SOCCER By Craig MacKenzie IF there was a local coach of the year award for 2016 Seaford United supremo Paulo Pinheiro would be a valid candidate. Sure he may not have beaten Scott Morrison whose Rosebud Heart side won every game in a once-in-a-generation season and Adam Jamieson whose Mornington outfit created history with back-to-back State 1 championships but what Pinheiro achieved last year is worthy of recognition. When Darren Roberts surprisingly quit a couple of weeks out from the start of last season and half a dozen senior players followed suit assistant coach Pinheiro had suddenly inherited a basket…
Author: MP News Group
By Ben Triandafillou THE Mornington Little Athletics Centre have completed their temporary move to the Mornington Secondary College whilst they await the construction of their new all-weather running track at Civic Reserve, Mornington. The MLAC hosted their first day of competition at their new home on January 14 after outgrowing their old location at Mace Oval, Mount Martha after 13 seasons. With the assistance of local companies such as Moorooduc Timber and Hardware and Charlton Degg, Land Development Consultants, the move to their new home was relatively smooth and without great cost to the club itself. Charlton Degg, located in…
By Ben Triandafillou CAULFIELD trainer, John Moloney, has defied the odds in the $2 Million Magic Millions 3YO Guineas (1400m) at the Gold Coast on 14 January, with the $101 blowout, Flying Jess. Flying Jess defeated the previously unbeaten Winning Rupert as well as dual Group 1 winner Global Glamour for a breakthrough victory. Brilliantly ridden by Tye Angland, Flying Jess swooped late to defeat Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott’s Global Glamour ($8) by a neck and hold off the fast finishing Eckstein ($12) whose four straight wins came to an end. Unable to run the tough seven furlongs out,…
This year, McClelland is delighted that Derek Guille the renowned broadcaster, author and musician has agreed to curate and MC what promises to be a very special event featuring two of Melbourne’s finest jazz groups The Pearly Shells and Ultrafox (featuring Julie O’Hara) along with one of our favourites in The Frankston High School Senior Stage Band, directed by Leon de Bruin. Derek Guille presented the state-wide Afternoon Program on 774 ABC Melbourne and ABC Local Radio throughout Victoria and Southern New South Wales before taking up the reins of the ABC Evening Program for Victoria in 2003. In September…
Caller and leader of the Mornington Peninsula Square Dancers, Jaden Frigo, says the square dancing groups have been unbelievably well received on the peninsula. “I’ve been blown away by the enthusiastic response to our new groups. It’s been so successful that we have added three more groups so you can now dance in Rosebud, Mornington, Hastings, Balnarring or Somerville. There are thousands of people on the peninsula that would love it if they gave it a try and I really do encourage everyone to come along and see why the activity is taking the world by storm,” he said. “Come…
PENINSULA Health chairperson Nancy Hogan has been awarded Melbourne Rotary Club’s 2016 Seniors Award for her contribution to the community, particularly aged care services. “Ms Hogan exemplified all the qualities we were looking for,” Robin Syme, who heads the club’s nominations sub-committee, said. “She is committed to making a difference to older people, presenting a positive view and purpose on growing older, and is also a role model and advocate for older people. “After a successful career in aged care, Ms Hogan has, in her senior years, taken a very active role as a volunteer on not-for-profit boards, mentor for…
HASTINGS State Emergency Service is on the look-out for new members, especially residents in Somerville, Tyabb, Hastings, Mornington, Mt Martha, Moorooduc, Bittern, Cribb Point, Tuerong, Merricks, Balnarring and Somers. A recruitment information evening is being held 7pm, Wednesday 1 February, at the Hastings Unit, 2144 Frankston-Flinders Rd, Hastings. The SES handles floods, storms, earthquakes, landslides and tsunami emergencies state-wide. Public Relations section leader Helen Pugh said volunteers would receive accredited, recognised training, which may include rescue skills, chainsaw operations or securing a roof in a storm. SES units also assist other emergency agencies at incidents, such as searches and rescues.…
