ONE of the main Mornington Peninsula tourist drawcards has lost an estimated $40,000 in an on-line ticketing scam. Peninsula Hot Springs, at Fingal, is one of at least nine high profile Victorian venues targeted by fraudsters using the Chinese social media forum WeChat, which is used by an estimated 800 million people. The springs’ general manager Brook Ramage said the company may have lost the $40,000 in the scam over the past 12 months “plus lost business and other factors”. “It’s hard to tell the exact amount, that’s the big question,” he said. The scam revolves around fraudsters using stolen…
Author: Stephen Taylor
A MORNINGTON man is expected to be charged with home invasion and aggravated burglary on Wednesday afternoon after a break-in to a Frankston North house, 3.45am, yesterday (Tuesday 4 April). Detective Senior Constable Paul Roberts, of Frankston CIU, said the man, 36, was taken to Frankston Hospital after allegedly breaking into a house occupied by a woman in her 60s, her three sons aged 25, 30 and 37, and the pregnant girlfriend of one of the sons. Detective Roberts said the man, said to be armed with a hammer and a knife, unsuccessfully tried to force a security door at…
AN afternoon tea for Peter and Kathie Strickland at Balnarring Hall in mid-March was an “acknowledgment of their considerable contribution to the local environmental and art communities”. The couple, active members of community groups and environment organisations, are leaving their Beattie Av, Bittern, home and moving to Queensland to be near their children after more than 50 years on the Mornington Peninsula. The farewell was attended by friends and representatives of these groups. “[Kathie and Peter] have made many friends and been inspirational with their sense of commitment and can-do attitude and, importantly, they have always delighted in sharing their…
CHANGES to church service timetables at Mt Eliza are believed to be unsettling many long-time parishioners. Up until now, Mt Eliza Anglicans worshipped at either St James the Less or across Nepean Highway at the Chapel of the Resurrection in the grounds of Peninsula Grammar. However, changes introduced by the Rev Jennie Savage, of St James the Less, will see the current four Sunday morning services at the two churches reduced to two in the main church at St James the Less. Palm Sunday, 9 April will mark the “final celebrations of thanksgiving and worship at each service” and, from…
A POTENTIAL loss of heritage was taken into consideration in assessing a permit application to redevelop a group of shops in Main St, Mornington. This has resulted in three shopfronts being retained rather than demolished and a fourth relocated. Initially the four shops, at 55-61 Main St, were slated to be demolished, but three will now remain and the fourth “largely retained, but moved to a similar shopfront position inside the new arcade”. This follows a 346-signature petition asking Mornington Peninsula Shire to stop the development of a three-storey shopping arcade, basement carpark, offices and apartments. The council’s Monday 27…
RYE super-boxer Jayde Mitchell “stepped on the gas” in the sixth round to overpower rival Les Sherrington at the popular Punches at the Park III event on Saturday 18 March. Mitchell stormed to a TKO win in the 10 rounder at Melbourne Park Function Centre to retain the interim WBA Oceania title. Hundreds of supporters from the Mornington Peninsula gave their man a standing ovation – and even tears – after his convincing win over his bigger rival. “The peninsula blew the roof off the function centre and I can’t thank everyone enough who came out or tuned in and…
SKIRTS below the knee? Nope. Long socks? You’re kidding! Checks and plaid shirts? Forget it! That’s the message from Moonah Links golf course where leggings, lycra and active wear are de rigueur in the club’s Swing Fit program. “The innovation is challenging the traditional perception of golf and providing the platform for women to learn the basics of golf while also getting a full body work out, including yoga and Pilates,” Golf Victoria regional development officer Jo Charlton said. She said PGA professional Phil Boulton has introduced more than 30 women to the game through Swing Fit. “The true success…
THE unexpected resignation of key Dromana Australia Day committee members has forced the scheduling of an annual meeting to find replacements. The president, treasurer and six members of the committee unexpectedly quit on the night of the debriefing for the Thursday 26 January event, followed by another a couple of days later. Their resignations have prompted a plea by long-time office bearer and former president Ray Barnard-Brown for new faces. “They are all a great loss as each has made a significant contribution to the successful Dromana Australia Day event,” he said. “We now need to replace them, together with…
A MORNINGTON op shop is proving the saying “from little things big things grow”. After being open just six months Tru Opportunity, in Frank St, has been able to donate $250 each to 48 different charities and causes – a total of $12,000. “The charities were nominated by the people who donated the goods – that’s how we pick the charities,” said manager Trudy Lennon-Bowers, who held a stall at the Benton Junior College Fair last week. “As we are in an industrial area we get no foot traffic and rely on people seeing the tiny op shop street signs,…
NO, it’s not the dry plains of the old Wild West, but tumbleweeds are blowin’ in the wind from the Hastings foreshore reserve. And nearby residents are fed up with them. Keith Jacobson, of Skinner St, says it is a “horrendous” problem with masses of grass seeds blowing into their properties from new plants put in by Mornington Peninsula Shire over the road. “They are making a mess of our gardens,” he said. “They are covering everything.” Nick and Julie DeMooy, of Salmon St, said they collected six shopping bags full of tumble weeds blown in from the foreshore on…
