7000 People Can't be Wrong!

On Saturday the results of the Wanganui Local Body Elections became known. The incumbent Mayor had secured 10,000 votes to John Martin's 7000. No landslide, no whitewash, but a win all the same.

Being with John Martin and a group of 50 or so supporters at St.Andrews Hall when the result was announced, was a sobering experience, only made bearable by the composure and magnanimity of John Martin himself. Even as he headed off to conceed to an apparently sombre Vision cabal and Mayor, he exuded the dignity and courage, that we and 7000 others voted for.
What was evident in the room was a strong sense of pride, in the campaign and the candidate and purpose in the minds of everyone assembled there.

We had fought a strong, creative and positive campaign. John gained more votes than last time and the mayoralty, was bestowed back into the hands of the incumbent with only approx 30% of the elligible voting populations backing. Visions un-democratic majority in the Council Chamber was reduced and the playing field levelled a little bit more.

The big job is still ahead. The way local politics is conducted in Wanganui has been changed. We had a strong candidate with some strong allies and strong support, yet it was not enough against a corporate political machine, fielding a Mayor, 10 councillors and a Health Board party . If this was business, we would have called in the monopolies commission!

Over the next 3 years, we, the 7000 need to get more involved. We need to sit on committees, attend meetings, write to the paper, make submissions to the annual plan, challenge Vision and support our independent voices inside and outside Council. More than anything we need more strong independent candidates to step forward for every by-election and the next election, because the best way to change things is from inside the room where decisions are made, not outside the room protesting against decisions already decided.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank John Martin for standing up to be counted and wearing the hopes and aspirations of so many, so well.

For he's a jolly good fellow and so say all of us...

Guilt Free Politics

Over the last few days a story has rumbled on in the Chronicle regarding vandalism towards electoral signage. This has been fuelled by media releases from the Mayor and Vision insinuating involvement on behalf of John Martin or his supporters.


Despite the 'alleged' retraction of these insinuations towards John Martin, the bad taste left by these allegations is still in the air.


When vandalism first appeared on Vision signage, it was no surprise to us that at some point this would be allayed, by Vision, with John, John's supporters, friends of John's supporters and friends of friends of Johns supporters, in fact virtually everyone in town who is not a fully paid up Vision devotee.

It is not unusual for the Mayor to attack and accuse sections of the community of criminal or anti-democratic behaviour. Ironically it is not the gangs or criminal element that is attacked but individuals and groups of pro-active residents, who volunteer a lot of time, energy and expertise to supporting and contributing to the positive growth of Wanganui. The fact that someone does not support the incumbent does not imply they support any other candidates either.

We chose not to fuel the debate and having suffered vandalism of our own signs along with other candidates and had felt this uneccessary. John Martins campaign has been conducted with the utmost regard and respect not only for other candidates but for the electorate and their right to information.


Not only is it unimaginable that John or any of the campaign team would condone or initiate any anti-democratic activities. There would simply be nothing to gain politically or morally from such underhand tactics for a candidate with integrity.


You cannot put a huge billboard of yourself in a public place and not expect some comment, moustache or horns to be added! The vast number of Vision signs and the nature of being the incumbent candidate are going to engender greater critical attention than the less well known potential candidates. A public figure especially such an outspoken one normally has a thicker skin.


Despite the obvious ire of Vision with this vandalism and un-democratic behaviour; Vision saw fit to clone their website with the same name as this blog; an act akin to us creating fake Vision billboards and placing them in front of the real Vision ones. In addition we have watched in bemusement as the word' positive', a word which we do not own but had definitely 'made our own' for the campaign, has been sytematically inserted into Vision publicity. These were direct moves to hinder the effectiveness of our campaign by the Vision team, not the work of unrelated 'activists'. Does the sophistication of the act excuse the intent?


The fact is that politicians do not choose who supports them, the electorate choose who to support, that is democracy.


We are very pleased and proud of the campaign that we have conducted. It has essentially been a community effort against a corporate one. We would like to thank and acknowledge everyone that has actively supported the John Martin campaign, through their time, expertise, commitment and dedication to making Wanganui the best little City in New Zealand.


Kia ora



Notes and Quotes:

We would like to now take this opportunity to reproduce an excerpt from a letter to John Martin (09/10/07) from Mayor Michael Laws regarding his non-support for these allegations and intended retraction.

'I understand that you have taken offence at a media release I circulated to media today and that you believe that there was an implication that you are the candidate implicated in the damage.

