G'day Everyone!
ABC Open in Mansfield
ABC Open is a new initiative with the national broadcaster which will produce, curate and publish local contributions from ABC regional audiences. The Goulburn Valley's Open producer is Benj Binks and working with members of the community, they have contributed to One on One: Change, Now and Then, Portrait of a Stranger, One on One: Goulburn Valley Refugees and My Anzac Day.
Benj is about to start a project titled On the Ball which looks at Australia's obsession with sport. He is keen to work with the Mansfield Mt Buller Cycling Club and the Mansfield Football Netball Club.
There are three projects that club members, team fans and multimedia enthusiasts can get involved in.
1. The Insider. Members of the clubs write weekly blogs about life in the club. This includes the game, behind the scenes, training and other club relevant news. The blogs will be hosted on Benj's blog.
2. This is why I love my sport. Submit a photograph that shows why you love your sport. Give it a title and write up to 200 words - it might be simple 'Sunday. 5pm. Mud central' or can explain what's happening in more depth.
3. Local Legends. Video stories about locals who are icons in your sport. The videos will be 2 - 3 minutes long and will profile individuals.
To create these stories, Benj is seeking people with an interest in creating multimedia stories that incorporate photography, video and audio. Participants will learn from Benj in a series of workshops the skills of recording, editing and sharing stories about sport in Mansfield.
Benj will be giving a presentation to interested people on Tuesday July 12th at the Mansfield Football Clubrooms from 6 - 7pm.
To register your interest, please contact Uschi Steedman on 0427 849 777.
For more information Benj Binks. 03 5420 4008, 0427 185 639, binks.benj@abc.net.au
Road Race this Saturday
Don't forget to get your entry into Di via SMS on 0438 513 355 by 8pm Friday.
M2M Bingo
The Bingo this coming Monday is off! Not 'going off' but cancelled.
Annual General Meeting
The club's AGM will be held at The Produce Store on Thursday 11 August. 6pm for nibbles and the M2M presentation, followed by dinner and the AGM.
Between now and then, please have a think about what you'd like to see the club doing and perhaps even what YOU can do to help.
Relay for Life - MMBCC team?
Leonie is helping organise the Mansfield Relay for Life. Here are a few details:
- October 8th & 9th this year
- Sat 12noon to Sunday 12noon at the Mansfield Showgrounds
- the event is to raise awareness & support for cancer sufferers & carers, and anyone else effected, plus raise $ for Cancer Research
- teams walk/ride horses around a circuit (2 different ones naturally) at the showgrounds for 24 hours
- the walkers walk around the inside perimeter of the main showgrounds arena
- there will be activities set up around the area as well
- for more info on the RLF itself go to www.relayforlife.org.au
She's also come up with some ideas for the bike club:
- register a team, and/or:
- run a stationary relay in the centre of the main arena, in the middle of the walkers
- set up a stationary relay in the area near the entertainment marquee & other activities
- set up some cycling-based activities for kids and participants whilst they are not actually walking/riding
- any or all of these options in any permutation is possible
- it is not absolutely necessary for the teams to do their activity for the entire 24 hours
- perhaps some cyclists may want to walk during the night rather than ride, like the horseriders do??
- organising a circuit for mountain bikers to ride around might be a challenge due to the horses, however if this is the preferred option for at least some of the time, I am happy to take this to the committee as I think if we separate the 2 groups well enough it could be possible.
- If you're interested, email Leonie McLaughlin <wileonie@bigpond.com> or call 0417 598 220.
Road bike for sale
Chris McKnight is a Canadian ski instructor who's back here for the winter. He's selling his road bike.
Giant TCR CO size small; full Dura-Ace, Mavic Kysrium SL (trainers) and 50mm Carbon Tubulars (racers)
If you're interested phone 0419 388 425 or email Chris McKnight <mckchristopher@gmail.com> for the full specs and price.
Rail Trail update
Construction Update
Construction is happening everywhere! From Tallarook to Alexandra to Maindample either trail construction or bridge construction is in progress. If you can’t see any evidence of that, well ... maybe there is a toilet being built in one of these sections.
Two different types of surface materials are being used across the trail to allow for shared access with walkers, cyclists and horse riders. Where there is sufficient room for horse riders to ride off the trail, the surface is a black chert which is often mistaken from a distance as bitumen. In areas where there is not enough area to accommodate horses off the trail, the surface will be granitic sand. From Yea to Homewood chert has been laid and most of this section can be seen from the Goulburn Valley Highway. The surface then changes to granitic sand back to Tallarook. Most of the trail heading west from Homewood cannot be seen from the highway as it travels through picturesque farm land skirting the Goulburn River to Tallarook. Most of the bridges have been rebuilt or are being rebuilt through this area including the King Parrot Creek Bridge which will be one of the highest and longest bridges when restored.
Work has commenced on the trail through the Yea flood plain and works on the bridges can be seen from the Melba Highway. Cheviot Tunnel has been sealed and cars will no longer have access to the tunnel, lighting for the tunnel is being investigated.
Wrights Earthmoving is working at Molesworth this week and it is hoped that the wet weather won’t hold up construction through what can be a very wet area.
A new toilet has been finalised at Maindample and several others are in construction including at Cathkin, Koriella, Trawool, Woodfield and Tallarook.
Plans for the Granite underpass are progressing well and works should commence on this beginning early August.
Disappointments
So far the project team has been delighted with the way the project is going “on time and on budget”, but the biggest disappointment is that trail bikes have been sighted on the trail and some damage has occurred in different spots. The rail trail is not and will not be open to motorised vehicles, which includes motor bikes of any description.
Local Laws officers and police will be pursing these riders and heavy penalties will be imposed on those caught.
That's all for now … see you out there.
Cheers,
Bruce Halket.
President
Mansfield Mt Buller Cycling Club Inc.
16 Reynolds Street
Mansfield Vic 3722
T: 03 5775 1169
M: 0419 533 120
(If you missed the last newsletter (two days ago!!) you can click on the link above - MMBCC News - 28 June 2011.) Ed.