By Barry Irving History was made at the Rye Gift run on Saturday. In a male dominated event Maddie Coates became the first ever female athlete to win the prestigious race. Maddie won the 120 metre open event in 12.279 off a handicap of 15.00 metres. The Ladies Diamond120 metre event was won by Holly Dobbyn in 14.190 off a handicap of 3.75 metres. In another first Rye Football Club won both the junior and the senior footballers events. Despite the inclement weather the gift was well supported by leading VAL athletes and supporters and spectators. This annual event is…
Day: January 15, 2018
AFTER narrowly missing out on qualifying for the past two Commonwealth Games, Peninsula Boxer Jason Whateley will join 13 of Australia’s top boxers at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in April. Whateley is hoping to claim a gold medal in the Men’s heavyweight division (91kg) and will also be joined by Peninsula Boxing head coach Marcos Amado who has been appointed assistant coach of the Australian Boxing team. Coming off a silver medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games Qualifiers and again earning silver at the qualifiers in 2014, Whateley made his biggest change to date and joined Amado at…
SOCCER THE draw for the 2018 Steve Wallace Memorial Cup has been conducted and this year’s tournament features eight clubs split into two groups. Group A comprises Langwarrin, Casey Comets, Peninsula Strikers and Baxter. Group B is made up of Mornington, Frankston Pines, Seaford United and Skye United. The annual fundraiser for the emergency department at Frankston Hospital will be held at Baxter Park on Saturday 3 February. The Bayside Football Association will again supply the referees and event organiser Tanya Wallace is seeking donations for the major raffle to be conducted on the day. She can be contacted on…
THE Mornington Peninsula Cricket Association has upheld its decision to strip Balnarring of all of its points for an “administration error” in playing an unregistered player, Mitch Klienig. Whilst the second round of 2018 was again influenced by the weather, Balnarring was left to lick its wounds in a decision the club has labelled “a farce”. The First XI was stripped of its points last year by the MPCA after they found that despite Klienig being registered with Balnarring, he was permitted out to Ivanhoe CC last season for the final three games of the year. Knowing Mitch Klienig was…
CRICKET MORNINGTON Peninsula Cricket Association round eight matches were rightfully called off last weekend due to 40 degree-plus temperatures. However, in complete contrast, most of the round nine matches on Saturday (13 January) were called off due to torrential rain. Despite rain-effected round across Provincial, Peninsula and Sub-District divisions, there were some little gems that emerged from the damp. Flinders beat Delacombe Park in District and Frankston YCW and Boneo drew in Sub-District. Dromana went agonisingly close to knocking over Carrum Downs. The game was called off when the Hoppers were 2-93, chasing just 116 for victory. The feel-good story…
Compiled by Brodie Cowburn AN OFFICIAL WARNING. With the dry weather and high winds serious losses through fire have occurred in several country districts of Victoria. A warning notice against careless use of fire was circulated by the Lands department in November last and the Minister of Lands is again publishing this warning and appealing to all persons to exercise the utmost care. *** PRIVATES Jerry O’Neill and Slocombe have been invalided home to Australia, after a long time on active service. *** FREDERICK Albert Gould, youngest son of Mr and Mrs T. M. Gould, Nolan Street Frankston has enlisted…
Art that stands out on a wall DUTCH born John Vanderwerf, above, arrived in Australia with his family in 1953 and has lived in Mt Evelyn for most of his life. He has worked as a visual merchandiser since he was 18, managing his own business for the past 28 years, including designing and building Christmas sets and exhibitions in major shopping centres and at trade fairs. Vanderwerf says he has experimented with painting as a hobby throughout his working life. In 2002 he began water colour lessons. Since then he has exhibited and sold some of his artwork in…
BOULDERS will be used in a bid to stop further erosion of cliffs at Mt Martha Beach North and damage to the Esplanade. Engineering consultants have warned that the ongoing loss of the cliffs between Alice and Augusta streets threatens to eventually damage the coastal road linking Mornington and Safety Beach. The bitumen is cracked in many sections of the road which has also been closed twice in recent years because of landslides Work on installing rocks at the cliff base will start in April, although 430 metres of the beach is likely to remain officially closed until the project…
WOMEN and chainsaws are not usually mentioned in the same sentence – except when the woman is chainsaw artist Angie Polglaze. The Hastings resident carves timber into eye-catching shapes and has won more awards than any other female carver in the world. Her skills have earned her a Service to the Arts Award from the United Chainsaw Carvers Guild in 2011 for her “encouragement and inspiration to women carvers everywhere”. Their challenge is to carve sculptures from a single piece of wood. This year’s theme is The Garden. “Chainsaw carving is mind-boggling,” said Ms Polglaze, who draws her inspiration “from…
