THE Mornington University of the Third Age annual concert is a time when members get into the spirit of the festive season. The program of song will range from Schubert and Bach to Andrew Lloyd-Webber, The Seekers and Christmas carols at the concert at 2pm, Thursday 24 November, at the Peninsula Community Theatre, Mornington. “Visitors will be impressed by the choir’s joyful singing and be moved by the passionate performance under the new musical director Heather Bird,” choir president Jan Hale said. They have previously performed at charities and other events under the direction of the late Warwick Taylor. “After…
Month: November 2016
SPEED limits on several Mornington Peninsula roads will be lowered to “improve safety, and make the speed zones clearer and easier to comply with”, according to VicRoads. The roads have been identified as having inconsistencies with varying speed limits, which the authority admitted “causes confusion”. The affected roads are: Mornington-Tyabb Rd, east of Peninsula Link. The 3.5km stretch of Mornington-Tyabb Rd, east of Peninsula Link, to be cut to 80kph to match the existing speed limit on either side of this stretch. VicRoads estimates the journey along Mornington-Tyabb Rd will take an extra 21 seconds. Arthurs Seat Rd, William Rd…
MORNINGTON Peninsula residents are invited to be part of the solution to violence against women by attending a range of community discussions on White Ribbon Day, Friday 25 November. Commentator and former independent MP Phil Cleary will head a 7–9pm discussion at the Commonfolk Coffee Company, 16 Progress St, Mornington. Register at eventbrite.com.au. Cleary has been at the forefront of the campaign to stop violence against women since his sister was murdered by her ex-partner in 1987. On the night, attendees will also hear from Acting Inspector Dean Clinton on how family violence is affecting the Mornington Peninsula. The event…
PROVINCIAL MT ELIZA is in the box seat for victory after scoring 285 against Moorooduc on a difficult day to play cricket across the peninsula on Saturday. The Mounties scored at a quick rate in its 62 overs with skipper Justin Grant scoring 59, Tim Strickland 56 and keeping opener Tim Clarke getting 54. Ben Marsh was outstanding for the Ducs with 5/96 off 20 overs, giving him his biggest wicket haul for the season. Greg Pullen was also lively for the Ducs with 3/67 from 16 overs. In reply, Moorooduc is 1/32 after Brett Wilson was sent packing without…
SUB-DISTRICT MPCA star Matthew Whelan was at his very best again on Saturday, scoring 128 as Tootgarook racked up 7/307 against Carrum. The century takes Whelan to more than 200 runs for the season and maintains his status as the most dynamic and devastating player in MPCA Sub District cricket. The Frogs got away to a sensational start though, which allowed Whelan to attack the game. Travis French scored 57 and Corey DeBruyn 50 in an opening stand of 104 while Jake Millar hit 23 of the next 74 runs batting with Whelan. Cory Foster was the best of the…
DISTRICT MAIN Ridge is staring down the barrel of an outright victory against Rye after dominating the first day’s play. Rye was sent in to bat after Main Ridge scored 5/294 in the opening 60 overs of the match. In the final 20 overs of the day, Rye slumped to 7/26. There is no hope of the Demons avoiding yet another outright loss. Ed Aarons scored 84 and Gareth Wyatt 76 for the Ridge while Michael Holmes opened with a half century and Shaun Foster hit 36. Rye’s Tom Baron was the pick of the bowlers with 4/88 from 26…
TENDERS will be received up to noon on Wednesday next by Cr W. J. Oates for the lease of “Linga Longa” Tea Rooms for a period of three years. The Council are prepared to re-roof and paint the building and erect a verandah in front. The furniture and fittings of the out going tenant can be taken at a valuation. The rooms are in a good position, being just in front of the Frankston Pier, and should command a good summer trade. *** MORNINGTON Shire Council report is unavoidably held over till our next issue. *** THE many friends of…
INCREASINGLY busy roads and congested traffic are making it hard for families to get to beaches from McRae to Sorrento – let alone have a swim. The opening of Eastlink, allowing easier access to hordes of visitors, particularly during the peak summer season November-April, has swelled the number of day-trippers and road users. This, coupled with few designated road crossings, has made it “virtually impossible to cross the road safely”, mother-of-four Tiffany Wills, who regularly visits her mother-in-law at Kevin St, Tootgarook, said. “We live 50 metres walking distance from the beach. But to cross Point Nepean Rd safely with…
