Author: MP News Group

FRIDAY on My Mind – Falling in Love Again – Evie (Parts 1, 2 & 3) – Hey St Peter – Down Among the Dead Men – Love Is In The Air – St Louis – Pasadena – The Love Game – Silver Shoes – Birmingham – Keep On Smilin’ – The Day That My Heart Caught Fire – Standing In The Rain – Walking In The Rain – I Wanna Do It With You – Where The Action Is – I Hate The Music – Yesterday’s Hero – It’s a Long Way To The Top (produced by Vanda &…

FAMILY and friends celebrated the centenary of long-time Baxter and Somerville resident Mabel Grace Blum at Somerville Bowling Club on Sunday 24 June. The mother of five, grandmother of 10, and great-grandmother of 10, was born on her parents’ poultry farm on Hendersons Road, Baxter, on 27 June 1918 – the same year the area known as Mornington Junction was renamed Baxter. Her parents, Allan and Grace Dicker, attended the progress association meeting of that year which voted to adopt the name of Baxter. Following on from this, Ms Blum was a guest of honour at the Baxter centenary celebrations…

UNWANTED x-rays can be recycled for free at the Mornington Resource Recovery Centre. The offer is part of Mornington Peninsula Shire’s efforts to divert waste from landfill. X-ray films are recycled to extract the silver which is converted into a purer form of silver and reused for such things as jewellery, silver solder, electrical components and film manufacture. The mayor Cr Bryan Payne said chemicals in X-rays made them a hazardous waste. The decision to accept x-rays for free was made after a suggestion by retired nurse Denise Kempster, of Somers. Mornington Resource Recovery Centre is at 134 Watt Road,…

A NEW treatment for capping hair loss during chemotherapy for cancer is being rolled out at Frankston Hospital. Scalp cooling chills the head and reduces the level of chemotherapy drugs reaching hair follicles to cut down on hair loss. Crib Point mother-of-three Angela Fox this month became the first patient to have scalp cooling. “It’s a marvellous opportunity to have all of this technology in a public hospital, which basically helps you keep your dignity while you’re having all of this treatment done,” she said. “Hair is fairly important – if you’ve still got your hair a lot of people…

A RALLY to oppose the AGL gas import and Kawasaki hydrogen export projects in Western Port will be held at the Fred Smith Reserve, Hastings foreshore, 1pm, Sunday 1 July. The Crib Point AGL gas import project and the Kawasaki Hydrogen Energy Supply Chain pilot project have raised community concerns over the environmental, social and economic risks they pose to the values of Western Port, rally organisers say. Save Westernport and Westernport and Peninsula Protection Council are hosting the rally supported by Environment Victoria, Victorian National Parks Association and Blue Wedges Coalition. The Crib Point AGL floating regasification project aims…

THE daubing of a red swastika on a gum tree outside Bittern train station has drawn condemnation from members of a leading civil rights organisation. Hastings police are also trying to track down the offenders. Anti-Defamation Commission chairman Dr Dvir Abramovich, who was sent photographs of the graffiti by an offended Bittern resident, Wednesday 20 June, described it as “repugnant”. “This repugnant Nazi graffiti is an assault on all residents of the Mornington Peninsula and violates our nation’s values of acceptance and respect for all people,” Dr Abramovich said. “The Nazi swastika is a universal symbol of hate that represents…

US Blues Rock Royalty Head Down Under With ‘New Beginnings’ California power-trio Radio Moscow have just announced their return to Australia with a two week tour planned for down under in just a few weeks. The hard-hitting band have carved their own sonic niche in international Blues, Rock and Psych circles since their formation in 2003, regularly playing some of the world’s largest festivals including Ride Festival, Desert Daze, Electric Funeral, Psycho California and more, also having supported the likes of Graveyard, Witchcraft, Joe Bonamassa and Pentagram throughout Europe, North America, South America and Australasia.  Their retro sound, fuelled by…