A NEW Mornington Peninsula Housing Services Guide aims to help people overcome housing-related problems. It can assist them to identify where to go for advice about particular problems and seeks to simplify what may appear to be a complex and confusing system. The peninsula guide has been released at a time when “rough” campers in the Melbourne CBD are ruffling official feathers. Melbourne lord mayor Robert Doyle is said to be about to propose a controversial bylaw outlawing sleeping in the city’s streets. The peninsula guide contains a comprehensive list of contacts for legal advice/advocacy, financial assistance and information about…
A FORMER Seaford automotive repair business manager has been reimbursed $102,990 following intervention by the Fair Work Ombudsman. The manager was found to have not received the correct annual leave and long service leave entitlements after he resigned from the company after 25 years. He contacted the Fair Work Ombudsman for help and to confirm that he was entitled to the payment. He was provided with advice to help him resolve the matter with his former employer. The entitlement was paid in two lump sum payments within a week. The Fair Work Ombudsman also helped a foreman in Carrum Downs…
POLICE capsicum sprayed an abusive young woman, as well as an intoxicated man who “fronted up” to police, during a wild night in Mornington early last week. Another woman, 19, was among a group of revellers in their late teens and early 20s arrested for drunken behaviour after milling crowds spilled out of Main St hotels and bars early Sunday morning, 15 January. The five offenders were locked up for four hours before being released with $622 penalty notices. Acting Senior Sergeant Chris Stock, of Mornington police, said ambulance crews treated the woman at the scene for 45 minutes after…
THE auction of two freestanding commercial buildings at 157-163 Ocean Beach Rd, Sorrento, is expected to confirm the strength of the peninsula’s property market. CBRE’s Mark Wizel said the 554 square metre block, to be auctioned 12.30pm, Saturday 11 March, was expected to attract strong interest given its passing income, flexibility and position adjoining a council car park. He said the site offered an opportunity for a mixed use development “in one of Victoria’s strongest performing markets”. He described 2016 as a “hugely successful year” for the Mornington Peninsula’s property market with “this momentum” expected to continue into 2017. Mr…
DISADVANTAGED people across the Mornington Peninsula will benefit from the Great Peninsula Paddle on Australia Day. Organisers are hoping to raise $15,000 from the event, which is in line with money raised in years past. The seven-year-old event attracts more than 100 participants to Sorrento foreshore each January to raise money for Reclink Australia’s sport, recreation and arts programs. The not-for-profit group is being supported by the Sorrento Sailing Couta Boat Club, with money raised going towards the Western Port Warriors football team and other Reclink sport and recreation activities. “With the support of the Sorrento Sailing Couta Boat Club,…
TWO men arrested over the weekend face charges over multiple robberies – including at the IGA liquor store in Lochiel Av, Mt Martha, overnight on 28 November, where a quantity of cigarettes was stolen. The 32-year-old Preston man and a 32-year-old Epping man also face charges relating to five other burglaries as part of an operation investigating a series of commercial burglaries across Melbourne. They were arrested by the Eastern Region Crime Squad on Mendip Rd, Reservoir, on Sunday. Charges include aggravated burglary, burglary, theft, theft of motor vehicle, criminal damage by fire and handle stolen goods. Other burglaries occurred…
THERE must be something in the water at Balnarring, with three former neighbours all celebrating their 100-plus birthdays this year at a Shoreham aged care centre. On Saturday, Beryl Sheedy blew out the candles for her 104th birthday, just months after her former Balnarring neighbour Elsie Wishart also turned 104. The pair share the same aged care centre with another of their former Balnarring neighbours, Merle Chaman, who turns 100 this year. Mrs Sheedy said her secret to longevity was to have a glass of white wine with dinner every night. “I used to say having a chocolate every night,…
Two men and a 7-year-old boy were rescued after their boat capsized and partially sank in Western Port Bay last night (Monday 16 January). Police have been told the trio were returning to Stony Point after an evening of night fishing when their boat struck a sand bank about 11.15pm. The quick thinking skipper made a distress call on VHF radio, let off a number of red flares, and activated an emergency position-indicating radiobeacon (EPIRB) which was being carried on board. All three emergency methods helped alert emergency services to the position of the stricken vessel and they were soon…