CAPEL Sound foreshore management has denied that inefficient maintenance practices at Tootgarook are causing unnecessary sand movement and sand stacking. Foreshore manager Caro Baring said a boat user’s claims that not enough was being done to stop sand blowing back onto the ramp after removal were incorrect. She said the maintenance program catered for about 4000 boat owners who used the ramp every year. “Our maintenance of the foreshore involves moving the sand from the boat ramp away to the east side, so it’s not that sand that ends [back] up on the ramp,” Ms Baring said. “The natural movement…
FORMER Dromana State School student and art prodigy Ewart Melbourne Brindle went on to become one of the most recognised artists and illustrators of World War II, but his early days in Dromana are not forgotten. Dromana and District Historical Society will hold a one-day exhibition next month, showcasing Brindle’s art and some of the memorabilia he took to the United States when his family moved there after World War I. The Australian-American (1904-1995) is known for his posters for war bonds, as well as wartime magazine illustrations and covers, and US postage stamps. A keen motor enthusiast, much of…
A HASTINGS man discovered sleeping in a car in a quiet lane off Oliver’s Hill, Frankston, last week, was reportedly one of the Mornington Peninsula’s most wanted men. The 25-year-old – who was accompanied by a woman – was seen by a local in what turned out to be a stolen Mercedes sedan about 7am, Tuesday 8 November. Frankston uniform police who attended allegedly found a rifle in the car which was allegedly stolen from a Somerville property on 31 October. Detective Senior Sergeant Peter Drake, of Mornington Peninsula CIU, said the man was later charged with 40 offences, including…
Major Collision Investigation Unit detectives are currently heading to the scene of a fatal collision involving a car and a motorcycle. The incident happened on Boes Road in Tyabb just after 6am. The male motorcyclist died at the scene and is yet to be formally identified. The driver of the car is assisting police and the exact circumstances of the incident are yet to be determined. Boes Road will be closed off to traffic for the next several hours. Anyone who witnessed the collision or has any information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 000 333 or make…
Hastings police have arrested a man after he allegedly evaded police in McCrae yesterday afternoon. It’s alleged the man was driving a blue Toyota Landcruiser when he left a service station on Peninsula Link at Moorooduc and drove south about 5.20pm. Police received numerous calls alleging the Toyota was driving erratically and speeding as it continued towards Rosebud. Patrolling police units located the Toyota on the Bayview Road off ramp of the Mornington Peninsula Freeway at McCrae, before the vehicle allegedly drove back onto the freeway and along the median strip away from police. The Toyota allegedly drove south in…
MANGROVES are part of a trial to stop coastal erosion in Western Port. About 500 seedlings have been planted in a trial on the foreshore of Churchill Island Marine National Park off Phillip Island. The indigenous plants, widespread in some areas, are known to be good for a healthy marine environment. Their dense roots also help bind and build soils, and can slow the speed and destructive nature of the waves. Parks Victoria, in partnership with the Friends of Scenic Estate Reserve, has planted the specially propagated mangrove seedlings in an effort to reduce wave erosion of the cliffs. Ranger…
HAVE you ever felt like discussing the finer points of literature with fellow passengers while sitting on a train on the Frankston line? Well now is your chance, with the Books on the Rail project coming to a train near you in December. The idea is the brainchild of copywriter Ali Berg and primary school teacher Michelle Kalus, who have been leaving free novels aboard Melbourne trains for months in an attempt to share their love of literature and get commuters reading again. Frankston commuters can look forward to their turn to read in the last carriage of the 11.14am…
