TWO dogs blamed for the mauling and killing of chooks and a lamb at Bittern last week remain in Mornington Peninsula Shire’s pound “pending the outcome of investigations”. “The investigation is still underway. Once concluded, all evidence and information will be sent on to the prosecutor,” environment protection manager John Rankine said. The two kelpies believed to be from Crib Point were seized by rangers after attacking the livestock at three properties, Wednesday 13 November. (“Dogs seized after deadly attacks” The News 20/11/19). Grieving pet owners were devastated by the ferocity of the attacks with one, Chris Phobe, saying his…
Author: MP News Group
RYE’S Beach Clean Boards aim to help rid Mornington Peninsula beaches of marine litter and plastic pollution “two minutes at a time”. Based on the #2minute beach clean boards in the UK, organisers place A-frames along the foreshore near bins encouraging beachgoers to collect litter and then record what they’ve picked up with a #hashtag connected to a social media campaign. “This project aims to increase awareness of the dangers of litter, especially plastics, to the marine environment, as well as reducing litter on the beach and greater care of our local beaches,” Rye Community House’s Sarah Race said. “We’re…
A TRIAL of Plastic Free Places will be held at Mt Martha from this month. The trial over summer will put Mt Martha alongside Byron Bay, Noosa, Adelaide and Perth in what organisers say is a national program to reduce single-use plastic waste, especially on the foreshore. Villages such as Mt Martha, with its hub of cafes, restaurants and small businesses directly across from Port Phillip unintentionally contributes to the quantity of litter finding its way onto the beaches and into the bay, organisers say. The most common “culprits” include take-away food containers and cups, straws, plastic packaging and cigarette…
MEMBERS of Crib Point CFA were on the march last week, from their former fire station at 137 Disney Street to a brand new one at 191 Disney Street. The address may not be very different, but the move has the advantage of having two high-ceilinged truck bays for bigger tankers, a breathing apparatus repair room, and more space for offices and firefighters. The move to the new $1.5 million building has been five years in the making so a march accompanied by Navy drummers was warranted. The building was opened by Victoria’s environmental sustainability commissioner and CFA board member,…
MORNINGTON Art Show has signed up German-born sculptor Rudi Jass for its January Art show. In his Mornington Peninsula studio, Jaas designs and crafts sculptures characterised by clean-flowing lines and elegant forms. Working mostly in stainless steel, corten steel, and copper, his sculptures are often combined with accents of glass or stone. The pieces are all handmade in small or limited editions and are sought after by architects and landscape designers. Jass’s designs are displayed in small courtyards, gardens, balconies or amid modern architecture in urban and commercial developments. His kinetic sculptures move in the wind, adding movement to gardens…
CIVIC Reserve, Mornington’s new synthetic 400-metre athletics track and four-pitch soccer centre will be opened on Saturday 30 November. The ceremony will be 11-11.30am but those interested are welcome to stay to watch athletes using the sports grounds at 350 Dunns Road, Mornington. A community open day with a free sausage sizzle hosted by Mornington Peninsula Shire Council will celebrate the event and show off new facilities. The reserve’s newest member clubs: Mt Martha Soccer Club, Mornington Little Athletics Centre and Mornington Peninsula Athletics Club will make their debuts. “Let’s all get together as a community and celebrate the fantastic…
THE glamour of Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach could be felt at Moorooduc Primary School last week when veteran lifeguard “Maxi” spoke to students about water safety. Maxi – Trent Maxwell – is a veteran of 11 seasons on Channel 10’s Bondi Rescue and ranks as one of its most popular personalities. He is the youngest professional lifeguard to work at Bondi. He spoke about water and beach safety, the importance of swimming between the flags, how to identify a rip, how to safely get out of a rip, how to call emergency services and use floatation devices to rescue those…
