Day: August 28, 2017

SOCCER By Craig MacKenzie SOUTHERN United’s under-13s clinched the NPLW championship with a 2-0 win over Geelong Galaxy United at Monterey Reserve on Saturday and are zeroing in on a finals campaign that could end in glory. Southern’s title success with two league games remaining has secured a home final and a win in that match on Saturday 16 September will take Debbie Nichols’ and Emma Bracken’s charges into the 2017 Grand Final on Sunday 1 October. Ace predator and leading league scorer Rhys McKenna missed Saturday’s success due to trials for the State cricket squad and Nichols and Bracken…

A DELEGATION of 10 Mornington Peninsula Nepean Football Clubs has requested that AFL South East call a Special General Meeting (SGM) of the competition after the governing body handed down a new competition structure that included South East Football Netball League (SEFNL) clubs from 2019. Despite unanimous lack of support at two separate MPNFL club president meetings to divisional football involving SEFNL, AFL SE continued its push for divisional football within its region by handing down the new structure. Former Edithvale-Aspendale FC president Ted Turner, longtime MPNFL Director Russell Jacgung and Frankston YCW premiership captain Paul Theobald make up part…

NEPEAN LEAGUE ROSEBUD will play Sorrento for the second time in three weeks this Saturday in the second semi-final after beating Frankston comfortably in the Nepean Division Qualifying Final. Despite trailing by 30 points at quarter time, the Buds kicked 13 of the next 19 goals to record a 14.15 (99) to 12.8 (80) victory. There was a significant wind advantage to the Kars St end of Frankston Park, Rosebud kicking three goals against it and Frankston just one. It was Rosebud’s work rate and dare to take a risk that saw it boot two vital goals against the breeze…

PENINSULA LEAGUE MT ELIZA ended a frustrating season with an embarrassing 85-point thumping at the hands of Pines in the Peninsula Division Elimination Final at Chelsea on Saturday, 15.5 (105) to 2.8 (20). The Redlegs, who have copped an enormous amount of season-ending injuries to key players this season, including full back Jay Neratzoglou and full forward Justin Van Unen, were restricted to just two goals for the afternoon against a disciplined, well-structured and hungry Pines outfit. After a couple of tight one-goal results through the home and away season, Mt Eliza was not even competitive against the Pythons. The…

THE sad news was received Mrs Westaway, of Somerville, last week, that her son, Sergeant Leslie W. Westaway, had died in the Canadian Hospital, England, from erysipelas, on August 14th. Sergeant Westaway was a very valued and capable officer and his death is deeply deplored. *** MR S. S. Gault will hold a clearing sale this afternoon at Hastings on account of Mr E. Unthank, consisting of orchard, land, buildings, stock, implements, furniture, and sundries. *** FOR the convenience of residents of Frankston who wish to attend the Somerville fancy dress ball on Wednesday evening, a drag will leave Bay…

ALCOHOL will be banned at The Pillars diving rocks at Mt Martha if a push by Mornington Peninsula Shire Council is successful. The shire’s amended Consumption of Liquor Local Law will go on exhibition “in coming weeks” in the wake of a six-month trial ban. The council is now advertising to make the bans – which extend several blocks inland – permanent, with increased powers to be given to police to seize alcohol from visitors. The Mt Martha coastal hot-spot attracts visitors due to its appealing cliff face and pristine waters, but excessive drinking, discarded rubbish and abuse of parking…

Mornington Peninsula Shire is sending a three-person team to China to investigate “alternative waste facilities”. Cr Hugh Fraser, acting chief operating officer Niall McDonagh and waste services team leader Daniel Hinson will be in China 2-9 September and report back to council within 30 days on the value of the tour and “how knowledge gained may influence the future direction of alternate waste technologies in the region and the shire”. The trip will cost ratepayers about $7500. The shire is a member of the Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Group (MWRRG) and its team will join representatives from Greater Dandenong…

MORNINGTON Peninsula Regional Gallery echoed to the sounds of the second Victorian Music Crawl last week. It was all part of a contemporary music bus tour, Thursday to Saturday, hosted by Mornington Peninsula Shire Council and the Musicians Network. Maxon and Nola Lauch performed at the gallery show before musicians, managers, booking agents and industry representatives. The artists of all genders, ages and genres, performed rock, jazz and blues at live venues, including pubs, a church, festival site, mechanics hall, winery, café, radio station, art gallery, brewery, nightclub and a Mexican restaurant on the peninsula, Bass Coast and in south…

