Day: July 4, 2016

A LEADING state government environmental monitoring agency is playing down about erosion on Mornington Peninsula beaches. Alarm is mounting over the loss of sand at several beaches, including McCrae, with claims that sand loss is due to weather and the deepening of Port Phillip shipping channels. Paul Millsom, of McCrae, has accused authorities of ignoring the threat and not doing enough to protect the coastline (“Bay beaches face diminishing returns”, The News 28/6/16). Port Phillip Baykeeper Neil Blake echoed Mr Millsom’s fears, drawing on data that suggests the increases in tide heights are substantially greater than predicted by consultants’ reports prepared…

ON the last day of June strong north winds again drew crowds to Mornington harbour, with some taking to the water to surf or to go sailboarding and others braving the spray from waves while walking along the pier. Photographer Gary Sissons moved from the pier and beach to Schnapper Point where he found Steve Wells and his daughter Jessica, from Somerville, standing knee deep in foam. The resulting photograph could have been taken on a snowy mountaintop, except for the stormy sea backdrop. First published in the Mornington News – 5 July 2016

GARDENERS using nets to protect fruit trees are unwittingly causing the painful and illegal deaths of wildlife every year, says a Mornington Peninsula wildlife carer. Michelle Thomas, from Animalia Wildlife Shelter in Frankston, says sugar gliders, possums, flying foxes and birds are often cruelly trapped in nylon netting and cannot chew or fight their way out. Instead they face an agonising and slow death as they struggle, often breaking limbs and suffering stress and exposure in the sun. Ms Thomas, a registered wildlife carer, cares for up to 3000 animals annually, from as far as Brighton to Portsea. She wants…

THE sprawling Mt Eliza campus of the Melbourne Business School is being marketed to overseas buyers, with its private beachfront access and buildings expected to fetch as much as $20 million. The school is selling the 8.9 hectare Kunyung Rd property, partly due to falling interest in regionally-based business courses and a plan expand the school’s Carlton site as a “world-class centre for business education”. MBS media manager Emily Fear-Gook said the “landscape” for business education had changed since the 1980s when the school moved some of its courses to the peninsula after merging with the Mt Eliza Business School.…

A LARGE section of the Mornington Village shopping centre’s air conditioning unit fell into the Woolworth’s store, Sunday last week, causing more than $100,000 damage. The return air conditioner duct weighing up to half a tonne broke free from its mounting in the ceiling space and crashed onto shoppers’ checkout points around 9.30pm. It has been suggested a blade in the fan dislodged, unbalancing the unit, and causing sufficient vibration to send it smashing to the floor. The store had closed half an hour earlier and there were only about half a dozen high staff on duty. “It could have…

THE father-in-law of outgoing Dunkley Liberal MP Bruce Billson had complaints to the Australian Electoral Commission about alleged “misleading” union and Labor Party flyers handed out at polling booths dismissed by the independent electoral regulator. Arthur Ranken, the father of Mr Billson’s wife Kate, wrote to the AEC on 22 June demanding “election material” including posters and flyers urging voters to “put the Liberals last” and “vote to save Medicare” be immediately removed from Dunkley polling booths ahead of the weekend 2 July federal election. Mr Ranken did not disclose his Liberal Party membership or former official party office bearing…

A MARATHON eight-week election campaign has led to the narrowest of margins in the seat of Dunkley despite the Liberal Party declaring victory on election night. Liberal candidate for Dunkley Chris Crewther was jubilant on Saturday evening when addressing supporters at an election function at the Frankston Dolphins Junior Football Club. He said “a team effort” had got him over the line, after the departure of retiring Liberal MP Bruce Billson, against a challenge from Labor candidate Peta Murphy. Mr Crewther’s confidence in declaring a win seemed well-placed at the time with election night pundits on TV calling the seat…

Heartbreaker country and folk music coming to Cube 37 @ Frankston on Friday 22 July at 8pm. Having been programmed in The Melbourne International Arts Festival, The Brisbane Powerhouse World Theatre Festival, The Darwin Festival,The Adelaide Cabaret Festival, Falls Festival,The Famous Spielgeltent and supporting the likes of Clairy Browne and the Banging Rackettes, Tinpan Orange and Harry James Angus, Miles and Simone are a much loved Australian musical duo. They are dear friends and have been for quite some time. Both Actors and musicians by trade, they met during a production of Summer of the 17th Doll and have been…

It’s a dream, it’s a shadow, it’s a spectacle. Frankston Arts Centre and ATA Allstars Artists bring you the exhilarating Shadowland from world-renowned Pilobolus Dance Theatre. This astounding combination of musicality, projected images and acrobatic dance choreography is daringly dramatic and hugely comedic. The thrilling visuals transform the human body into metaphorical themes before your very eyes. A global sensation, Pilobolus, has been experienced by over a half-million people and was featured on The Academy Awards, Ellen and Oprah. This imaginative Pilobolus creation celebrates the extraordinary power of darkness and its ability to illuminate who we really are. It’s more…

NOT content with doing it once, McCrae sailor Mark Bulka has been named Victorian Male Sailor of the Year for the second time. And he’s a worthy winner having recently won the 2016 World Championships at Santa Cruz, in the United States for the second time in a Contender yacht. But that win was only part of his success, after an amazing run over the past two years Bulka also won last year’s Dutch Contender Championships, came second in the 2015 Contender World Championships, also in Holland, came second in the Kiel Week Regatta, Germany, came first in the Festival…