A WOMAN in her late 70s died when she became trapped under a car in the driveway of her Mornington home last Friday morning. Sergeant Kylie Vaughan, of Mornington police, said the woman’s husband, also in his 70s, was parking the car at their Strachans Road property on Friday 22 June when she became pinned underneath. Mornington and Dromana CFA, ambulance crews and police rushed to the scene and used lifting equipment to raise the car but the woman had died as a result of her injuries. Sergeant Vaughan said it was unlikely any charges would be laid over the…

POLICE are seeking dash-cam footage of a silver coloured Holden Astra being driven erratically south bound on the Mornington Peninsula Freeway, 4.25am Saturday 16 June. The car, which was later involved in a single vehicle collision, was found with extensive front-end damage in the middle of the freeway blocking both lanes. The driver had fled the scene and mid-last week police were making inquiries about the registered owner. Police would like to speak to anyone who may have seen the car travelling on Peninsula Link or the Mornington Peninsula Freeway, or who may have come to the driver’s or passenger’s…

THE CFA wants to make sure residents do not “power a house fire” through appliances overheating or being damaged. CFA manager community safety Jude Kennedy said using damaged electrical equipment and appliances could result in fires urged that they be checked before being plugged in. “People need to remember that when electrical appliances are left on for an extended period of time they could overheat and have disastrous effects,” Mr Kennedy said. “We are urging residents to check their electrical appliances, including laptops and televisions, which are highly used in homes. “Make sure you turn off and unplug your electrical…

MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire’s draft 2018 Green Wedge Management Plan is open for public comment. The draft plan aims to identify the long-term vision, objectives and actions for the sustainable use and development of green wedge-zoned areas. It also outlines key issues, opportunities and likely future pressures. The mayor Cr Bryan Payne said community responses already received showed a “high level of support for protecting our green wedge”. “We must protect and manage the green wedge to ensure it remains an area where the natural environment and biodiversity is preserved,” he said. “The green wedge is renowned for its rural charm…

THE Mornington Peninsula was set to play a greater role in feeding Greater Melbourne’s growing population, a speaker at the Green Wedge Summit at Main Ridge Community Hall, Friday 22 June, said. Melbourne University’s Dr Rachel Carey, who heads the Foodprint Melbourne project, said the increasing urbanisation of large areas of formerly productive farmland around Melbourne highlighted the importance of maintaining agricultural production on the peninsula. “The resilience of city food systems is facing growing challenges from population growth, urban sprawl, climate change and from declining supplies of natural resources, such as land, water and fossil fuels,” Dr Carey said.…

TWO Rosebud Secondary College students will take part in youth science forums in London and Singapore next month. Year 12 students Sean Donoghue and Steven Thein Kha Sie are members of the SEAL (Select Entry Accelerated Learning) program, reportedly the only fully accredited accelerated program on the southern peninsula. The forums run 25 July to 8 August, and are aimed at inspiring “scientists of the future” among students from schools all over the world. The selection program is highly competitive, with only a handful of applicants being chosen. The Rosebud pair will visit research and scientific establishments and hear from…

PENINSULA Aero Club is hosting an open day for members of the public to visit and view some rare and exciting aircraft that participated in the highly successful recent air show, from noon Saturday 23 June. The Aero Club will be donating a record amount of air show proceeds to community groups during the day, continuing a tradition started almost 50 years ago when their first Air Show was held to raise funds for the world’s first fully equipped helicopter air ambulance, ‘The Angel of Mercy’ that initially operated from Tyabb. All air shows since have benefited the local community…

By Barry Morris THE St Vincent de Paul Society has seen a sharp spike in calls for assistance from the needy on the Mornington Peninsula in the past year, figures released by its Melbourne office reveal. The Vinnies’ figures for the southern region showed it provided help and support to the value of $890,000. In 2016-17, the number of food parcels handed out rose 11.3 per cent, the society was called on to provide help with housing for 12.9 per cent more people, the number of prescription medicines paid for rose 13.2 per cent and education costs shot up 27…

