NEWS DESK Schoolies welcome RYE foreshore has again been given official approval for Schoolies Week celebrations. Hosted by Mornington Peninsula Shire Council, the week-long “schoolies hub” will run from Saturday 25 November to Friday 1 December The shire says the hub will provide a place for schoolies to dance the night away in a supportive and ageappropriate environment. Each night will feature a different line-up of local DJs and party themes. Support teams, including the shire’s youth services team, DanceWize and Red Frog volunteers, will also attend. Peninsula Schoolies 2023 tickets cost $50 for a week-long pass that gives entry to the schoolies hub and a “get home safe” bus on the southern peninsula from 9pm to 1am. For DJs and tickets visit: @peninsulaschoolies on Facebook and Instagram: schoolies.mornpen. vic.gov.au
Defence careers THE mobile Australian Defence Force careers centre has been in Frankston and on the Mornington Peninsula over the past few days, but there is still time for young people to check it out. There are more than 250 roles offered in Australian Defence Force. The centre will be at Mornington Park today (Tuesday 31 October) from 3.30pm to 8pm and tomorrow (Wednesday 1 November) from midday to 8pm. ADF careers specialists will be available to provide information about career options.
(Head)masters of rock ’n’ roll THE click, pop and hum of a PA system starting up is soon joined by the sound of guitars tuning, drumbeats and scales on trumpet and saxophone. General chit-chat about the week just past melds with microphone checks. A basic 12-bar blues line on bass guitar is soon joined by a rhythmic drum backbeat and then guitar chords. Soon the room is filled with music and then laughter, friendly banter and eager chatter. These are the sounds of the Headmasters Apprentices, a pop band of eight school principals and assistant principals from the Frankston area and the Mornington Peninsula. Some are retired and others still work. The band was formed 15 years ago after its members joined music professionals on stage at a principals’ conference. “Hey, we can do this,” was the general feeling after the fleeting performance. The band was soon playing rock, blues and soul covers at conferences, charity gigs and other events across Victoria. It often plays for free, although the minimum charge is a meal for the musicians. Silvio Vitale, former principal at Mornington Primary School, said the band was a “perfect example of principals combining a love of music and a desire to manage our own wellbeing by creating regular opportunities for interaction, banter, support and, of course, making music”. “Many gigs are at significant
Head bangers: Band members, from left, Mark Dewhurst, Jeff Mead, Andrew Forrest, Andrew Felsinger, Mal Boag, Silvio Vitale, Simon Hamilton, Greg Lacey and Barry Wiggs. Picture: Supplied
birthdays. We relish the camaraderie of the band and the joy we bring to audiences who just want to dance and have fun.” Vitale shares vocal with Greg Lacey, principal at Lyndhurst Primary School. Other members are rhythm guitarist Mark Dewhurst, former assistant principal at Somerville Rise primary; saxophonist Jeff Mead, former assistant principal at Pearcedale primary; the moustachioed Andrew Forrest, former
principal at Baxter primary, on trumpet and trombone; drummer Andrew Felsinger, former principal at Barton primary in Cranbourne West who organises many of the band’s gigs; bass guitarist Simon Hamilton, executive director at the Education Department’s southeastern regional office; and lead guitarist Barry Wiggs, former principal at Cranbourne East secondary (and guitarist with Ants Bush Band 1972–2017). Mal Boag played with
the band a few times. He was a music teacher at Rosebud primary. The band has raised thousands of dollars for charities from gigs on the peninsula, its home base. The next big gig is Melbourne Cup Eve, Monday 6 November, at Springvale RSL with a portion of ticket sales going to the Poppy Appeal. Tickets from Springvale RSL, phone 9548 4155. To book the band, call Andrew Felsinger on 0418 991 989.
Don’t let the Mornington Peninsula become a “News Desert”! A MESSAGE FROM OUR PUBLISHER
Mornington
Dear Reader, When Covid hit in 2020, community newspapers across the country faced an existential threat. Businesses were curtailed or forced to close due to lockdowns, advertising revenue dried up and hundreds of community newspapers across the country closed. Many forever. At the beginning of the pandemic, I made a promise to our readers. We would keep publishing. No matter what. And that is what we did. We kept our promise and saw the pandemic through, never missing a single weekly edition. About 12 months ago, a new, even greater threat emerged. Newsprint, the paper we print on, began to quickly rise in price. It has now risen to be 80% higher than it was before and during Covid. Community newspapers across the country are again in crisis and papers are again closing on a weekly basis. My team and I are dedicated to providing the best local news we can to the Mornington Peninsula. But it is time to ask for your help. PAGE 10
Mornington News
31 October 2023
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Support Mornington News with your advertising. It is a great way to support your local community, and build your business while doing it. Call our sales representative, Bruce Stewart, on 0409 428 171 or email bruce@mpnews.com.au Without a local newspaper, there are no efficient means to check the decisions of the powerful and create accountability. Without a local newspaper, the fabric that holds a community together suffers. Without a local newspaper, the individual identity of the area is diminished. The Mornington News needs your support to thrive and grow through unprecedented challenges. Let’s work together and make it happen! Thank you for your support, Cameron McCullough - Publisher