THE way is open for girls to take part in the Blessing of the Waters in future after a girl pipped the boys for the Rye prize for the first time at this year’s Rye event. Emily Paxevanos, 16, of Whittlesea, was the only female in the usually male-dominated event when Red Hill Greek Orthodox priest Eleftherios Tatsis threw the wooden cross into the water, Saturday 6 January. Legend says good fortune will favour the winner of the annual event attracting thousands of competitors to the pier in anticipation. Frankie Ferraro, of Lysterfield, won the race for the crucifix at…
MORE than 140 students took part in the Peninsula Youth Music Society’s 38th Summer Music School at Mt Erin College in Frankston South last week. They enjoyed making music with their new friends, with some having just begun exploring sounds and creating music. Others expanded their skills in improvisation or tried out instruments that best suited their talents. The week-long program on 9-13 January aimed to provide those aged five-18 with an “enjoyable and rewarding” musical experience. Organiser Nora Morrisroe said activities ranged from Rhythm ‘n’ Beat, Movement and Dance, Try an Instrument, Sing a Song and Percussive Beat for…
ELVIS is on the way to Frankston in the form of Ben Portsmouth, officially crowned the king of The King tribute singers by Elvis Presley Enterprises six years ago. Portsmouth, from Berkshire in the UK, shook up the world of Elvis performers by being the first non-American to take out the Ultimate Elvis crown in Memphis in 2012. The singer’s success in the contest led to an appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman to perform An American Trilogy. “It was an incredible opportunity to do that on such a big show,” Portsmouth told The Times. He is bringing…
THE future is bleak for injured and displaced wildlife on the Mornington Peninsula, with Crystal Ocean Wildlife Shelter carer Brenda Marmion being forced to find a new home. The dedicated carer, who has been looking after distressed wildlife for the past 30 years, was recently asked to vacate her Golf Parade, Rye, rental property by April. This gives her four months to find a suitable base “somewhere on the peninsula” that will allow her to temporarily house and rehabilitate wildlife. She said she had good references. Ms Marmion, 74, said she was beginning to feel the pressure of finding a…
THIS long-stay camper went all out to feel at home on the Rye foreshore by establishing his own garden. The camper is among a small number who, perhaps unthinkingly, dig up the foreshore, introduce weeds, and prune indigenous vegetation so they have a better view of the water. Others throw exotic pot plants into the bush when they leave. Mornington Peninsula Shire’s buildings and facilities manager Davey Smith said foreshore camping was renowned a family-friendly experience where campers create a homey environment. “While management doesn’t allow any planting into the ground, some campers do choose to decorate their sites with…
THERE was little rest for many police highway patrol officers over the festive season. Victoria Police’s 24-day Operation Roadwise blitz over the Christmas and new year period nabbed 39 drink drivers in across the Mornington Peninsula amid a total of 1045 detected driving offences in the region. A total of 59 drivers found to be under the influence of illicit drugs while driving. Police said the operation aimed to “take dangerous, impaired and irresponsible drivers off our roads”. The operation from 15 December-7 January targeted motorists drink driving, speeding and driving while unlicensed. There were 33 disqualified and 39 unlicensed…
MORE than 270 eager beach cleaners got into the spirit of things at the third annual Seaside Scavenge Festival at Rye, Sunday 7 January. They collected 770 kilograms of litter in three hours – including 10,000 cigarette butts. Rye Scavenge chapter leader Sacha Guggenheimer said after three years of collecting data the butts “appear to be Rye’s signature littered item”. “High litter categories are single-use items, such as straws, coffee cups and lids, plastic bags, plastic food wrapping, plastic ice-cream spoons and bottle tops,” she said. In the water, more than 80 metres of fishing line was gathered near Rye…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire will compulsorily acquire a large section of Tootgarook Swamp to save it from housing development. About 30 hectares (70 acres) at 92 Elizabeth Av, Capel Sound (Rosebud West), will be acquired from property developers who wanted to build a retirement village of 80 units plus a 75-room hotel and a recreation centre. Earlier plans sought permission to build 99 units and 163 units. The land consists of 5.7 hectares zoned general residential, where the village was to be built; 21 hectares of “wetlands recreation area”; and 1.5 hectares split between a road reserve (VicRoads’ future freeway) and…