I wish to categorically state (and have now done so publicly) that you are not. An amended media release - stipulating that - has beencirculated to the media and posted on my personal website.
Yours sincerely
Michael Laws'

There now follows an excerpt from the latest Media Release from Mayor Michael Laws (12/10/07) regarding this issue.


'The only excitement became just who was destroying Vision Wanganui hoardings and whether it was linked to the camps of opposing candidates.

On that latter issue, there was a night-time sabotage by perhaps one or two individuals. It was organized and it was sustained. It clearly targeted my personal signs and then those of Vision. I have no doubt that a fringe element – drawn from the fringe arts community – were responsible. Unfortunately, for John Martin, they were a fringe element who supported his campaign.'


Thanks for the retraction! We all know 'mud sticks' but who would employ it as a full-time political strategy?

Media Release 28/09/07 - The First Vote is as Important as the Last

John Martin says the recent Chronicle Poll was a rallying call for his supporters and all voters. While the poll indicated a higher level of support for the incumbent at that point he says, "A poll is a poll and not the election and the outcome is still far from decided.

"I will take this as a message to double my efforts, to meet as many of you as possible and to demonstrate to you, the Wanganui electorate, that I am the mayoral candidate to truly fulfil the potential of this town, progressively and with dignity," says John.

"I also urge all of you to use your democratic right and to vote for the best representatives for you and your community."

Polls can be useful in making predictions, he says, but ultimately they don't help voters to make up their minds and don't represent the true voting figures. An independent poll carried out among 500 residents on the street (as opposed to being conducted by phone) gave John a substantial lead and the feedback from the voters surveyed face-to face tells a very different story.

One thing all the polls agree on is that is a two-horse race between the incumbent mayor and John Martin. "My opponent has a bigger budget, three years of media saturation under his belt and plenty of opportunities for 'extra' publicity through council events," says John. "This was always going to be a hard fight. However, I trust in the people of Wanganui when they tell me they want someone who can keep the district moving forward and do it with respect and dignity. I am that person.

"The last vote is as important as the first vote and be assured I will not rest until the last vote is counted and the real result decided."

Rating System Needs Review

Wanganui's new council needs to take a hard look at how it sets rates for district properties, says mayoral candidate John Martin. He said rates were emerging as a key issue with individuals and community groups he has been meeting during campaigning.

"There's a widespread concern that our rating system has become unfair over recent years. There's also a call for both local and regional rates to be looked at collectively with regard to affordability and priority of effort."

John says this highlights the need for a better partnership between Wanganui District Council and Horizons Regional Council.

He says the report of the National Rates Inquiry panel, released in August, was the product of months of consultation with a wide range of organisations. While weak in some areas and containing some recommendations that are appropriate for larger metropolitan areas only there are some aspects of this report that are relevant to Wanganui.

John says two key recommendations of the Rates Inquiry panel were to abolish differential rates and to move from land values to capital values as the basis for rates. "These are two important issues forWanganui residents and businesses."

"It's definitely time for our council to review our rates processes and consult with all sectors of the community to decide upon the appropriate solution for Wanganui. The current system was designed for a different era – it's time to look at the basics again."

An Open Letter from Annette Main

Three years ago, Wanganui was experiencing a new momentum.
It had taken longer to reach us than it had our neighbours in Taranaki and Manawatu, but houses were selling strongly, businesses were relocating and international visitor numbers were growing as both arts and river based tourism product increased.

Wanganui was ready to make the most of the benefits this momentum would bring. Three years ago Wanganui was also ready for a change in leadership style. Maybe the choice Wanganui made then was the right one for that time.

But I urge you, if you have not yet been able to decide what is best for our future, please think
carefully about your choice for the right Mayor to take us forward. I agree there are positive aspects of the changes that have taken place over the last three years and I agree they need to continue. And as a long-time promoter of all that’s good about this place we call home, I absolutely agree we need to keep up the momentum. But, at the same time I also believe …

This time we need a Mayor who guides, not divides

This time we need a Mayor who respects the views of the independent councillors we elect to serve us

This time we need a Mayor who understands the style of collaborative leadership needed to face
the environmental challenges of the future

This time we need a Mayor who values the cultural diversity of thecommunity he leads and treats all residents with equal respect

And most importantly we need a Mayor who is a full time ambassador for our district…
who represents us in a way we can be proud of… who fulfils our expectations of his position…
who will be alongside us as we celebrate all that is Wanganui… and who will ensure our relationships with other agencies are healthy, respectful and productive.

