A MASERATI was nabbed on mobile radar travelling at 189kph in a 100kph zone along Mornington-Flinders Road, Flinders, Saturday 31 August. Asked by Somerville Highway Patrol police why he was speeding, the 29-year-old, of South Yarra, said he was running late to visit his sister. Like all drivers intercepted for any reason he was drug-and-alcohol tested with both tests proving negative. “Some people seem to think they can drive at these crazy speeds because they have a good car and they think they’re good drivers,” Acting Sergeant Anthony Deason said. “How someone can think 189kph on Mornington-Flinders Road is OK…
Author: MP News Group
STUDENTS at St Joseph’s Primary, Sorrento, celebrated The United Nations International Year of Indigenous Language by researching and designing their own indigenous sensory, edible and medicinal garden using the indigenous plants of the Mornington Peninsula. The colourful gardens, as well as looking spectacular, encourage birds, native bees and insects to visit their school grounds. The students’ efforts have led the school to being a finalist in this year’s Tidy Town Awards. Sustainability teacher Jane Byrne said the project began following a visit by nine years five and six students to the Royal Botanic Gardens at Cranbourne. On their return the…
ON a cue of “Let’s clog Shirl,” Judy Phillips, stroke survivor, and Shirley Cheah, Peninsula Health physiotherapist, performed a type of folk dance called clogging before a large group of Allied Health staff at Peninsula Health’s Golf Links Road Rehabilitation Centre. Comfortable in the limelight after a career as a children’s television presenter, Ms Phillips said she had one clear goal after her stroke last June – “I really wanted to get back to clogging.” The toe-tapping show and lunch on Wednesday 4 September was organised as part of Stroke Week and most of Peninsula Health’s Stroke Detours team members…
A $10,000 FINE and an order to pay $10,000 in costs to Mornington Peninsula Shire Council was an expensive lesson in planning protocols for Portsea resident Lindsay Fox last week. This came after one of the trucking magnate’s private companies pleaded guilty to two charges of failing to comply with the council’s planning scheme at Dromana Magistrates’ Court. Photographs of a 4600 square metre area of foreshore outside the Fox property show it had been levelled and irrigated turf laid without shire approval and that protected native plants and grasses had been removed. The area is covered by overlays requiring…
ROSEBUD Secondary College students took a peek into the fascinating world of biomedical sciences at the fifth annual Biomedical Sciences Day in Parkville last week. They were among 60 years 10 and 11 students from regional and rural Victoria to attend the event which gave them a rare opportunity to experience life as a biomedical scientist. The event was presented by the School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Melbourne, and the Gene Technology Access Centre (GTAC). Professor Matthew Watt, head of the university’s Department of Physiology, encouraged the students to think about the science behind what creates, sustains and threatens…
A $530,000 redevelopment project at Tyabb Central Recreation Reserve pavilion will create more inclusive, functional and accessible amenities for players of both genders. The pavilion will include two new change rooms with “female-friendly” amenities, accessible toilet, new path to the pavilion and new ramp. The upgrade, paid for through council’s capital works budget, aims to address a gap in local amenities and remove barriers to female sports participation. The mayor Cr David Gill said the council was “thrilled to be improving facilities at sporting grounds across the peninsula, especially by providing female-friendly and accessible amenities”. “To see more of the…
FOUR cows found wandering loose on Frankston-Flinders Road, Bittern, overnight last week were herded into the nearest fenced area – which turned out to be Bittern Pre-School. Mornington Peninsula Shire rangers responding to a call of stock at large found the cows at 11.45pm, Tuesday 27 August. They chose the pre-school garden area as the nearest and safest place to house them until their owner could be notified. The cows had been moved over to the Bittern hall play area when pre-school teacher Jill Oborn arrived early next morning, but reminders of their visit were plain to see. “There was…