A FRENCH Island pensioner who says Mornington Peninsula Shire’s negligence cost him $368 for new tyres has had his refund claim belatedly paid by the council’s insurers. John Woolley said protruding spikes on star pickets “sliced the walls” of two tyres near roadworks on Graydens Rd, Hastings, last month. Furious, he called the RACV which towed his VW Transporter to Balnarring Motors where the tyres were replaced. “The $368 does not include all the inconvenience and time wasting caused by the incident,” he said. The spikes – 600mm in from the edge of the bitumen – were a hazard to…
A BENTONS Square kindergarten teacher has been named the 2016 Early Childhood Teacher of the Year for what is described as her “life-changing work with children with additional learning needs”. Meagan Hull received the $10,000 award which “marks the achievements and commitment of early childhood professionals across five categories”. These include promoting children’s health and wellbeing, supporting parents, creating collaborative community partnerships, and improving access to early learning. Ms Hull leads a team of 14 teachers and educators at Community Kinders Plus, whose members also work with early intervention specialists such as occupational and speech therapists and physios, at Mt…
MYSTERY still surrounds the identity of the supermarket eyeing the site of the former Masters store on Mornington-Tyabb Rd, Mornington. The $4 million development proposal lodged with Mornington Peninsula Shire’s planning department has been “called in” by the mayor Bev Colomb and will be on the agenda for council’s April public meeting. A verdict on the mega-supermarket proposal was initially being left up to the shire’s planning department until its potential impact on the town’s retail landscape was realised. The size of the proposed retail spaces and the “secrecy” surrounding the application has upset established traders. Mornington Chamber of Commerce…
A WORKS barge and hydraulic crane will this week be used to remove five of Mornington pier’s storm damaged concrete wave protection panels. Marine infrastructure contractor P W Johnson Constructions will move the damaged 15 tonne panels still attached to the pier and recover from the sea bed panels dislodged in storms last July and October. In January, the Carrum Downs-based contractor removed loose wave panels, created a safe walking surface on the damaged pier deck and laid a temporary pier edge fence so the damaged area could be re-opened. While the barge is being brought in to remove the…
A GROUNDSWELL of support is building for a Southern Peninsula Aquatic Centre with a community meeting on Wednesday 8 March agreeing to “bringing the need for an aquatic centre to Mornington Peninsula Shire Council’s attention”. An action group formed by 60 residents is pushing to revive the centre after it was put on the back burner by the previous council. Organiser Betty Preston said she had been “sweating on a new council after the issue became toxic under the former council”. “There was no point doing anything until the new council was elected.” Ms Preston said she was “disappointed” that…
AN application for a $4 million “mega” supermarket on the site of the former Masters store on Mornington-Tyabb Rd is causing concerns among planners. Mornington Peninsula Shire Council is assessing a request from Home Investment Consortium Company to convert the existing building for use as a supermarket and other retail outlets with a variation to car parking layout. Eight tenancies are proposed for the 10,845 square metre site, including a 4250 square metre supermarket, six bulk stores ranging in size from 500-2000 square metres and a 100 square metre cafe. Coles, which already has a supermarket at Mornington Central shopping…
IT’S never too late to have your first solo art exhibition. That’s what 85-year-old Mornington resident Brian Gibbs thought – and last week he was busy hanging 18 paintings on the walls of the Somers store for an eight-week show. Gibbs, who retired after 30 years as an engineer with and international oil company, began painting when he came to the Mornington Peninsula in 1986. “I retired to pursue my interest in art and water colours,” he said. “I joined the Peninsula Arts Society, taking classes with Robert Wade, Colin Johnson and Ron Muller, and did workshops with other water…
A “COUPLE of dills” who went on a vandalism spree at Rosebud Primary School last week are no match for the “many thousands of wonderful people” in the school community. Principal Stephen Fisher, who oversaw the clean-up and restoration of the heritage-listed before and after school care room, was speaking after a horror Labour Day weekend when vandals broke in and wrought havoc, early Sunday morning, 12 March. Mr Fisher said he had “never seen anything like” the destruction caused by the group which caused up to $10,000 damage to walls and floors, equipment, furniture and windows in their night…
SOUTHERN Metro Region divisional commander Superintendent Glenn Weir last week downplayed a rise in crime in October-December last year. Crime Statistics Agency data released on Thursday painted a bleak picture: aggravated burglaries in Frankston surged 49 per cent in the past year – from 96 to 143, while motor vehicle theft was up 38.5 per cent – from 493 to 682. “We don’t deal with old data,” he said. “These statistics are three months out of date.” Theft from motor vehicles — described by local police as “volume crime” because of its prevalence — was up 10.6 per cent, from 1497…
A GRAND feeling of “independence” is a motivating factor in getting out on the water for blind sailor Latisha Davenport. An enthusiastic participant in Rye Primary School’s sailing program, Latisha said she “loves feeling the wind in my face”. The grade 6 pupil has been a regular at the helm, piloting her borrowed OziOpti dinghy in the calm waters off Rye sailing club. She handles the main sheet and the tiller, but receives a little help from instructor Trudy Clarke in handling the centre board. Mostly the weather has been fine and warm, but one day last week it was…
