By Tony Nicholl THE Mornington Peninsula has many retirees with a story or even a book, and Eric Brewer is one of those. A few months ago he moved to Rosebud from Benalla, which had been his home for a good part of his life. Brewer now thinks the retirement in Rosebud is utopia redolent of A B Facey’s bestseller A Fortunate Life, especially in view of the fact that he has made his luck without expectation or entitlement. Brewer has lived in many places and always conducted a life well lived on account of having had a sound childhood…
Author: MP News Group
AN intruder with a broken beer bottle in his hand allegedly charged Rosebud police when they answered a burglary call-out at Flinders, 11pm, Friday 22 September. The Welshpool man, 39, was described as “violent” by police who sprayed him with OC foam (capsicum spray) before arresting him. One policeman received minor injuries in the struggle in Stokes St. Members of the family living in the house said they had been watching TV in the front room when they saw a man shining a torch in their rear bungalow and called 000. He had earlier been in their kitchen allegedly stealing…
JANELLE Da Silva celebrated her hen’s day last year by persuading her friends to dress up and take up the Arthurs Seat Challenge. “I dragged all the women up Arthurs Seat with me,” she said. Ms Da Silva, of Frankston, says running gives her “a sense of freedom”, and has previously entered two marathons, two ultra-marathons and a 36 kilometre “trot” up Mount Rosea, in the Grampians. The Arthurs Seat Challenge is an annual 6.7km fun run, including a 3.2km climb with gradients of up to 9.5 per cent. This year the challenge will be held on Sunday 12 November.…
A SHAKE-up of the state opposition’s shadow cabinet has seen Mornington MP David Morris take on the role of local government spokesperson. Mr Morris’s new role is in addition to being the opposition’s spokesperson for finance and cabinet secretary. Hastings MP Neale Burgess remains opposition spokesperson for small and medium sized enterprises. Nepean MP Martin Dixon – a former education minister and the third Liberal Party MP on the Mornington Peninsula – has announced his retirement at the next election and holds no shadow cabinet position. Opposition leader Matthew Guy said the Liberal Nationals coalition would over the next 14…
SOUTHERN Metropolitan Police and members of the public will pay tribute to those who have died in the line of duty at a Blue Ribbon Day service at Rosebud RSL, Friday 29 September. The service, which is open to the public, is part of Police Remembrance Day, which recognises the 159 police officers who have lost their lives while protecting the community. Those attending are asked to wear a blue ribbon or attach one to their car’s aerial as a gesture of support. “This service gives the community the opportunity to remember the police officers who have lost their lives…
THE Hastings-based Willum Warrain Aboriginal Association has been given $36,864 from the state government to build a men’s shed. The shed’s focus will be on creating such cultural artefacts as boomerangs, woomeras and didgeridoos, as well as totem sculptures for a bush trail. The grant will be jointly administered by Department of Health and Human Services, Mornington Peninsula Shire and the association. Secretary to the Treasurer Daniel Murlino, Eastern Division MLC, last week made the announcement at the Willum Warrain Gathering Place in Pound Rd, Hastings. He was accompanied by Phil Kiely from the Men’s Shed Organisation of Victoria and…
AFTER a break of 61 years, water is again flowing into Devilbend Reservoir along its original creek watercourse. Up to 17 million litres a day will enter the reservoir during peak flow times, thanks to a Parks Victoria water diversion project completed last year. The flows will raise levels in the reservoir and ensure its sustainability over summer months. The reservoir is the largest and most significant water body on the Mornington Peninsula, and this seasonal flow will boost its general health and biodiversity and create better habitats for bird and fish, Parks Victoria said. More than 150 bird species…