LANGWARRIN fisherman Harry Sellers is the 2016 Victorian Amateur Snapper Champion after he landed an 11.866kg fish over the Melbourne Cup weekend. Jake Milligan, of Mornington, was a close runner up with a snapper weighing 11.620kg, while Rohan McRae, of Wonthaggi, caught the third heaviest Big Red at 9.840kg. The 2016 junior champion is Hunter Blackford, of Frankston, whose fish weighed 7.800kg. The 33rd Tea Tree snapper competition was held on both Port Phillip and Western Port bays with the weigh in and presentation at Mornington Racecourse. The 1492 competitors caught and weighed 1200 fish, with 719 fish coming from…
THE works and methods of artists will be on display for four days this month when studio doors are thrown open during the annual Peninsula Studio Trail. The artists have produced a map that can be used to plan a scenic tour that takes in 17 creative spaces, from Frankston South to Flinders, along the coast to Rye and then back to the Port Phillip side of the peninsula through Red Hill. Along the way, the artists will show a range of art not always available in the commercial galleries. At McCrae, Katrina Newman, who makes jewellery with gold and…
ROSEBUD residents Margaret and Mike Ringham are aware that fate moves in mysterious and wonderful ways. The couple celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary at Trofeo Estate, Dromana, with their family and friends last week. But things would have turned out differently if British-born Mike, who was walking to work in a typical cold, dank London pea-souper in the early 1950s – with the foggy air invading his lungs – hadn’t thought that there had to be a better way of spending his life. Returning from lunch, he impulsively turned into the office of P&O Shipping Company and applied for a…
MICHAEL Mann made a lasting impression on dozens of teenagers during his 28-year career at Rosebud Secondary College. Mr Mann died in 2011 while assistant principal and the positive impact that he had on student Kayla D’Angelo led to her suggestion that a Reflection Garden be created as a memorial to him. Kayla went on to become the college’s 2015 vice-captain and her vision for this garden is now a reality, thanks to the work of a group of students and the generosity of several businesses. Liam Kelly and Franz Mahr, who run the college’s Hands On Learning program, led…
MORNINGTON Peninsula service stations are increasingly being targeted by late-night thieves. The Red Hill United servo was hit for the fifth time overnight on Wednesday 2 November, after previous robberies on 30 October, two in May – when doors to the servo were wrenched off their hinges – and one in September. Thieves used different vehicles on each occasion, with the latest getaway car a Ford Falcon utility bearing false number plates. A 23-year-old Clyde man was arrested on Friday and charged with the two most recent Red Hill United burglaries. He appeared at a bail hearing at Melbourne Magistrates’…
IF you noticed a lot of huge men around Frankston last Saturday (29 October), there’s a strong chance they were part of a fast-growing powerlifting craze that attracted lifters to town from around the world. Here for the ‘Big Dogs’ powerlifting competition, an invitation-only competition held for the first time in Frankston, eight powerlifters from Russia, the UK and Australia pitted their muscles against each other in the three-set lifting sequence. After lots of grunting and clenching of muscles by all involved, Russia claimed the $30,000 prize when 39-year-old Andrey Malanichev lifted a total of 1140 kilograms in the combined…
FIVE new beds have been added to the paediatric ward at Frankston Hospital thanks to Mt Eliza Rotary Club’s Kids Fun Run against Mornington Railway Preservat6ion Society’s locomotive, K163. The club raised $20,000 from last year’s fun run for the beds and this year hopes to match that with more specialised equipment for children. Frankston Hospital paediatric ward nurse unit manager, Helen Hutchins, says the beds are used for children who need help to sit up and be supported in bed. “We care for a lot of kids who have severe disabilities so these new beds are great for them.…