RYE boxer Jayde Mitchell has been awarded one of the biggest wins of his career. The super middleweight was named 2016 Australian Boxer of the Year at the annual Australian Boxing Hall Of Fame induction gala, Saturday 4 March. A cavalcade of Australia’s boxing royalty attended the function at the Pullman on the Park, Melbourne. “I’m such a huge fan of the sport of boxing,” Mitchell, 31, said later. “It feels like only yesterday my father (Len) was taking me to these special nights and I’d be in awe of all of the past champions and legends in the room.…
A MORNINGTON boy who was stung by a stingray at a Rosebud foreshore camp and then had his bike stolen the same night has had his faith in human nature restored. James Gardner, 12, stood on the stingray while standing knee-deep in the bay and received an excruciating sting, Friday 24 February. Mum Fifi, who rushed to help him, said the normally tough young man was “beside himself with pain”. But then, to make matters worse, his valuable Pilgrim BMX bike and several other bikes owned by campers were stolen by young thieves – who had the cheek to try…
A BLUE over the colour of a heritage-listed fish and chip shop in Sorrento has led to Mornington Peninsula Shire looking at ways of having the original colour scheme restored. It says it is “working with the tenant and the building owner to look at potential options to remove the paint” – despite having issued a permit for work. The contentious bright blue of the old The Esplanade building has shocked many locals, with Cr Bryan Payne describing it as “another blot on the heritage buildings in Sorrento”. But shop proprietor Julian Gerner, who is behind with the $50 million…
A PORTSEA resident who lodged a submission to Road Safety Camera Commissioner John Voyage relating to his speeding fine says it “probably never reached him due to administrative errors”. David Gilder, who uses Peninsula Link regularly, said perhaps many others were in the same situation. “When I became aware of the commissioner’s investigation I wrote to Civic Compliance Victoria asking that I be added to the list of names that he required. I informed them that I had already paid my fine,” he said. “My request was forwarded to the Department of Justice and Regulation. I next received two letters…
A LIGHT plane which made an unscheduled landing on a beach at the eastern tip of French Island later had to be removed by barge. The A22LS Foxbat with two people on board was on a sightseeing trip from Tyabb airfield when the pilot decided to land on a strip of sand where they had previously seen other planes land. Despite doing a fly-past and seeing no impediment to landing, the sand was deeper and softer than expected and the plane sank deeper than would allow it to take off again. No one was injured but some damage was caused…
A BOY attending a Rosebud foreshore camp got a painful surprise when stung by a stingray, then a worse one when he discovered his prize Pilgrim BMX bike had been stolen while he was receiving treatment. Mornington boy James Gardner, 12, was enjoying the camp’s activities and standing knee-deep in the bay when he was stung. “He got such a fright and it really hurt him,” his mother Fifi Gardner said. “He started yelling to the other kids to watch out because he didn’t know what it was and, by the time he got back to shore, he was beside…
MEMORIES good and bad came flooding back when a former child patient of a now-dilapidated and disused Mt Eliza children’s hospital visited the Jacksons Rd site last week. Don Lawson, 83, but only “three or four” at the time, spent many weeks at the 100-bed Royal Children’s Orthopaedic Hospital in 1939 when it cared for children with tuberculosis, osteomyelitis, club foot, curvature of the spine, and infantile paralysis. He was there to have his feet “straightened”, as was the way in those days, which meant fracturing the bones and resetting them in plaster. Visiting from Toora last week with his…
A FRANKSTON woman has been duped into handing over several hundred thousand dollars to a man she never met in an online dating scam. The lonely woman, 63, was contacted in December by a potential “friend” who said he was in Australia but was soon returning to Turkey. The man said he was a civil engineer who was working on a project in that country and “needed funding to finalise the project” which he wasn’t able to provide himself. “They continued with online conversations which were quite affectionate and made it sound like they were a couple and had been…
EARLY risers got a glimpse of Hart Marine’s newest high performance pilot boat as it was transported by low-loader to Mornington boat harbour, 5am, Tuesday 28 February. The $2.5 million self-righting composite design will work out of the port of Burnie in Tasmania. Its wide hull, wave-piercing “beak” bow, oversized rudders, and spacious side decks combine to allow easy pilot transfer while steaming alongside slowly moving ships. The wheelhouse is suspended from the hull to reduce noise and vibration, easing crew fatigue. “Hellyer” – named after a region in north-west Tasmania – took 70 Hart boat-builders 10 months to complete.…
BEAUTY is in the eye of the beholder, and the bright blue colour scheme of Morgan’s fish and chippery in Sorrento is no exception. Owner Julian Gerner, who says he received the go ahead for his chosen colour scheme from Mornington Peninsula Shire council last year, thinks it is attractive. “The colour is part of the branding of the fish-and-chip shop,” he said. “I’ve spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on the trading space yet people choose to focus on my painting it a certain colour. Taste is subjective.” Mr Gerner said he had a permit to paint the “whole…