THE Mornington Peninsula Vignerons Association had made “provenance” awards to wineries producing three vintages of the peninsula’s “hero” wines – pinot noir and chardonnay. This year’s awards saw the provenance awards go to Yabby Lake Winery, at Tuerong for its pinot noir and Paringa Estate, Red Hill South for chardonnay. “The Provenance awards were envisaged as a different way of assessing chardonnay and pinot noir, looking at three vintages of a wine in detail, and in the context of consistency of quality, vineyard character, and winemaking style,” show committee chairman Lindsay McCall said. “As the Mornington Peninsula focuses more and…
A POLICE officer manning a booze bus on a Peninsula Link off-ramp at Bungower Road, Moorooduc, had to jump aside to avoid a truck on Friday night, 8 November. The white Toyota truck was stopped two kilometres down the road. The 60-year-old driver from Merton blew 0.267 and had his licence suspended on the spot. His truck was impounded for 30 days. Police noted that his wasn’t the first time he had been caught drink-driving as there was a Zero Alcohol condition on his licence. The man will receive a summons to attend court at a later date. “Fortunately this…
SEAWINDS Boomerang Bags, Capel Sound has won the Tidy Towns Resource Recovery and Waste Management Award 2019. The award aims to encourage, motivate and celebrate sustainability achievements in rural and regional communities across Australia. It acknowledged the work of the Boomerang Bags group in linking with Uniforms 4U, a group created by Colleen Mackay, to help repair or alter donated school uniforms for families in need around Mornington Peninsula. During the past year they have helped hundreds of families clothe their children after repairing hems and zips, washing donated clothing and raising money from the sale of their bags to…
AN endeavour to provide each student at Tyabb Railway Primary with a white timber cross representing a soldier who died in war formed the main part of the school’s Remembrance Day commemorations, Monday 11 November. The project was initiated by Tyabb ANZAC Day Dawn Service coordinator Peter Davis after a chat with the school’s principal Emma Slater. Mr Davis coordinates the Dawn Service on behalf of the Hastings RSL, Tyabb Ratepayers and others. Ms Slater and her staff are enthusiastic about the ANZAC spirit which is already represented in their ANZAC Memorial Garden and their annual school pilgrimage, led by…
SOMERVILLE Community House and three peninsula schools will share in this year’s annual community grant of $5000 from Peninsula Quarries. The $1250 grants are awarded by the company’s community engagement group. Pearcedale Primary will use the grant to build an easily accessible and secure bike shed. It’s certainly needed because an increasing number of students riding bikes or scooters to school has brought the existing shed to “bursting point”. Wallaroo Primary will expand its cooking and garden program. Students plant and tend the school’s gardens, growing herbs and vegies, used in making healthy and nutritious meals for the students –…
SOUTHERN Peninsula Grandmothers for Refugees are sending freedom birds in packages to the MPs in Canberra. This is a different approach while still reminding our politicians of their responsibilities towards asylum seekers and refugees, the group says. “It is over six years that most of the refugees in off-shore detention [centres] have survived the incredibly harsh treatments and the difficult environments,” member Anne Renkin said. “And there is still no hope of a safe future for them. Our freedom birds represent hope and justice for refugees.” The group says the federal Medivac legislation was also being challenged by the government…
THE Save Westernport residents’ group and local environmental groups were acknowledged at Environment Victoria’s 50th Anniversary celebrations in Melbourne recently. The entire Western Port community was also honoured by Environment Victoria with a special award to recognise many years of “resilience in the face of repeated attempts to destroy the local environment”. The Save Westernport Inc. residents’ group was formed in April last year to oppose plans by energy company AGL to import and process liquefied natural gas in Western Port Bay and to build a 56km gas pipeline to Pakenham. “From French Island’s nuclear reactor in the 1970s to…
BLAIRGOWRIE boxer Jayde Mitchell will headline the recently launched National Boxing Series in its Melbourne debut at the State Basketball Centre, Wantirna, Saturday 23 November. Promoter Lynden Hosking said he was excited to launch the series into Australia’s “boxing heartland”. “This will be the first of three events held in Melbourne over the next 12 months with other shows in the series taking place in Sydney, Brisbane and Canberra,” he said. Mitchell, a world ranked super middleweight, will fight former world champion Stanislav Kashtanov, of Russia, over 10 rounds in what’s being described as “one of the fights of the…