MOUNT MARTHA SOCCER CLUB By Alex Levy MOUNT Martha Soccer Club has just completed their 5th season of soccer and are going from strength to strength with over 400 members playing across 35 teams from U6’s to U18’s and an All Abilities side, all of which cater for both boys and girls. As a community club, we are extremely proud of where we sit today, having just moved onto 2 out of 4 of the brand new pitches at Civic Reserve. Our achievements and general culture and values are strong and testament to the fabulous volunteers and members who live…
FRANKSTON Arts Centre is hosting the first ever Kids Fest in the September school holidays. Featuring live shows and workshops, it promises to be lots of fun. The little ones can take part in the Grand Pawtrait Competition by entering an artwork of your best pet-friend and have it hung at Cube 37 Gallery. Entries close on Saturday 7 September so ensure that you collect the entry pack, which includes the frame, before that. First up is FoRT, a show for cubby creators and den dwellers. If you have ever built a FoRt, you should see this! The show is…
TIM Freedman has been talking about impending new songs for years. Now he is putting it in writing that he will perform some new material in his solo tour this October and November 2019, and that he is prepared to be run out of town if he doesn’t deliver. “Hopefully the new songs aren’t too successful though, otherwise I’ll earn too much to retain my franking credits. Unfortunately, like every one else in the world, I just had to express myself.” Freedman is best known as the front-man and songwriter of Australian band ‘The Whitlams’ – an Australian Recording Industry…
Mornington Peninsula Shire and Headspace Frankston will show the work of LGBTIQA+ people and their allies at next month’s Proud on the Peninsula Art Exhibition . The exhibition theme LGBTIQA+ Lives in the Frame celebrates the lives of LGBTIQA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer/questioning, asexual and other terms) people across the peninsula and Frankston. The mayor Cr David Gill said the council was proud to promote equality across the peninsula. “We’re committed to supporting a healthy and vibrant community that celebrates and values diversity,” he said. Applications are being sought from artists wanting to be part of the Proud…
TRAFFIC police taking part in the National Day of Action say it is a direct response to the “horror year which is taking place on Australian roads”. As part of the campaign an alcohol and drug testing site was set up in Marine Parade, Hastings where 321 drivers were breath tested, with one returning a positive result for drugs. Police say they plan to set up testing sites at random locations across the peninsula to conduct mobile and stationary speed checks. Up until Wednesday last week 13 people had lost their lives on Frankston and Mornington Peninsula roads. First published…
TWO men who smashed a plate glass door at the Woolworths supermarket in Baxter stole more than $130,000 in cigarettes and cash about 3.30am, Wednesday 28 August. The men are shown on CCTV footage using an angle grinder to break into the store on Baxter-Tooradin Road and climbing over service counters. Detectives believe the men later attempted to force a roller door at a Coles Liquorland, Ashleigh Avenue, Frankston, but failed. They are shown wearing hoodies, masks and gloves and driving off in a dark coloured SUV. Anyone with information can call Detective Hocking 5978 1300 or Crime Stoppers 1800…
A SOMERVILLE teenager has been charged with criminal damage by fire after an ATM in Eramosa Road East was scorched by a Molotov cocktail, 11.50pm, Tuesday 20 August. Somerville CFA fire crews were able to restrict the fire to the front of the building and no other shops were damaged. Detectives used CCTV footage to identify the 16-year-old who has also been charged over a series of burglaries at Somerville Plaza and an aggravated burglary at a Somerville house, 11.15am, Monday 26 August. Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Jason Hocking, of Somerville CIU, said a startled resident arriving home chased the…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire’s immunisation service has returned to Somerville with the first session in three years held at the new Somerville Recreation Centre, Wednesday 14 August. The service is free with no bookings required and a range of session times are available across the peninsula. Immunisations are available for infants and children aged up to 10, as well as for students in years 7-10 as part of the secondary school immunisation program. Those who have missed immunisations at school can attend any community immunisation session on the timetable which is available online. Some of the Rye sessions have been changed…