IT will be an action-packed holiday for surfing siblings, Sara and Lucas Dickson, as they travel between Victoria and New South Wales to compete in several national surfing events on Saturday 23 September. The siblings will compete in two nation-wide Ripcurl GromSearch events as well as the Hurley’s BL Blast Off with their journey starting at Jan Juc, Victoria. Sara, 9 and Lucas, 11 have been surfing since the ages of three and four and these school holidays they will compete in the Ripcurl GromSearch under-12 events. Father and keen surfer, Michael Dickson, said that the family has always been…
BONEO Primary School pupils had lots of fun preparing for the upcoming Light Up Fun Run 4 Autism. They threw coloured powder into the air to promote the event – from the Bay Trail Tootgarook (opposite Carmichael St) to the Rye foreshore playground. Participants on the day will get the colour treatment as they pass four ‘colour stations’ over the leisurely three kilometre run/walk, from 10am-midday, Sunday 22 October. They will get together at the Rye foreshore playground afterwards to enjoy entertainment, rides and food. Light Up Autism Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation that provides assistance to school-age children with…
A BUSINESS case for the long-mooted electrification of the Frankston line to Baxter will go ahead after the federal and state governments got onboard a unity ticket to look at the plan. Federal Dunkley Liberal MP Chris Crewther announced last Friday (22 September) that the Labor state government and federal Coalition government had agreed to pursue the business case Mr Crewther announced on the eve of last year’s federal election. “We’re now able to proceed as the state government have finally decided to play ball by submitting an initial and now revised project scope, after ignoring the federal funding on…
RED Hill Recreation Reserve has been endorsed as a bushfire refuge for the coming fire season. Residents can go to the top oval when other bushfire plans fail. Mornington Peninsula Shire Council has been working with the CFA, Victoria police, and CFA brigades to identify sites for designation and the top oval met the criteria. Increased traffic in Red Hill caused by the monthly market and annual show has prompted warnings to residents to carefully consider their travel plans in the area. They should only do so when all other plans fail. Planned fuel reduction works will remove such environmental…
AN informal Peninsula Action Day on marriage equality got off to a vibrant start last week when up to 30 volunteers put their case for a ‘Yes’ vote at shopping centres from Blairgowrie to Dromana. Organiser Bryce Paterson said there was a “huge amount of enthusiasm up and down the coast” for the group’s message, Saturday 16 September, with most of those approached in favour of the same-sex marriage proposal. “We engaged with prospective voters and were very pleased with the level of support,” he said. “We reminded them about the postal ballot and inquired about whether they had received…
A 45-YEAR-OLD man arrested at the scene of a shooting fatality at Baxter on Saturday has been released pending further inquiries. He is believed to be known to the dead man. Homicide squad detectives are awaiting the results of a post mortem into the death of the man found with a gunshot wound in the shed of a Station Crescent home about 11am, Saturday 16 September. They are treating the man’s death as suspicious. He is yet to be formally identified. Anyone with information or who may have witnessed the incident is urged to call Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000…
A Safety Beach pensioner in her mid-80s is hoping someone will hand in a white CBA envelope containing $900 which she lost at the Dromana Hub shopping centre on Wednesday morning 13 September. Leading Senior Constable Shane Byrne, of Rosebud police, said the woman was “distressed by her loss”. He said the woman had gone to the shopping centre to pay bills when she lost the envelope with the $900, which included $100, $50 and $20 notes. Anyone with information can call Leading Senior Constable Byrne on 5986 0444. Some caring locals have set up a gofundme page if…
