BOXING legend Johnny Famechon has died aged 77. A Frankston resident for five decades, Famechon was born Jean-Pierre in France, moving to Australia as a young child with his family and quickly taking to boxing, making his pro debut at Festival Hall aged just 16. In the ring, Famechon was a plucky and skilled fighter who fought with heart. He skipped amateur boxing and rose through the ranks quickly after debuting, with his strong defensive style setting him apart from the rest. Famechon’s crowning glory came in 1969. In front of a huge crowd in the main event at Royal…
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MOUNT Eliza resident Jodi Richardson has lived with anxiety all her life but faced the constant hurdle of nobody else really understanding what she was going through. The businesswoman, author and speaker says it took 20 years for her anxiety to be diagnosed and to access help, which has since put her on the path of helping others in a similar situation. Richardson, who has just been announced as a finalist in the AusMumpreneur Awards, said she is now dedicated to ensuring that others understand anxiety and get the help they need early. “When I was young it was quite…
THE Mornington Peninsula Toastmasters have been toasting new members but are still keen to welcome more. For nearly 100 years the organisation has encouraged and supported people from diverse backgrounds in becoming more confident speakers, communicators and leaders. Member Jacky Howgate said public speaking could be nerve wracking, but the support of Toastmasters made it a much less daunting activity that had boosted her confidence. Club president Sue Macdonald said being part of Toastmasters was also good for meeting new people from all walks of life. “It’s a great way to learn how to speak confidently in public, in a…
DROMANA resident Ceberio “Cebby” Johnson has won this year’s Frankston Arts Centre’s open exhibition competition with his self-portrait photograph, Ceb and Early. Johnson’s photograph was recognised for its depiction of optimism and happiness. Guest judge Suzette Wearne said the self-portrait stood out for the joy and spontaneity of its subjects—a young blind man and his dog. “It captures Ceberio Johnson’s remarkable fortitude and optimism,” she said. Johnson took the picture in his garden using a remote with a cord and a tripod. He said it had been difficult because his dog, Early, kept chewing the cord and knocked over the…
IT was his love of all things Tesla that inspired Sorrento resident Ryan Cowan to begin making Tesla content for social media. Over the past year he has created videos about his own Tesla, and all aspects of owning the famed electric vehicles. His following has increased exponentially, and he has now more than 20,000 subscribers to his YouTube channel. But it was a simple 18-second video that boosted his efforts into the stratosphere. The video shows Cowan, hands on his head, walking towards a Tesla Model X and the car’s doors automatically opening. The door to the car then…
CHRISTINE Gorman, trading as Calmer Farmer, established her business after seeing a need to provide expert advice to tree changers who want to get the maximum benefit from their new lifestyles but are not sure where to start, or how to go about it. Christine offers farm coaching and tutelage over six or twelve months, focussing on providing individualised and comprehensive assistance in all areas of farming – from the ground up. With school-age children herself, she takes a family-friendly approach that incorporates all family member needs when helping clients to develop the skills they need, understand their resources, and…
ALTHOUGH it may be redundant as a source of domestic drinking water, Bittern Reservoir and surrounding bushland is home and a source of sustenance to many native birds and animals. Bittern is the smaller of two water storages within the 1000 hectare Devilbend Natural Features Reserve and on Sunday 24 July was circumnavigated by a group of 18 members of Birdlife Mornington Peninsula. Armed with binoculars, cameras and spotting scopes, the group recorded sightings of 43 bird species. Birdlife Mornington Peninsula holds two walks a month, which usually end with lunch and a discussion about birds seen and, maybe, heard.…
A TOOTGAROOK child care centre is officially the best on the Mornington Peninsula after receiving the highest rating, “exceeding” in all seven areas of the national quality standards. Capel Sounds Educational Child Care Centre and Kindergarten is the only centre on the peninsula to have attained that level. Part owner Wendy Stoffels said the small centre had worked hard to meet the standards, including maintaining a strong “connection to country” through its out and about program, and embedding daily reconciliation acknowledgments in the curriculum. “At Capel Sounds we have established an inclusive, positive and safe service where all children are…
AVA Holland is making waves in the world of competitive surfing and left some of Australia’s best surfers in her wake at the recent Skullcandy Oz Grom Open Event at Lennox Head. The goofy-footer (a surfer who stands with their right foot facing the front of the board) from Dromana – who turns 14 this month – showed her style during the six-day event to win the under-16 division with a 13.80 two-wave heat total. Holland, who took up surfing three years ago, said the Skullcandy was one of the most prestigious surfing events in the world. It includes a…
A MOUNT Martha man has hailed his dog a hero after she helped him when he collapsed from a stroke two years ago. Glenn Browne was getting ready to go out to dinner with friends when he collapsed while putting on a pair of jeans. Lying on the floor, confused, he was unaware his phone was ringing until Miley the Jack Russell stepped in. “She licked my face until I became more aware of my surroundings and that the phone was ringing,” Browne said. Browne dragged himself down the hallway to the phone. “He [Browne’s neighbour] was calling to see…
