POLICE have released images of graffiti “tags” at Somerville Secondary College in the hope they can help identify those responsible. The vandals roamed the school grounds over the summer school holidays and spray painted most buildings. Principal Chris Lloyd said the school’s buildings were defaced regularly. “It is a constant problem here and at the primary school, especially on weekends,” he said. CCTV footage sent to the police had captured vision of those responsible, but Mr Lloyd said he had not identified any current students although a “much older” former student had been recognised, he said. Clean-ups have cost the…
Day: February 12, 2019
FAMILIES descended from the original French Island Thompsons flocked to the Tankerton Memorial Hall for a 125th reunion. More than 230 family members from New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Victoria took the ferry across from Stony Point and were picked up by bus on the island, Sunday 3 February. Some came across from Corinella, with their vehicle on the barge, and planned to stay several days to catch up with family members from further afield. The day capped off 18 months of planning by organisers Joan Shepherd, Lois Airs, and Carol Lake – grandchildren of…
HASTINGS police are keeping an eye out for riders of illegal “monkey bikes”. Acting Sergeant Scott West said the mini-bikes were “becoming an issue” as they posed a danger, especially to pedestrians in public areas. “We all remember the tragedy of the woman struck and killed in Carrum Downs a few years ago and we would hate for something like that to happen again,” he said. Police are coordinating resources and gathering data to back up a campaign against monkey bike riders. The riders potentially face a raft of charges, including careless riding, riding an unregistered bike, dangerous riding, riding…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire marked World Wetlands Day (Saturday 2 February) with a boat trip in Western Port for “key decision makers across local government, industry, and environmental advocates”. The trip enabled the passengers to “explore one of the peninsula’s most internationally significant regions”. The Western Port Ramsar wetlands near Hastings is part of the United Nations (UNESCO) declared special biosphere reserve of the Western Port catchment and is one of only nine biospheres in Australia. The shire’s boat trip preceded the release this week of new research showing Western Port is increasingly vulnerable to pressures from population growth, urbanisation, run-off…
ORGANISERS of the 50th Western Port Festival at Hastings say they have knocked back potential sponsorship from AGL despite being short of money and “up in the air” over grants promised by Mornington Peninsula Shire Council. The festival committee is hoping to raise $200,000 through online fundraising, but by Monday had received just $1600, including $1000 from the Save Westernport group. “A unanimous vote [of the committee] was passed to not accept any AGL money,” event manager Yvens Ferraz De Camargo said, citing community concerns over the power provider’s plans to moor a floating gas import and processing terminal at…