PERFORMING at the Frankston Arts Centre on Friday 20 September and Sunday 27 October, the Imperial Russian Ballet Company return to Australia with Swan Lake…the most loved classical ballet of them all. This masterpiece ballet is presented in two acts and follows the original storyline. Subtle revisions and variations have been introduced by Gediminas Taranda, Artistic Director of the Imperial Russian Ballet Company. Swan Lake crosses the world of magic and mystical creatures with that of the real world. It is a story where the virtues of love and forgiveness in the end conquer evil and betrayal. The Imperial Russian…
PLANS are well underway for this year’s 6.7 kilometre fun run or walk Arthurs Seat Challenge, from Rosebud to Seawinds Gardens at the top of Arthurs Seat. This event promotes and raise money for the Fit to Drive road safety program provided free to Mornington Peninsula and Frankston secondary schools. Fit to Drive focuses on personal safety, responsibility, and strategies to make young people use the roads safely. Running since 2001, the Fit to Drive program has been aimed to reducing road trauma by changing attitudes and behaviours of young drivers and passengers. BlueScope Western Port has supported the Arthurs…
A PROJECT to improve the Roger Penman Reserve Community Playground at Blairgowrie is making great strides. Volunteers’ coordinator Kate Coker said Mornington Peninsula Shire Council had given $15,000 towards the $50,000 needed for new playground equipment at the reserve behind the shopping precinct in Wilson Road. “The play equipment was last updated in 2003 and is understandably in need of an upgrade,” Ms Coker said. “We have an enthusiastic group of parents who are currently volunteering their time to the project, and we have had a huge amount of support from the Blairgowrie community. “The Sorrento Community Centre is backing…
TWO Mt Eliza men have been arrested and interviewed as part of an investigation into “suspicious betting activity” in an esports league, 23 August. Police allege video game players were “arranging to throw matches and subsequently placing bets on those matches”. The matches were part of a Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournament, a popular multiplayer first-person shooter video game. The Mt Eliza men were among six people arrested as part of the ongoing investigation. Police believe five matches were affected, with more than 20 bets placed on those matches by Australian punters. Sporting Integrity Intelligence Unit detectives also arrested two 20-year-old…
A MAN’S body was found inside a burned out Mornington house last week. About 20 firefighters and five appliances fought the blaze in Carramar Street just after midnight, Friday 23 August. Thick smoke was visible from the Mornington Peninsula Freeway. The Arson Squad will investigate the blaze which spread to a neighbouring house and damaged the garage. The occupants of that house were safely evacuated. Neighbour Sam Maxwell said he was working in his garage about 11.30pm when he heard – and felt – a loud “whomp” followed by a series of pops and bangs, like bursting aerosol cans. “At…
THE frequent use of drugs by drivers on Mornington Peninsula roads was highlighted during Somerville Highway Patrol’s Operation Drive-Thru last week. Drivers exiting fast-food outlet drive-throughs in the Frankston Council area were tested to see if they had the munchies as a result of drinking alcohol or taking drugs. Over the Friday and Saturday nights 16-17 August 78 vehicles were intercepted with 21 drivers testing positive to drugs and being over the alcohol limit. A 21-year-old, of Frankston South, blew 0.164 per cent after being clocked at 200kph in a 100kph zone on the Frankston Freeway. Police issued six vehicle…
TWO mates heading home after a big night out at Mornington’s pubs and clubs took the wrong option, Saturday 17 August. Instead of splitting a taxi fare, calling a sober friend or walking the three kilometres home they decided to drive instead. If life’s a lottery then the 20-year-old Mornington man lost: The p-plater was picked up driving his mate’s manual 4WD on his automatic-only licence. After being clocked at 97kph in an 80kph zone on Nepean Highway he blew 0.126 per cent and lost his licence for 12 months. His mate’s 4WD was impounded for 30 days. “If you…