A FEW years ago, when Mount Martha resident Jarrod Massuger was barely into his 30s, an innocent-looking ulcer on his tongue set his life on a dramatically different course. Now he has an important message for others who ignore persistent health concerns. While the ulcer healed and Jarrod thought no more of it, two months later it returned, in the same spot, only bigger and causing a radiating pain to his left ear. “My wife made me see a GP, who referred me to an oral surgeon who concluded that it was “50/50” whether it was something sinister. “I was…
MOUNT Martha teenager Harry Geary has been selected to represent Australia as part of the world skate inline speed skating team at this year’s world skate games in Argentina. Geary, 17, is one of three inline speed skaters in Australia selected for the games. Being held in Buenos Aires later this year, the skate games will run events in rink hockey, skateboarding, roller derby, inline downhill, artistic skating and inline speed skating. Geary’s place at the games was cemented two weeks ago in Brisbane, when he won two gold medals and two silver medals at the 2022 National Inline Speed…
NICK Martin, of Portsea, is no stranger to open water swimming and will take it to the next level when he attempts the gruelling English Channel crossing on 1 August. Martin, a life member of Portsea Surf life Saving Club, a regular swimmer at Portsea front beach, is increasing his training regime in the weeks leading up to the swim to around 50 kilometres a week with a mix of open water and pool swimming. The Dover (England) to Calais (France) channel swim is 34 kilometres, but Martin knows that the tides and the weather can extend both the distance…
ASPIRING tennis pro and Mornington Tennis Centre player Lola Grigor had the experience of a lifetime earlier this month competing in the Rafa Nadal Tour with other 12 to 14 year olds from around the country. The tour is a junior tennis circuit launched in Spain in 2014, combining the tournament aspect with dynamic and fun educational activities (classroom and physical). Tennis centre spokeswoman Lynne Finch said the club was excited to have been chosen to host the tour, which had a strong focus on being a good person, not just a good player. The eight winning players from each…
DROMANA Primary School celebrated NAIDOC week last Monday against a backdrop of music, culture, sport and harmony. Students wore Indigenous-inspired clothing and celebrated NAIDOC week at various locations around the school. Author Coral Vass spoke to students and read from her book, Sorry Day. The students experienced traditional ways of life and tried using a spear thrower, didgeridoo and wearing possum skins, as well as learning about the origins of AFL football – Marngrook. They participated in a smoking ceremony performed by Lionel Lauch and his team from Living Culture and heard the school choir singing two songs inspired by…
MARK Daw, of the State Emergency Services Sorrento unit, and Rosebud-Rye Rotary Club member Pat Sansonetti, have been presented with Paul Harris Fellowship awards. The awards were made at a Rotary dinner on Wednesday 29 June. Daw has been a member of Sorrento SES since May 2012, undertaking such roles as incident controller responding to and managing storm and flood events, road crash rescues and leading teams to assist fire agencies. He was incident agency commander for the Victorian SES during the 2019/20 East Gippsland fires in charge of groups of volunteers and making decisions on response and safety in…
GYMNASTICS coach Zak Stolz has a new army of supporters following his win on the Australian Ninja Warriors televised entertainment show. Taking home the title of Furthest Fastest in 2021, the 23-year-old from Rosebud credits his agility to his years training in the artistic gymnastics discipline. He also broke a world record for the furthest distance by lacheing (launching from a shelf) 4.7 metres. The shelf grab world record stood at 4.57 metres. Stolz’s record smash earned him an extra $15,000 on top of the $100,000 prize money he’d already won in the grand final. He said there was always…
A FAMILIAR sight on the streets on Mornington is Robert Klaas Kalma, who many will recognise as the friendly musician who for the past four years has been Main Street’s “humble busker”. But what many who stop listen and drop a few coins in his bucket may not know is that Kalma’s efforts have raised hundreds of dollars for Red Cross and the Royal Children’s Hospital. Even more remarkable is the fact that the almost 83-year-old didn’t take up music until he was 70, without ever having a lesson. Kalma has had his fair share of personal tragedies and says…
RED Hill artist Michael Leeworthy is drawing on his talent and promotional skills to make Hastings the “cultural capital” of the Mornington Peninsula. He uses words to illustrate the affection he feels for Hastings and says he is indebted to its businesspeople for giving him “an opportunity to be self-employed back in the 1970s”. Describing himself as a secondary school dropout, lacking in self-confidence and starting work at 16, Leeworthy says he came “very close to getting into trouble”. “I was a window dresser to a major clothing chain and at night I would do letter drops under any shop…
SOMERVILLE resident Brenda Thornell has spent her life doing things for her community, but recognition for that has come as a bit of a “shock”, said the 88-year-old. Thornell has been awarded an Order of Australia Medal for her service to the community of the Mornington Peninsula. “I certainly didn’t expect this, I just got involved in things because that’s what you do in small communities,” she said. “When you live in a small town all your life, you know everyone, and you help everyone out if you can. “I didn’t think about it much, I just did. “I remember…