THE works of US composers George and Ira Gershwin will get a working over from jazz singer Anita Harris and her band when she takes to the stage at Frankston Bowling Club on September 24. Harris, a popular performer at jazz festivals around Victoria and beyond, has called her program Gershwing, which gives an indication of the direction she will take. Since her first gig in 1993, Harris has delighted audiences at restaurants, wineries, jazz clubs – and festivals. Critics have called her “one of those very rare vocal stylists” and enthused that “she has a strong fluid contralto which…
By Barry Morris LITTER from across Port Phillip as far away as Stonnington, Yarra and Boroondara local government areas and the suburb of Parkdale is ending up in Balcombe Estuary, a survey has found. Forty year 6 Balcombe Grammar students, with the help of their teachers and Balcombe Estuary Reserve Group Mt Martha, conducted the litter survey at the end of Henley Av, Mt Martha, in the estuary’s south-eastern corner. They found rubbish thickly covered the ground and in 30 minutes, from a 100 square metre area, collected litter, including small bits that can be swallowed by fish. They then…
A MT MARTHA-based builder has won two Housing Industry Association awards for Best Townhouse/Villa Development and Townhouse of the Year. The awards were for two adjoining townhouses on the Esplanade, Mornington, opposite Mills Beach. The 2017 HIA Eastern Victorian Awards were presented at the RACV Resort, Inverloch, Friday 8 September. Builder Craig McPhan did his apprenticeship with a Dromana builder 36 years ago and worked for various builders on the Mornington Peninsula before starting Individual Builders about 20 years ago. The company has previously won five HIA awards. “We are local builders based in Mt Martha and have been building…
WORKS to protect the ageing seawall at Mt Martha’s Craigie beach will begin this month. The 240-metre rock revetment will be built by the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP), in partnership with Mornington Peninsula Shire Council. The department said the rock revetment would ensure the whole of the seawall was protected against future storm events. “Last year a 97-metre rock revetment was constructed and this 240-metre section completes the protection works,” Eastern Region MP Daniel Mulino said. “The stone seawall is thought to be at least 50 years old and is nearing the end of its life.…
POLICE pursuits in Mornington and Mt Eliza last week were aborted over concerns for public safety. In one instance, police chased an unidentified car with stolen number plates driving west along Nepean Highway near Wilsons Rd, 6.25pm, Thursday 14 September. Acting Sergeant Daniel Patten, of Mornington police, said police tried to pull the car over but it sped away and they called off the pursuit after less than a minute. The driver managed to elude police. In Mt Eliza at 4.55pm the same day, a twin cab ute was recorded at 108kph in an 80kph zone on Nepean Highway. The…
A MAN and a woman on the run following a home invasion in Langwarrin and liquor store robberies in Carrum Downs, Rye, Cranbourne, Berwick and Clyde were arrested in rural New South Wales last week after a dramatic police chase in a stolen car. The 24-year-old man, of no fixed address, and the woman, 19, of Cranbourne, were spotted by police driving a Mitsubishi Pajero 4WD at high speed on the Mitchell Highway, Orange, Sunday 10 September. Police aborted their chase over “public safety concerns” but, about 15 minutes later, they saw the car on another road after it collided…
Because of wet weather the venue for the community fair scheduled to be held this Sunday at Ferrero Reserve, Mt Martha has been moved to Mt Martha Primary School. The fair is being held to raise money for Mt Martha Pre-School and includes children running laps of the oval as well as “designer market stalls”, food trucks, live entertainment, animal farm and reptile enclosure, jumping castles, 10 pin bowling, and family games and amusements. The fair runs from 10am to 2pm at the school in Glenisla Drive, Mt Martha. Details: Louise Brown 0409 332 226.