A SERVICE to honour the memory of Constable Angela Taylor, pictured, will be held at Mornington police station this week. A plaque dedicated to Constable Taylor will be mounted beside an Angela Taylor rosebush during the service, Wednesday 13 November. Constable Taylor’s family and friends, the Blue Ribbon Foundation, local police and senior police officers will gather to celebrate Constable Taylor’s life and recognise her service to the community. Constable Taylor became the first policewoman in Australia to be murdered on duty when a car bomb was detonated in front of the Russell Street police headquarters on Easter Thursday, 27…
THE all-too frequent vandalising of bus shelters along the 788 bus route from Frankston to Portsea has so irked Lindy Clarke that she called The News to complain. “They are always getting smashed,” she said. “I saw one vandalised near Tanti Park, also at Blairgowrie and four on Pt Nepean Road from Tootgarook to Rosebud. They were 500 metres apart. “In one case a steel bollard had been thrown through the bus shelter window. I even got glass splinters in my sandals. “In one damaged shelter there was an older lady with kids trying to find shelter from the wind.”…
A MAN, pictured, alleged to have stolen four, six and 10 packs of spirits valued at $260 from peninsula liquor outlets “on multiple occasions” has a taste for bourbon and rum. The raids occurred on 31 August, 8 September, and 3 and 25 October. Police said on some occasions the man has stolen liquor twice in the one day after changing his clothes. Anyone with information on the thefts or the identity of the man is urged to contact Senior Constable Leanne Marshall at Rosebud Police Station 5986 0444 or Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report…
SOUTHERN Metro Division 4 had a “fairly quiet” Melbourne Cup weekend, according to Somerville Highway Patrol Sergeant David Collins. “There was no road trauma over the five-day period, which is a very good primary outcome,” he said. “Of the 4483 drivers breath-tested – up from 2400 last year – only 21 were processed for drink or drug-driving offences, down from 30 last year.” The tests were conducted as part of Operation Furlong, which took in Melbourne Cup activities as well as the Peninsula Cup day at Mornington Racecourse, Sunday 3 November. First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 12…
A DROMANA man has been charged with 11 offences, including burglary and theft, after allegedly stealing nine cars at Doncaster, Thursday 24 October. Manningham detectives arrested the man at Rhode Island, Patterson Lakes, Thursday 31 October. They allegedly recovered four of the stolen Subarus but five vehicles are still missing. The 41-year-old appeared at Ringwood Magistrates’ Court, Friday 1 November, and was further remanded to appear at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court in January. Meanwhile, a 43-year-old Dandenong man has been charged with theft and bailed to appear at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on 11 December after being found in one of the…
A SOMERS Primary School student has been a busy bee gathering more than 100 signatures on his petition to save the bees. Rupert, 6, made a formal presentation at Mornington Peninsula Shire Council’s Tuesday 8 October meeting pleading for the council to guard against the poisoning of local bees. He was backed up by 120 signatures from peninsula school children and residents confirming they support his stand. Concerns about the safety of bees have been raised over fears Department of Health officers will begin widespread “fogging” of the peninsula’s bushland areas in the fight against the Buruli virus. It is…
RYE Primary School’s production of Be the Change was reportedly a huge success for all involved. Inspired by a quote from Ghandi: ‘Be the Change you want to see in the world’, the play evolved from a range of ideas contributed by students, parents and teachers. The bi-annual event featured students from Prep-Grade 6 who showcased their talents in the visual and performing arts. It featured lead actors, Drumbeat students, senior and 3/4 choirs, a rockin’ school band and dancers. Every year level had its own scene and theme to portray. The play centred around five kids who climb a…
A MULTICULTURAL event at the Rosebud Shire offices, Wednesday 30 October, celebrated the successes of Mornington Peninsula Shire’s migrant population. About 50 guests and family members, from 13 countries, acknowledged and highlighted the contribution migrants have made to the social, cultural and economic development of the peninsula. The mayor Cr David Gill said immigrants had expanded our culture and introduced new ideas and traditions into their adopted country. “The resourcefulness, hard work and determination of people who came from so many other countries helped make the Mornington Peninsula an exceptional place to live,” he said. “We are a more connected…