VISITORS to the 560-hectare Point Nepean National Park will soon be able to overnight there in a tent. In a low key visit last week, Environment and Climate Action Minister Lily D’Ambrosio and Nepean MP Chris Brayne (pictured) had a first-hand look at one of the 36 pre-pitched tents that will be available from spring. Erected on wooden decks, the tents are close to the beach (signs warn of strong currents and rips) and amenities, including kitchens. Brayne said the “camping experience” would help “ensure the site’s ongoing presence as an environmentally and historically significant tourist destination”. The camping ground…
EVEN for people who only know very little about football, the name Billy Baxter rings of luminary fame, like the pseudonym or alliterative moniker of a screen star or wanna-be pop star. For those who don’t know, that name is attached to one of Australia’s most ‘under-the-radar’ and down-to-earth superstars of the entertainment sector, who says he was “shocked”, “humbled” and “grateful” for the recent honour of an Order of Australia Medal. The award is not just for Baxter’s 42 years of non-stop involvement in the music industry as performer and broadcaster, but also as author and actor, and for…
AT just 17, in the middle of her VCE exams, Rosebud resident Deanna Renee was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Suddenly her whole world looked vastly different. “I literally woke up one day and could barely see, my vision loss was so bad it was just like looking through a tiny black dot” she said. Renee’s ophthalmologist diagnosed Optic Neuritis, which was a red flag for Multiple Sclerosis, and after an MRI discovered lesions on her brain, the diagnosis was confirmed. It would have been very easy to give up dreaming about the future, but Renee refused to give in to…
MORNINGTON Peninsula resident and co-founder of a wrap that is compostable and eco-friendly, Julia Kay, has been named Young Victorian of the Year by the Victoria Day Council. From a young age Kay, a former architect, had a knack for design, and wanted to have an impact on the environment. That led her to a career in architecture, which in turn has taken her around the world and led to her designing everything from galleries to schools. Kay said working in the construction industry was a real “eye opener” for her as she saw copious amounts of waste with no…
AN emergency service worker is reaching out to first responders and veterans who have experienced trauma, offering a free, ocean-based program for “post traumatic growth”. Operation Soul Surf is the brainchild of Sergeant Barry Randall, who is based at Forest Hill police station, but has brought the program to the Mornington Peninsula. Randall said the program provides opportunities to people who have suffered trauma to experience the healing power of surfing and the ocean. “I founded OSS in 2021 and have put 50 current and former first responders and veterans through our program,” he said. “I have booked out courses…
CONSTRUCTION has begun on one of Australia’s first shared-roof intergenerational care centres that will provide life-changing interactions between Mornington aged care residents and children. Early childhood teachers Anna and Fiona Glumac say the concept of mixing older people with younger ones was inspired largely by their late grandmother Mary, who spent the last year of her life in residential aged care. In 2017, the Glumac sisters were so moved by a documentary on an intergenerational care centre in the US city of Seattle, they decided to bring the same model of care to Australia. They created The Herd, a name…
LANGWARRIN soccer club is still celebrating the Socceroos’ qualification for November’s World Cup finals and the pivotal defence role played by its former player Bailey Wright in the win over Peru on penalties last week in Qatar. The Socceroos’ defender was making his 25th national team appearance and is now vying for a spot in the 23-man squad for the finals. Langwarrin technical director Gus Macleod gave Wright his senior debut in 2009 when the teenager was 16 years old and has followed his career closely. “He’s come a long, long way from the wee five-year-old who started playing for…
A TEAM effort to filter storm water before it enters Port Phillip at Rye has been recognised with an “infrastructure excellence” award. Before entering the bay, the water is collected in a foreshore bio infiltration basin, or wetland. The project overcame problems involving sand movement, high tides, storm surges and high groundwater levels to naturally filter the stormwater before it reached the bay. Benefits include improving the water quality and biodiversity and a boardwalk to improved beach access. This project, started after talks between Mornington Peninsula and Rye Community Group Alliance, was paid for by the shire, the state government…
THE behaviour of whales in Port Phillip and Western Port appears to be changing. Data collected by the Hastings-based Dolphin Research Institute includes a blue whale being recorded in early June near Portland. The sighting was the on record as they usually leave those water in autumn. Questions are being asked about the effects of climate change on whale habits when the Portland sighting is competitive pods of male humpbacks appearing in Port Phillip and a humpback whale song recorded near Port Phillip Heads. DRI Executive director Jeff Weir says these “are things that would normally occur in the sub-tropics”,…
CURLY-haired Somerville resident Emily Cullen has always been complimented on her luscious, strawberry-gold locks. But the peninsula shearer didn’t bat an eye when deciding to cut a good portion of it off to help people who have lost their hair to cancer. After hatching the plan to sell her hair to a wig-making company, Emily put the call out on social media to see if anyone wanted to join her, and before she knew it old school friend Natalie Trotter answered the call. It had been a decade since the former Frankston High School chums had last met, but the…