NEWS DESK
Uninvited bees find new home IT wasn’t as dramatic as a fire, but Mornington fire station officer Simon Mildren was only too happy to respond to a call out of an unusual nature last week. A swarm of bees had made themselves at home on the front doorstep of a Mt Martha home and the owners – with young children – were a little nervous about them staying. Unsure who to contact, they alerted the brigade who arrived with a camera to make an educational documentary for similar occasions. Mr Mildren said swarms at this time of year were normal and, if left undisturbed, were relatively harmless. “This is hard for people to com-
prehend because a swarm is often noisy, however, it is important to know that they are just looking for somewhere to settle and make a new home,” he said. The station officer became interested in beekeeping several years ago as a way of making his favourite honey wheat beer. He has his own hive and happily added the Mt Martha bees to it. Fortunately, they all integrated well. “Bees are social creatures who usually venture three-five kilometres from home in search of pollen,” he said. “In this case, we were keen to support the family and, also, to save the hive and prevent it from being exterminated.” The bees, with their queen safely
protected in the middle of the swarm, were quickly rehoused into a plastic box – but not before the smell of the bees’ attack pheromone put him on high alert. Then it was back to the station and on to Mr Mildren’s Macclesfield home in the morning. “If you come across a swarm of bees you should leave them alone and contact your local council who maintains a list of beekeepers for this purpose,” he said. “It is best to leave swarm management to trained beekeepers so that no one – including the bees – gets hurt.” The film of the bee rescue can be seen on the CFA website, as well as an information brochure on beekeeping.
Bee-line: Steady hands as Simon Mildren prepares to relocate this Mt Martha hive.
‘Tide of support’ for Dolphins Neil Walker neil@mpnews.com.au A STEERING group formed to help Frankston Football Club negotiate choppy financial waters says community support for the Dolphins’ continued existence is rising. Club record games holder Peter Geddes says the group is urging members and supporters to “keep your feet” and not stumble in backing the beleaguered club after AFL Victoria stripped its VFL licence for next season.
“We have been inundated with a tide of support for the Dolphins over the last week and are confident that we can put together an effective business plan to guide us through the next few years,” Mr Geddes said in a statement. The Dolphins will not be allowed to field a VFL side next season but plan to reapply for league membership in 2018. The football club was placed into voluntary administration in late August amid debts understood to be in excess of $1.5 million, mostly owed
to the state government and Tabcorp for pokies’ licences. The club removed all 27 electronic gaming machines at its newly built function centre in May this year. Worrells Solvency and Forensic Accountants, the administrators of the club, met with creditors last Monday (3 October) and creditors agreed to postpone any decision on the club’s future until a further meeting on 28 October. The Dolphins’ plight has united political opponents in a bid to keep the 129-year-old club alive despite the
because it creates so many opportunities for young footballers aspiring to get into the VFL or AFL and creates community outcomes, whether it be youth engagement, job opportunities, multicultural integration and the avoidance of many social pitfalls through community engagement. “I will be working my utmost hardest hand-in-hand with the local community to ensure this is the case”. The committee will examine the long-term financial viability of the football club, its governance and will arrange fundraisers in coming months.
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loss of its VFL licence next year. Federal Dunkley Liberal MP Chris Crewther and state Frankston Labor MP Paul Edbrooke have joined the ‘Save the Frankston Dolphins Steering Committee’ alongside Frankston mayor Cr James Dooley. “It was very important to set up this committee as we all need to work together and, as a community, get strongly behind the Club to get it back on its feet and to restore its VFL licence,” Mr Crewther said. “Keeping the Frankston Dolphins going and as a VFL Club is important
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Mornington News 11 October 2016