RED Hill Fire Brigade was a big winner at the Bendigo Bank’s grants and sponsorship evening, Tuesday 29 October. It received the largest donation: $25,000, which will allow it to provide room for a new type of tanker. On the night about 60 community groups received more than $250,000 between them from the Rye, Rosebud and Dromana Community bank branches. This second of the twice yearly grants and sponsorship evenings follows the first in May when $227,000 was shared among 50 groups. Grants and sponsorships were delivered to a diverse range of community groups, including sports, arts, environment and health…
MORNINGTON Cricket Club players are thrilled with their new nets and multi-use facility at Alexandra Park. This comes after the club was awarded $193,825 in the state government’s Pick My Project grants. It became one of 237 projects from across the state to share in more than $30 million. “Having started the whole process over 12 months ago, and with building starting back in July, we are now fortunate to have a new cricket net/multi use facility for the whole community to enjoy,” Mornington Cricket Club president Lee “Alfie”Garnet said. The club welcomes all players and members of the public…
YMCA Camp Buxton: Cyril Young Memorial Chapel Association Annual General Meeting – Shoreham Hall, 2.00pm, Saturday November 16. The Cyril Young Memorial Chapel is the open-air chapel located at the site of the former YMCA Camp Buxton in Buxton Woodland Reserve, Shoreham. Historically, for many city boys attending the camp, the camp service at the chapel was their first experience of the sacredness of the natural environment, the chapel being set in a grove of swamp gums adjacent a wetland alive with fauna, mammals, birds and insect life. Archival records from the late 1940s demonstrate how the YMCA’s Shoreham Camp…
CHILDREN on the Mornington Peninsula are invited to help find our missing frogs during FrogID Week, 8-17 November. The citizen-science project being run by the Australian Museum aims to collect audio of frog calls to monitor their populations and help save threatened frog species. So far, FrogID has identified more than 116,000 frog calls and identified 187 of the known 240 Australian frog species. Last year, more than nearly 7000 frogs from 95 species were recorded. The second annual FrogID Week aims to build on the critical data gathered from last year and find frog species missing from the museum’s…
MARK your diaries and make space on Sunday 8 December for a special new event coming to Mandalaye Park on French Island. Picnic in the Park promises to be a magnificent day of food, wine, gardens and music, so prepare your picnic blanket for an afternoon of alfresco dining in the grounds of this beautiful country property. The picnic will be set in and around Mandalaye Park Homestead & Gardens from 10am – 4.30pm. Western Port Ferries will be transporting guests to and from Stony Point on the Mornington Peninsula and Cowes, Phillip Island to experience a taste of life…
A DIGNITY Vending Machine at Hastings Community Hub will offer “dignity” to women in need. The machines, known as Pinkboxes, dispense period packs allowing girls and women access to free sanitary products to manage their period. Organiser Share the Dignity formed a partnership in March with Woolworths to help women who experience what’s described a “period poverty” each month – meaning they are unable to afford necessary sanitary products. Since then, Woolworths has donated five cents from every pack sold, including pads, tampons, liners or period briefs, across its stores nationally. Funds donated will buy 30 new Pinkbox Dignity Vending…
WESTERN Port Secondary College won a prestigious award at the Victorian Education Excellence Awards at the Plaza Ballroom, Friday 25 October. It comes after the school’s leadership team implemented ambitious education improvements over the past few years driven by a vision of delivering learning growth for every student. Principal Chris Quinn said the college had embarked on a targeted program of whole-school professional learning, beginning with the development of an instructional framework grounded in the Department’s Pedagogical Model. The performance and development process was also revised, with teachers working collaboratively to collect and analyse a variety of student learning data…