BASKETBALL BIG V Division One competition was headlined by a top of the table clash between Shepparton Gators and Chelsea Gulls this Saturday. The two sides lined up against each other at Shepparton Sports Stadium in a matchup between two sides considered among the favourites to take out the championship at the end of the season. It was a slow start for the Chelsea Gulls though, who found themselves in an uncomfortable position down by 14 points at the conclusion of the first quarter of play. With their backs to the walls, Chelsea showed their quality to fight their way…

A POSTIE was lucky to escape serious injury when his bike was sandwiched by two cars in Rosebud, Wednesday afternoon. The postie was returning to the depot about 3.30pm when he found himself sandwiched in Bayview Road. Both cars and the bike were extensively damaged. First Constable Chris Spero, of Somerville Highway Patrol, said it was likely “multiple” charges would be laid against the driver of the green car, a 26-year-old Rye man, depending on the result of blood tests. These could include drug driving, careless driving and driving while disqualified. Spokesman John Pyrros said Australia Post had offered the…

THE cause of a collision causing the death of a cyclist in Moorooduc, Monday 11 June, was still to be determined late last week. The 61-year-old father of adult children from Frankston South, was hit by a garbage truck on Moorooduc Highway, near Bungower Road, about 10.40am. Police attended and later interviewed the truck driver, 53, of Noble Park, at Frankston Police Station. Acting senior sergeant Pat Hayes, of Frankston police, said, Thursday 14 June, that “no cause of death has been ascertained at this point and no charges laid”. He said a pair of headphones found at the scene…

ALERT customers helped foil a potential robbery at the BP service station, Dromana, midnight, Saturday 9 June: they pulled the spark plug leads out of the “getaway” car preventing it being driven. A witness said that, minutes earlier, he and others had watched the store attendant remonstrating with a late-night customer who they thought was acting suspiciously. He said the attendant challenged the man and then shut the front door by remote-control, locking the man inside. The witness said the man attempted to force the door and smash a window to get out but, by the time he made it…

A MAN alleged to have fleeced more than a dozen small business owners from Mt Eliza to Rosebud over the past six months was arrested by Rosebud police last week. The 49-year-old, from the Latrobe Valley, appeared at Frankston Magistrates’ Court last week and was further remanded to Latrobe Valley Magistrates’ Court next month. He faces multiple charges of deception, theft, breach of an intervention order, reckless conduct endangering injury and unlawful assault, with some of the charges arising from incidents unrelated to the alleged cons. Leading Senior Constable Ian Huxtable, of Rosebud Police, said up to 13 traders had…

Trevor Douglas Martyn General Division OAM A PORTSEA resident who spent 50 years in the trucking industry has been awarded a medal in the general division OAM in the Queen’s Birthday Honours. Trevor Douglas Martyn said he was “amazed and proud to be considered” for the award for service to the road transport industry and to the community. “Trevor has made an enormous and selfless contribution to the Australian transport industry over a highly-decorated career spanning more than 50 years,” Victorian Transport Association CEO Peter Anderson said. “He served on the executive council of the VTA 1998-2005, including four years…

ELDER abuse was the theme of a stall at Rosebud Plaza last week by members of Peninsula Advisory Committee for Elders (PACE). The group spoke to shoppers and handed out ribbons and literature on elder abuse, which included advice of who to contact for assistance if they become a victim, or know anyone who is a victim. The visit coincided with World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, Friday 15 June. Organiser Jeanette Lane said elder abuse “can take many forms”. “Often more than one type of abuse can be used,” she said. Emotional (or psychological) abuse can include neglect, such as…