A FAMILY asleep upstairs at a house on Old Mornington Road, Mt Eliza, awoke to the sound of breaking glass, 4.30am Sunday 18 August. Venturing downstairs they found glass all over the floor and a handbag missing. The offenders had fled but credit cards from the bag were used twice before being cancelled. Investigations are ongoing into the burglary. Anyone with information is urged to call Acting Senior Sergeant Jason Hocking, of Somerville CIU, 5978 1300 or Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000. First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 27 August 2019
SOMERVILLE detectives are reviewing CCTV footage to help identify a man who threw a Molotov cocktail at an ATM in Eramosa Road East last week. Detective Senior Sergeant Eddie Logonder said the National Australia Bank’s ATM was destroyed and the bank facade damaged in the incident, 11.50pm, Tuesday 20 August. Somerville CFA fire crews contained the fire to the front of the building. No other shops were damaged. Anyone with information is urged to call Somerville CIU 5978 1300 or Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000. First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 27 August 2019
AN air of excitement builds around at Eastbourne Primary School during book week as students from all levels dress up as characters from books. Principal Stephen Wilkinson said learning specialist Carli Hunter and her team “provided many stimulating, inquiry based activities to engage all the students”. “The Reading for Life theme is important. It enables students to realise reading is part of everything we involve ourselves with whether it be numeracy, interpreting rules for sport or observing road signs and directions,” Ms Hunter said. “At Eastbourne Primary we have very good data in reading across the board because of the…
AN exhibition opening in Mornington later this month will show the Mornington Peninsula as seen through the eyes of 58 artists. The artists will explore the beauty of the region for the Southern Buoy Studios’ 2019 Landscape Prize through their works on show from Saturday 31 August to Saturday 28 September. “Our aim is to showcase a variety of well-known and emerging artists,” the studio’s program and marketing manager Rachel Doyle said. “The familiar becomes new through paint; narratives and recollections are projected to create a dialogue with the viewer. Works immerse us in the experience of the Mornington Peninsula…
By Lance Hodgins Part Three The members of the 1913 “Greatest Team Ever” JACK CAMPBELL was the 1913 captain and, at 38 years of age, a football veteran. He grew up in Bendigo, where he captained the strong Bendigo FC before moving to Tasmania to play in the tough mining competition at Queenstown. In 1912 he came to Hastings to join his brother in the family general and hardware store (near today’s Shire Offices) and played in the premiership team that year. He captained again in 1915 and served as a club administrator after the war years. He settled in…
A SHARED passion for skating has allowed Hastings dad and skateboarding coach Craig Mitchell to spend quality time with his three children – Riley, 13, Kobe, 10, and Indy, 6. Fort the past five years they have been regulars at the YMCA skate parks on the Mornington Peninsula. “We’re a skating family and the YMCA and its skate facilities have given me and my kids a place to have fun, keep active and create lasting memories,” Mr Mitchell said. “I’m also heavily involved with the Y’s skateboarding programs and coach around 100 kids a week from all over the state.…
NEW interpretative signs on Tanti Creek, Mornington, explain the natural environment of the creek, and its use by traditional owners the Boon Wurrung through to white settlement. They offer interesting illustrations and descriptions of the plants and wildlife in the creek estuary. Members of Tanti Creek Friends Judith Martin and Jan Oliver oversaw the designs of the large format signs during 10 years of research. Their work was paid for with a Mornington Peninsula Shire community grant. The signs are near the estuary at Mills Beach, and at the well-used foot bridge at Stones Crossing. Some of the early grand…
By Danielle Kutchel VETS are upset by a push by Mornington Peninsula Shire to sign them up to an agreement setting out what they can do with stray animals. The non-mandatory 84Y agreement – included in the Domestic Animals Act of Victoria – requires that all cats and dogs found or seized be delivered to an authorised council officer, or to a council-approved organisation, including vets. If a vet practice has an 84Y agreement with a council it can retain, dispose of, or return cats or dogs to their owners. Vets without an agreement must hand strays over to the…