A FOOTBALL match was played at Frankston on Saturday last, between the locals and a team from Naval Base, a collection being taken up in aid of patriotic funds.   The day was cold and showery, which mitigated against a large attendance. The game was pretty evenly contested, and resulted in a win for the visitors by 3.9 to 2.9. *** THE Presbyterian services throughout this district will be conducted on Sunday next by the Rev. G. Carson, of Mornington, the local Moderator. The sacrament of the Holy Communion will be dispensed at each service. The services are advertised. ***…

PENINSULA LEAGUE BONBEACH is starting to flex its muscles in MPNFL Peninsula Division and is starting to make a statement. While all the talk surrounds Frankston YCW and who is going to challenge, the Sharks are emerging as a team that seems to be getting things together at the right time. In what many considered to be a 50-50 game against Seaford on Saturday, the Sharks hammered the visitors to the tune of 32 points, 15.8 (98) to 9.12 (66). Bonbeach has now won six of its past seven matches after losing the opening four games of the season. In…

NEPEAN LEAGUE Even a seven goal last quarter couldn’t help Devon Meadows steal a win against Dromana in MPNFL Nepean Division on Saturday. Trailing by four goals at three quarter time, the Panthers stormed home in the final 30 minutes, albeit never hitting the front, only to fall just short, 15.11 (101) to 14.13 (97). It was Dromana coach Rikki Johnston who proved to be the difference between the sides, booting six goals in a best on ground performance. Rated one of the best defenders of all time, Rikki J has booted 17 goals since swinging himself forward against Tyabb…

SOCCER By Craig MacKenzie FRANKSTON Pines returned from the Latrobe Valley with a precious point on Saturday as it bids to avoid relegation from State 1 South-East. The Monterey Reserve side earned a 3-3 draw against Morwell Pegasus in dramatic circumstances ending this catch-up fixture with nine men. Pines central defender Nick Lekakis and goalkeeper James Laminski were unavailable due to holidays but the side was bolstered by the midweek captures of forwards Josh Calle from Langwarrin and Naseer Mohammad from Casey Comets. Ioasa Saemo took up a central defensive role alongside Ben Caffrey while Calle partnered Mathew Hames up…

JAN Dance is determined to turn the tragic death of her sister from motor neurone disease into a story of faith and hope. Her sister Sue Whyte died in 2011, four years after being diagnosed with the illness. Jan says the diagnosis, when Sue was 54, was hard to accept, as her sister was a “beautiful soul” who was adored by many. “I was her younger sister and I can say we never ever had an argument, she was just a beautiful person and was always kind,” she said. Jan and her brother Jeff did all they could to stay…

TWO men bashed a man, 54, outside a Tootgarook toilet block, 8am, Thursday 30 June. Detective Senior Constable Peter Butland, of Somerville CIU, said the man was hit in the back of the head and, when he fell to the ground, the men stole his wallet and ran off. The man reported the assault to police. He received treatment for lacerations to his head and abrasions to his face and forehead. Police are appealing to witnesses to the attack, near Truemans Rd. Anyone with information should call Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000. First published in the Southern Peninsula News -…

THE ice-affected driver who killed two elderly women in a mini-bus crash in Rosebud, in August, has been jailed for 11 years with a minimum of seven and a half years. Michael Patrick Trueman, of Coburg, pleaded guilty in the Victorian County Court last week to two counts of culpable driving causing death. Judge Paul Lacava was told the 24-year-old L-plate driver had the highest levels of speed and ice in his system that Victorian experts have ever seen. His Commodore crashed head-on into the Ti Tree Lodge mini bus, killing Betty May Fox, 91, and Katharina Nensteil, 88, and…

MCCRAE cafe proprietor Sam Keck got the wake-up call he dreaded, 3am, Friday morning. It was the milkman telling him his Merchant and Maker cafe, in Point Nepean Rd, had been broken into. Racing down he found the front door had been jemmied open for the thief to gain entry and steal a “substantial amount” of money from the till and more from the jemmied safe. Also gone was the cafe’s tips jar containing money earmarked for Ugandan charity the Cup that Counts, which contributes to the African country’s community development. The cafe also donates 20 cents from each cup…

AMBULANCE Victoria has denied claims that moves are underway to reduce the hours of the Rosebud and Rye ambulance service. “The Rye ambulance and the Rosebud ambulance are 24-hour resources based at the recently-renovated Rosebud ambulance branch, which was completed late last year,” regional director Cath Anderson said. “We have no current plans to change the rostering of these two resources.” But a Rye paramedic says it is “common knowledge” among southern peninsula paramedics that the service was set to become a “blended roster”, thereby reducing its hours. “This will result in only one ambulance being available to cover the…

A SAFETY Beach and Dromana residents’ group is ramping up its campaign for quieter freeways following a meeting of 120 residents, Thursday 16 June. Tyred of Noise on the Mornington Peninsula Freeway group’s Wayne Ashley said the meeting “went really well given the cold weather”. “Nepean MP Martin Dixon spoke well and encouraged residents to contact him, VicRoads, the Roads Minister and Mornington Peninsula Shire about the noise,” he said. “I have a petition signed by most of the people at the meeting.” Mr Ashley said VicRoads had declined to attend “but they have signalled a clear intention to meet…

GREG Hunt has been re-elected to the federal seat of Flinders, although his majority has been pared back to single figures. On the latest available figures Mr Hunt holds his seat with a majority of just over seven per cent. He won the previous election with an 11.8 per cent margin. When counting ended on Saturday night Mr Hunt was in the lead with a comfortable 56.9 per cent of the 78.6 per cent of votes counted. On preferences there was a 4.9 per cent swing to Labor’s Carolyn Gleixner, but Mr Hunt’s lead remains one of which many of…