A DROMANA family which moved into the area more than 100 years ago has been remembered by having a bridge over Dunns Creek named after it. Littlejohn Bridge on Point Nepean Road is named after William Littlejohn who arrived in 1917 with his family of nine children and settled on land along Dunns Creek. In 1927 Mr Littlejohn successfully tendered to build a reinforced concrete bridge to replace an old timber bridge at the entrance to his property. “The Littlejohn family has, over many years, made a significant contribution to the Dromana district and wider peninsula community,” the mayor Cr…

WESTERNPORT Angling Club members are calling on public support to save their club building and public toilets from the bulldozer. Signatures are being collected on a petition to be presented to Mornington Peninsula Shire Council says there is no reason for the club to be on the foreshore. The shire’s latest plan for the Hastings boat ramp and parking area shows road and landscaping works in the site now occupied by the club’s building. Club members say no other building in Hastings would meet the criteria for weighing and cleaning fish, boat trailer parking, fishing competition presentations, use of the…

ROSEBUD Boomerang Bags landed their “first strike” at the Rosebud Plaza, Saturday 2 June, with more than 200 bags distributed and $372 in donations received. “We had to be quick on our feet in that fast paced environment where few shoppers had time for a chat – unlike the markets and fairs we’ve been to so far,” organiser Gwen Giudici said. “But our passionate team converted people, changed over plastic bags for cloth and opened their eyes in regards to our global plastic problem. “We also met fellow state and interstate Boomers and made new connections for future collaborations.” Ms…

RED Hill artist and gallery owner Michael Leeworthy’s latest mural – and probably the one most special to him – will be officially launched on Friday. Painted on a wall behind the Red Hill Trading Company, at the entrance to the Merricks-Red Hill shared trails, it features many favourite elements of his long-time home territory. Some “very talented” students from Dromana Secondary College helped paint the 20 metre long mural over three weeks. Its nine panels highlight the area’s Aboriginal heritage, indigenous fauna and flora, early settlers, rail line, food and farm gates, walkers, and bike and horse riders that…

A cyclist has died following a collision with a garbage truck in Moorooduc, Monday 11 June. It’s believed the cyclist and the truck were involved in a collision on Moorooduc Highway near Bungower Road about 10.40am. The male cyclist, who is yet to be formally identified, died at the scene. The male truck driver stopped at the scene and is assisting police with enquiries. Anyone who witnessed the collision is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential crime report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au Source: Victoria Police News, Monday, 11 June 2018

IT’S easy to understand why the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen and Garden Foundation asked to hold one of its professional development days at Osborne Primary School, Mt Martha. The school has hosted the program for the past 10 years with coordinators Cate Hamill and Liz Hubbert putting in long hours to ensure the kitchen and garden program runs smoothly. The activities provide children in grades 3 and 4 with the opportunity to delve into the wonders of the garden and collaboratively cook delicious meals in the kitchen once a fortnight. “Children speak highly of the program and always spend kitchen garden…

WHEN Somers local Linda Wilson was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer six years ago, she made a decision to live life to the fullest. She has been able to do just that while staying in her local community, thanks to the oncology team at Frankston Hospital. “The five-year survival rate for people with pancreatic cancer is 7%,” explains the 61-year-old mother of three. “Being a nurse and knowing what pancreatic cancer is like I decided from the day I was diagnosed that I wasn’t going to waste a minute of it being miserable.” “I was told my cancer was incurable so…

WILLUM Warrain Aboriginal Association held its second Mornington Peninsula Reconciliation Walk on Sunday – Mabo Day 3 June – with the theme: “Don’t keep history a mystery”. A crowd of about 750, including members of the Aboriginal community, friends and supporters of Willum Warrain, and the broader peninsula community, strolled from Pelican Park along the Hastings foreshore to the Aboriginal Gathering Place at 10 Pound Road. On arrival there was an acknowledgement of country and introduction by board members Jeanette Kaindel and Debbie Clifford. This was followed by speeches from the mayor Cr Bryan Payne and Willum Warrain president Peter…