HUMAN remains were found in bushland off Diamond Bay Road, Sorrento, on Friday (13 January). Homicide Squad detectives said they formed part of an “ongoing investigation” and would not comment further. Police media officer Belinda Batty said the police Mounted Branch, Operations Response Unit and SES were also involved in the investigation. She said the remains would be forensically examined. The age of the remains or if they are those of a male or female are not known at this stage. Television news film showed police were searching in a lightly timbered area. First published in the Southern Peninsula News…
ROSEBUD will host an international lighting extravaganza featuring some of the most loveable characters from Dreamwork’s animation in an Australian-first exhibition. Around 100, huge illuminated figures from the movies Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, How to Train Your Dragon and Madagascar will come to life and light up the Rosebud foreshore in April. Lights by DreamWorks is an interactive, walkthrough experience that will run for 30 days and is expected to attract more than 300,000 visitors. Modelled on the traditional Chinese Lantern Festival, Lights by DreamWorks also features a variety of scenographic pieces, LED furnishings, themed technology and learning zones, an…
SMOKING rates in Frankston and on the Mornington Peninsula are significantly higher than the state average – statistics Peninsula Health and local schools are out to improve. “Most people in our community would agree that no one wants their kids to smoke,” Kristen Young, health promotion practitioner at Peninsula Health, said. “But, for an issue with so much support, the score card on tobacco use within our local community is quite dismal.” The service is collaborating with Mornington Peninsula Shire youth services and Frankston Mornington Peninsula Primary Care Partnership to create the Smokescreen Project. It was launched last year at…
IN an amazing start to the year, three Rosebud Country Club players in the women’s competition scored holes-in-one on the same hole on the same day. Members Jan Brown, Narelle Colahan and guest Suzanne Lynch all “aced” the 14th hole on the club’s south course, Tuesday 10 January. “Holes-in-one on the golf course are rare, with the club seeing maybe a handful each year,” marketing and membership manager Nicole Grace said. “The probability of a hole-in-one for the average player is about 12,500:1. The chances of two people scoring an ace on the same hole on the same day are…
A CAR given to pioneering women aviator Amelia Earhart will be in Mornington next month as part of the RACV Great Australian Rally. The front wheel drive supercharged Cord was a present from Earhart’s husband, George Putnam, who had it painted in her favourite colour, “Eleanor blue”, named after her friend Eleanor Roosevelt, the wife of the long serving United States’ president, Franklin D Roosevelt. The Cord’s owner, Terry Dowel of Beaconsfield, will exhibit his car at the rally which raises money for research by the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. Earhart was the first woman to fly across the Atlantic…
By Ben Triandafillou THE Mornington Peninsula Junior Football League under-16 Boys and Youth Girls interleague teams will be playing the Northern Tasmanian Junior Football Association’s interleague teams in the first annual representative match over the Labour Day weekend in March. The MPJFL will be visiting Launceston for the beginning of what they hope to be a fantastic partnership with the NTJFA and a significant opportunity for the representative teams. The signing of an “In Principal” agreement between the two associations allows the MPJFL in conjunction with the NTJFA to conduct an annual representative match beginning in 2017. This interstate partnership…
The Sphere Peninsula Short Film Fest is Victoria’s largest public short film screening and will be held for the sixth year running in Rosebud from Friday 3 February to Sunday 5 February 2017. Promising filmmakers will showcase their work in front of a panel of luminaries who will award individuals in a total of nine film categories including best film, best cinematography, best director and best screenplay. This year’s judging panel includes, Nicole da Silva (Wentworth, Doctor Doctor), Lachy Hulme (The Matrix, Offspring), Myf Warhurst (Spicks and Specks, Double J), Sigrid Thornton (SeaChange, Wentworth) Gyton Grantley (Underbelly, House Husbands) and…