GRADUATION rates at Evocca College campuses have plunged to new lows amid a belated federal government crackdown on taxpayer funding to the private owned vocational education and training providers. Updated figures released by the federal government late last month show course completion rates at Evocca College campuses nationally fell from a low 23.6 per cent between 2012-14 to 12.2 per cent in 2013-15. The Queensland-based company trades as the Australian College of Training and Employment abbreviated to ACTE Pty Ltd and offers “study now, pay later” deals, known as VET FEE-HELP loans, to students who do not have to pay…
POLICE say a Lilydale man was lucky not to be seriously injured when he tripped and fell while walking at The Pillars, Mt Martha, on Cup Day. The 63-year-old injured his shoulder when he tripped and fell onto “jagged and sharp” rocks about 2pm. Acting Sergeant Ray Box, of Mornington CIU, said a rock fisherman saw the man lying injured in a wedge-shaped depression after his fall and called Triple 000. “The tide was coming in and he was getting splashed by the waves so there was no time to lose,” he said. Ambulance crews called to the scene had…
VISITORS to the U3A Mornington art and craft show at the Currawong Hall had a rare view of the creative work by the artists and Currawong Crafties group. “We are delighted to present a wonderful selection of watercolour, oils and acrylic paintings, sculpture and beautiful pieces of craftwork from our beginner, intermediate and advanced classes,” U3A art tutor Jan Oliver said at last week’s opening. Artists and tutors from various classes showed off works: from watercolour to experimental media and paintings in the style of cubism, impressionism and others. Opening the show, Mornington MP David Morris praised the group’s…
TOUGH new legislation introduced into state parliament last week to get so-called “monkey bikes” off the streets gives police the power to seize and impound the miniature bikes and fine owners up to $3109. If police find a monkey bike and no rider comes forward to claim it, the bike will be impounded and crushed after three months. Riders found not to have a valid motorcycle licence will be charged with unlicensed driving. Frankston Labor MP Paul Edbrooke said the legislation came about after monkey bikes were involved in an incident that claimed the life of Carrum Downs mother-of-two Andrea…
PROVINCIAL SORRENTO sits in the bottom half of the MPCA Provincial ladder after being convincingly beaten by Baxter on Saturday. The Sharks resumed at 2/13, chasing Baxter’s first innings total of 7/298. Despite some resistance in the middle order from Liam O’Connor (50) and Bobby Wilson (53), the Sharks were unable to reel in the total. Brandon Rulach also worked hard in the middle order for the Sharks with 36 but it could only drag the total to 223 from 75.1 owners, handing Baxter a 65 run win. Chamika Sattambi finished with 3/35 from 15 overs after snaring 2/7 on…
SUB-DISTRICT TOOTGAROOK and Hastings stand alone at the top of the MPCA Sub District ladder after the opening three rounds of the season. Tootgarook recorded an easy victory of Skye on Saturday to shoot to the top of the table while Hastings won a tight match against Balnarring. There is then a log-jam of five teams a game behind on 18 points. Balnarring offered plenty of resistance in its game against the Hastings. The Blues scored 245 on the opening day of the match and had the Saints reeling at 3/26 overnight. However, the home side dug deep and got…
DISTRICT RED Hill has already opened up a gap on the ladder against the rest of the MPCA District teams after the conclusion of the third round. The Hillmen sit on 44 points, a game clear of Mt Martha (32), while Flinders (30) and Heatherhill (26) make up the top four. Red Hill were too good for Seaford Tigers on Saturday. Skipper Simon Dart hit an unbeaten 101 as the visitors took their time getting to 6/151 in 65 overs to get the 12 points. Resuming at 2/14, Red Hill needed to get themselves back into the game and while…
THE Coroner, Dr Cole, opened an inquest at the Prince of Wales Hotel, Frankston, on Friday, 3rd November, touching the death of Mrs Mary Sidwell, whose dead body was found floating in the Bay near Oliver’s Hill, Frankston, on 2nd November. Dr Maxwell of Frankston deposed that under the instruction of Constable Ryan he had made a post mortem examination of the body of deceased. In his opinion the cause of death was drowning. The body had been in the water apparently about 4 days. Edwin Christie Ryan, Constable of Police, residing at Frankston, deposed: At about 1.30p.m, on Thursday…