MORNINGTON detectives last week charged three youths following an alleged theft and series of deceptions. The trio allegedly stole a car on 21 August which they used to evade police. A credit card in the car was allegedly used in a number of deceptions in the Mornington area. A 16-year-old from Mornington was charged with theft of a motor vehicle, two counts of obtaining property by deception and drug-related offences. A 15-year-old, also from Mornington, was charged with theft of a motor vehicle, committing an indictable offence while on bail and drug-related offences. A 15-year-old from Hastings was charged with…

A MT MARTHA doctor has for 30 years been able to combine her twin loves: scuba diving and medicine. In that time, Dr Vanessa Haller has made more than 2500 dives in idyllic locations while photographing marine life – including large sharks – and contributing to the knowledge of the South Pacific Underwater Medicine Society. It’s a perfect fit for a diving doctor: the society studies, promotes and communicates with members on all aspects of underwater and hyperbaric medicine, holds scientific conferences at exotic South Pacific locations and fosters fellowship and friendship among members. What could be more exciting than…

NON-profit group Mentis Assist has its sights on age-friendly Mornington Peninsula as it works to provide support to older people in the community. The 30-year-old group last week received the Age Friendly Local Business Award at the Mornington Peninsula Delys Sargeant Age-Friendly Awards. The awards recognise individuals, clubs, services or businesses that contribute towards a supportive community for older people. They aim to shine a light on older people, promoting respect and an age-friendly community. “Mentis Assist is the only organisation on the peninsula that provides a range of social group services for over 50s to support their mental and…

MORNINGTON Peninsula grape growers are being urged to sign up to a program which would provide an early alert to threats from pests and diseases. Agriculture Victoria and the Mornington Peninsula Vignerons Association (MPVA) are working to improve biosecurity management practices on the peninsula by encouraging growers to embrace the property identification codes (PIC) program. Less than 45 per cent of peninsula grape growers have registered so far. MPVA technical chairman Tyson Lewis said by registering for a PIC, Agriculture Victoria is able to quickly alert local growers about a plant pest infestation or disease outbreak that may hit hard…

MOVES to change “foreshore” to “coastal” when it comes to naming volunteer groups on the Mornington Peninsula involved with foreshore management are designed to iron out misunderstandings over the groups’ roles and powers. A review ordered by council in 2014 conducted by consultant Janine Haddow recommends asking foreshore advisory groups what they think of adopting “a less formal foreshore consultative group model”. Changes suggested in Ms Haddow’s report also take away the requirement for a council officer to attend up to 30 meetings of the various groups each year. Ms Haddow says the changes would provide the groups with greater…

Police say their vehicles fitted with Stalker Mobile Radar Units can measure the speeds of vehicles travelling in both directions – even while they are moving. Somerville Highway Patrol detected a blue Holden sedan approaching at 113kph in an 80kph zone on Balnarring Rd, Tuerong, 11.20pm, Sunday 13 August. The 59-year-old male driver, of Merricks Beach, told police he “thought it was a 100 zone”. Police quipped this would have meant he thought he was “only going 13kph over the limit instead of 33”. The driver was issued with an on-the-spot $436 fine with four demerit points and one month’s…

MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire Council will write to the Premier Daniel Andrews urging the state government to ban the distribution of single use plastic bags. The council at last Tuesday’s (22 August) meeting voted to back the Environmental Protection Amendment (Banning Plastic Bags, Packaging and Microbeads) Bill (2016), or alternative legislation aimed at preventing the distribution of free single-use plastic bags. The shire will also develop and implement a “community engagement campaign relating to the impact of plastic bags on the environment, waste and litter minimisation actions”, and “provide a platform for local, community-led plastic bag and litter reduction initiatives”. A…

EIGHTY friends and family from all parts of Victoria and interstate gathered at Rye RSL recently for a surprise party to celebrate Meryl Taylor’s 100th Birthday. Born in Torrita, a small farming town north-west of Ouyen in the Mallee, Ms Taylor was the first child of pioneers Heber and Doris Smith. She has outlived her four siblings. She attended the local one-room school where her mother was the teacher. After leaving school she trained as a nurse at the Ouyen Hospital and, after the war, moved to Maryborough in central Victoria  with her husband Victor, a New Guinea veteran, and…