Police are appealing for public assistance to help locate missing 15-year-old Amelia Sawyer. Amelia was last seen leaving her Hastings address on 3 January. She is described as having a slim build with long brown hair and brown eyes. Police and Amelia’s family have concerns for her welfare due to her age and the length of time she has been missing. Investigators have released an image of Amelia in the hope someone recognises her and can provide information regarding her current whereabouts. Amelia is known to frequent the Frankston and Springvale areas. Anyone with information about Amelia is urged to…
IT seems humans are not the only species that has an appetite for takeaway fast food. It seems feral cats and foxes are especially drawn to menu items at KFC in Hastings, although there’s a good chance that their first meal from the outlet is also their last. The role that KFC Hastings has in controlling pest animals has been uncovered along with a list of credit card expenses by Parks Victoria staff which also includes meals at the Portsea Hotel and several expensive restaurants elsewhere in the state – but presumably not for consumption by animals. Parks staff went…
UP to three number plates are stolen from cars on the Mornington Peninsula every week by people planning to commit crimes and steal petrol, according to police. The number plate thefts has prompted police to urge car owners to change to one-way, anti-theft number plate screws, and keep cars in garages where possible. Detective Senior Sergeant Alan Paxton from Mornington Peninsula CIU said two to three number plates are stolen from cars on the peninsula weekly, and was a major concern for police and car owners. “It is a major inconvenience for car owners, as they can’t drive the car…
A STOLEN car that sped from a booze bus in Western Port Highway, Somerville, two weeks before Christmas was found burnt out in Crib Point on the weekend. The red 1996 BMW sedan was taken from outside a house in Fulton Rd, Mt Eliza, on 10 December. The car was seen at a police roadside breath testing point in Somerville eight days later but, after initially pulling over when motioned by police to stop, the driver sped up and drove off erratically. Detective Senior Sergeant Alan Paxton from Mornington Peninsula CIU said the driver grabbed the hand of the police…
THE Disabled Surfers Association Mornington Peninsula will be holding its first event for 2017 at Point Leo on Saturday (14 January). As with past events the organisers expect hundreds of volunteers will be on hand to help more than 100 people with disabilities enjoy a day at the beach and in the surf. A new hoist-sling will be trialled to make it easier and more comfortable when transferring surfers from their wheelchairs. The DSAMP has also worked over the past year with Mornington Peninsula Shire and Mt Martha Lifesaving Club to provide matting at Mt Martha beach which allows wheelchair…
A GROUP of Frankston and Mornington Peninsula residents are making a difference to the lives of leprosy sufferers around the globe, and are inviting others to join the cause. The Peninsula Leprosy Mission Support Group, a group of 12 people from around the peninsula, has raised more than $12,500 this year, beating its target and fully funding four projects in India, Papua New Guinea, Timor Leste and Nepal. Hastings member Don Johnston, who joined the group in 2008, said he was moved to tears when he and fellow members travelled to Nepal and saw the suffering and social rejection of…
THOUSANDS of people flocked to the Rye pier on Friday (6 January) to join in the Blessing of the Waters celebration, and to escape the 33-degree heat in the cool waters of Port Phillip. The ceremony is held every year at Rye by followers of the Greek Orthodox faith to celebrate Epiphany Day and the baptism of Jesus. Divers of different ages and energy levels dived off the pier after a wooden cross was blessed by the Very Reverand Elefterios Tatsis before being tossed into the bay. Stelios Kardas, 37, from Melbourne, was first to the cross this year. Participants…
SOCCER By Craig MacKenzie PRE-SEASON preparations for the 25 March kick-off to the 2017 league season go into overdrive this month. The highlight is the annual Steve Wallace Cup on Saturday 28 January, which will again be hosted by Mornington at its Dallas Brook’s Park headquarters. The event commemorates the life of local soccer icon Stephen William Wallace who was 54 years old when he died on 19 July 2011 and was a former Langwarrin player, coach, president, life member, club council representative and Bayside League referee. The charity event is a showcase for the local game and always draws…