TOP brand off-road cycles and clothing valued at more than $200,000 were stolen from a Dromana shop over the weekend. It is believed an offender broke into Chain Brain Bicycle Workshop, Boundary Rd, overnight, Friday 8 September, and stole 15 Intend and Santa Cruz cycles valued at up to $15,000 each, as well as cycle clothing. CCTV shows the man wearing a high-vis jacket smashing the front glass door to the shop’s workshop and then walking the bikes out to a waiting van. Detective Senior Sergeant Alan Paxton, of Mornington Peninsula CIU, said the bike brands were “readily identifiable and…
LONG time leader of the 1st Hastings Scout Group, Janice “Brolga” Danaher, has received one of only five chief commissioners’ awards in recognition of 60 years of service to scouting. Ms Danaher started as an assistant lady cubmaster with the 2nd Hastings Immaculate Conception Scout Group in 1957. When the group went into recession in 1962, she continued as lady cubmaster with 1st Hastings Scout Group until becoming group leader in 1979, a title she has held aver since. “Known by scouts as Brolga, Janice is always a reassuring presence, whether at the hall or by the campfire, where her…
SOMERVILLE Secondary College year 10 student Angelica Haskins has won the Picture This art competition, which aims to spread the message that social inclusion is important for everyone to consider. The competition encourages students to get creative and produce artwork depicting their interpretation of how social inclusion can work for everyone. Students set aside time to think about disability and what social inclusion means. They take on board that people with different abilities are often excluded from mainstream activities – denying them opportunities others take for granted. Visual arts co-ordinator Stephanie Zurcas said the college considered social inclusion an “important…
SOCCER By Craig MacKenzie LANGWARRIN and Southern United switch into finals mode this week in preparation for Saturday’s crunch ties against Altona Magic and Calder United respectively. State 1 South-East champion Langwarrin finished its league campaign last weekend with a 3-2 loss away to Malvern City while Southern’s table-topping under-13s won 3-0 away to Bayside United. Langy squares off with State 1 North-West champion Altona Magic at JL Murphy Reserve, Port Melbourne, on Saturday afternoon for the right to claim the mantle of Victoria’s State 1 champion. Gus Macleod’s side goes into the clash without veteran striker Caleb Nicholes, first-choice…
POLICE are seeking help in identifying a man involved in an assault outside a takeaway near the Grand Hotel, Frankston, 2.20am, Saturday 1 July. The man allegedly knocked his victim out with a coward’s punch, causing a facial fracture. The assailant is described as 180cm tall, thin build, short brown hair, clean shaven with a sleeve tattoo on his right arm. He was wearing a white T-shirt with the letters NXP in large dark-coloured letters on his upper back. He was wearing light-coloured pants with dark runners and smoking a cigarette. The offender, was accompanied by a blonde woman. First…
PEOPLE feeling unwell – especially with flu-like symptoms – should avoid visiting friends and family in hospital to limit the spread of the virus. That’s the plea from Peninsula Health, which is urging members of the public to take sensible steps to stop the spread of germs. Those feeling unwell should see their doctor for treatment and minimise their exposure to others. “This is the worst flu season this decade,” Peninsula Health’s executive director of medical services Dr Tim Williams said. “It is vital that we do all we can to keep the patients that we have in our hospitals…
A MT ELIZA man waiting for a taxi in McLaren Place, Mornington, was attacked causing him to fall backwards, hitting his head on the pavement, 3.10am, Sunday 3 September. The 20-year-old was in a car park after leaving a nightclub with friends when another group approached and, after an argument, he was punched. The man’s friends called an ambulance which took him to Frankston Hospital. Detective Senior Sergeant Miro Majstorovic, of Mornington Peninsula CIU, said a Cranbourne West man, 19, later presented at Mornington police station to “give his side of the story”. Police are seeking independent witnesses who may…
A MAN was assaulted and seriously beaten after flicking a cigarette butt onto Main St, Mornington, 1.30am, Sunday 3 September. Detective Senior Sergeant Miro Majstorovic, of Mornington Peninsula CIU, said the 21-year-old Seaford man was walking with his girlfriend and a mate in the hotel precinct when the attack occurred. He said a Mazda utility stopped and the passenger got out and started punching the victim to the face, causing a broken nose, chipped teeth, cuts and bruising. He was taken to Frankston Hospital for treatment. Detective Majstorovic said anyone who witnessed the incident should call Crime Stoppers 1800 333…
A man has been arrested this morning following the fatal shooting of a 31-year-old man in Rosebud on Sunday night. The 30-year-old man was arrested after police negotiated with him at a house on Ocean Street in Rosebud throughout the night. He is currently in custody and will be interviewed by Homicide Squad detectives. The shooting occurred on Eastbourne Road where a Mount Waverley man was found in the passenger seat of a vehicle with a gun-shot wound to his head about 8pm on 3 September. The man died in hospital last night. Anyone with information is urged to contact…