activities, resources and takeaway books. Entertainment will suit families and the day will showcase how the community embraces and supports reading and literacy. Activities include sliding on the inflatable Jurassic Park, or patting a real lizard or crocodile. Those preferring little furry creatures can join the petting zoo. There will be a sausage sizzle and live entertainment by school…

IN the 139th list published last week the name of Private Frayne, of Tyabb, appears among those who are ill. *** MR Alf. S. Wesley notifies his friends, through our advertising columns, that he has secured a renewal of license for an extended term, of Kirkpatrick’s Hotel, on the Esplanade, Mornington. *** IN response to a request from the committee of the Somerville show, Major Campbell has altered the date of the sale of furnishings at “Amesfield Park” from Wednesday, 15th March, (that being show day) to Monday, 18th March. *** THE monthly meeting of the Somerville Fruitgrowers’ Association will…

VETERAN international yachtsman John Houston Buzaglo is known around the world as “Buz” although some of his mates have taken to calling him Sir Buz after he was awarded an OAM on Australia Day. Now in his 92nd year, the Mornington resident was given a gong for “services to sailing as a yachtsman and [sailing] instructor”. Buzaglo is best known for co-founding a syndicate that built the world’s first solid-sail racing yacht – it looks like an airplane wing atop a catamaran. Sponsored by Melbourne-based Nylex Corporation, the C Class catamaran Miss Nylex was built in 1971 and defended the…

AN established Flinders art gallery will close on Valentine’s Day (Sunday), with staff citing a shortage of new volunteers and reluctance by customers to spend on art works. The Studio @ Flinders gallery has been run by volunteers for the past 12 years. But the five-member staff – Judi McCrum, Meredith Merrall, Ruth Petersen, Kaye Price and Kip Turner – are finding the going tough and their sense of commitment is starting to wane. “[The gallery] is all artist-run and people these days don’t seem to want to give up their time,” Ms Merrall said. The volunteers originally thought others…

MAKEOVER plans are underway to turn the Mornington Peninsula’s car and passenger ferry into a floating food market! In a win for local tourism and the Peninsula’s Food and Wine industries, Searoad Ferries has been chosen to take part in the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival next month. The Mornington Peninsula is home to ‘world-class’ produce and this event invites passengers to cruise the bay under the stars while enjoying fine local fare from food stalls and trucks, listen to great local musicians and mingle with the makers. Searoad Ferries is focusing the event on the Peninsula and the Bay…

CHILDREN brought up within the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community are being taught to be loyal to Australia. “We will prove it with our actions and deeds that our youth are the best citizens of Australia and they will be well educated,” Inamul Haq Kauser said when speaking at an Australia Day dinner. Guests at the dinner Sunday 31 January for 300 at the Baitu-us-Salam (House of Peace) Mosque, Langwarrin, included members of parliament, councillors and police. Imam Kauser, national president of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, gave assurances that the children of Ahmadi Muslims “will be loyal to this country”. The imam told diners…

STUDENTS and trainees left stranded when the federal government cut funding for the PenBus service are now back on the road. The state government has announced a dedicated bus service between Rosebud and Monash University’s Peninsula campus. The 12-month trial service is a funding partnership between the government, Mornington Peninsula Shire and Monash University. Route 887 will begin on 22 February in time for the start of first semester, and will follow the same route as PenBus. Six express round trips a day, Monday to Friday, will connect with Monash University’s inter-campus shuttle to Clayton. The bus will also be…

TO some, boxing may seem a strange road to travel in search of peace. But that is exactly the destination where the lessons in life handed out by boxing trainer Ron Smith can lead. The Mt Eliza-based former professional boxer admits to making mistakes while growing up, but says he learned from those to be a better man. Now 71, Smith is an advocate for peace, harmony and self-respect; attributes he passes on to people of all ages attending the Mt Eliza Boxing Centre he runs with his wife Sharyn. The philosophies espoused by Smith resonated so much with Jack…

MORNINGTON Yacht Club has come a long way since 11 interested residents met to discuss forming a sailing club in February 1946. Members of the founding group wanted to sail their assorted collection of boats off Shire Hall beach. In May that year Mornington Council leased the group an ex-Army hut close to the pier. This served as the catalyst for development of competitive sailing in the district. Now, 70 years later, the vibrant and diverse club with more than 750 members will hold an open day on the weekend of 20-21 February. The Back to Mornington YC Weekend will…

DUNKLEY preselection hopeful Donna Bauer has fallen foul of Liberal Party guidelines in her bid to win the party’s nomination as its candidate at the next federal election. The former Carrum state MP distributed leaflets last month to party members touting her credentials as the potential candidate for the seat of Dunkley before nominations closed and a candidate list was formalised by the Liberal Party. The early circulation of the leaflet to party preselectors before the candidate list was finalised is a breach of Liberal Party guidelines. Ms Bauer said she was unable to comment due to party rules forbidding…

THAT first day at school … It’s often a mixture of angst, excitement and anticipation – coupled with an organisational challenge for parents. Well, just imagine increasing the stakes threefold! That was the case for one local family last week when triplets Donna, Dimitri and Andreas Watson turned up for prep classes at Mornington Primary, Vale St, for the first time. The two boys and one girl were popular arrivals. “They are the only triplets at the school and we believe they are the first ever triplets here at Mornington Primary,” business manager Olympia Maselli said. Dad Carl said the…

TWO Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors have overspent their seminars and conferences allowance, one by more than 92 per cent. Figures up to the end of January included in a councillor briefing show Cr Antonella Celi has racked up $30,810 against an entitlement of $16,000, which is $14,810 (92.6 per cent) above her entitlement. Fellow Seawinds ward councillor David Gibb has spent $19,147, an overspend of  $3147 or 19.6 per cent. Chief financial officer Matt Hubbard said the extra expenses incurred by Crs Celi and Gibb had been approved by “council resolution” for them to attend “additional professional education programs governed…

BOMB threats created a dramatic start to the school year for hundreds of children on the Mornington Peninsula. Pupils at Mornington Park, Eastbourne and Sorrento primary schools spent a terrifying afternoon evacuated or in lockdown after their schools received the hoax calls – most via automated messages. For many pupils it was their second day of school. By Friday the perpetrators appeared no closer to being caught, with senior police still saying the calls appeared designed to “cause disruption and attract media attention”. Education Minister James Merlino said 20 schools across Victoria had received threatening phone calls alluding to bombings…

WHAT’S a “paint-out”? Why, it’s a group of people getting together to paint a given subject, of course. This one: “At the water’s edge…” complements Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery’s summer exhibition, On the Beach. Enthusiastic artists in the paint-out focused on the intricate patterns of water movement at the water’s edge near the Canadian Bay Club, Mt Eliza, Thursday. Coincidentally, the movie On the Beach was filmed at Mt Eliza in the early 1960s starring Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner and Fred Astaire. “This group is not a formal art group or society as such, just people who heard we were…