It is my honest opinion there is only one person we can rely on todo this for us.
And it is my view that for Wanganui’s sake, this time, the right person for Mayor is John Martin.
Annette Main (Horizons Councillor, local businesswoman and River Traders Market founder)

John Invests in Carbon Credits

Wanganui needs to take a progressive approach to sustainability to truly realise its potential both environmentally and economically, says John Martin.

"Despite all the recent hubris about reclaiming the river and attracting tourists, Wanganui still doesn’t have a policy on either the environment or tourism," says John. "The two are intrinsically connected and the benefit of an integrated approach is enormous.
Sustainability means managing a resource responsibly now, so that the same resource will be thriving in the future. This is good common sense whether you are dealing with the environment, the economy or the community."

He says the first step is to have a council that leads by example in its own daily operations as well as its strategic approach. A Wanganui of the future with a clean river, attractive port, re-generated tourism industry, successful farming and protection against environmental risks are all achievable together.

“So to mark this stage in the election campaign I thought I’d compensate for some of the political hot air of the past few weeks by investing some of my funds in natural carbon credits and put something healthy back into the community by planting a few trees. With local politics reaching a new high in seriousness I intend to take this campaign to the last day and have fun doing it!”

Poll Position

Mayoral Candidate John Martin is smiling at the results of a telephone poll publicised by Michael Laws today. “This is political gamesmanship at it’s best,” said Mr Martin. “Mr Laws is very much a creature of habit and it’s his standard tactic to release a favourable poll result at this point in the voting process. If his polling is as accurate as his budget control he must be worried.”

Mr Martin said he has no intention of commissioning any out of town agency to conduct polling as he is talking directly with Wanganui residents, getting a clear and positive message from them that they have had enough of manufactured spin. “Besides, I could not afford to pay for polling and remain within the campaign budget allowed by the electoral act. “

“This has been an enjoyable election campaign with a never ending list of invitations to talk with groups and individuals. People have gladly engaged to give me their perspective on a host of issues and that’s invaluable.”

(The results of a local poll undertaken by an Independent Council candidate are due to be released to the media today)

Martin Videos Popular on the Internet

Two videos about Wanganui mayoral candidate John Martin have been seen by approximately 1600 people on the worldwide internet showcase You Tube.

Mr Martin says the short videos, by award-winning Wanganui filmmaker Costas
Thrasyvoulou, are intended to inject some life and humour into the election campaign. “I’ve been getting lots of good feedback,” he says. Acclaimed local film-maker, Costas was thrilled to have the opportunity to get involved and support John Martin creatively.

On Saturday September 29 Mr Martin and his wife Brenda will be taking their message to shoppers by opening a “mayoral office” in Majestic Square from 10am-noon. “Wanganui people were promised a downtown mayoral office as part of the Vision campaign three years ago but it never eventuated. However, if elected I will be a mayor who listens to what people have to say and I hope they will come along on Saturday to meet me and discuss the issues that are important to them.”

The videos, which are under four minutes long, can be seen by following the links on the sidebar under 'See John Martin'.

John Martin the Winner in Chronicle Poll

John Martin was the clear winner in a poll held as part of the Mayoral Forum on Monday September 17.

In a front page story the next day titled ‘Martin tops mayoral forum poll’, the Wanganui Chronicle reported that John received 64 votes to Michael Laws’ 41. Out of the also-rans, Randhir Dayha, Russell Fleming and Chandra Osborne, only Russell Fleming secured one vote.

People who heard the candidates speak on Monday night were asked to say who they would vote for if an election was held tomorrow, and in another question, 57 percent said hearing the candidates speak helped them decide who to vote for.

"It’s a great result, four weeks out from the election," says John Martin. "Most importantly, it reflects what I have been hearing all over the district. There’s a growing mood for change with people focusing particularly on mayoral style and wanting to see Wanganui’s image rebuilt after the unfortunate effects of the past three years."

John said the question and answer format of Monday’s forum gave candidates the chance to discuss real issues, as well as show their ability to project a mayoral style that the city can relate to. "I think the poll result was a reflection of that. But it’s also good to be able to interact with people at a more personal level at the meetings I’m having around Wanganui and I invite anyone who is interested in gaining a deeper understanding of who I am and my approach to the mayoralty to come along, hear what I’ve got to say, and ask questions about issues that concern them."

You can meet John at Wanganui East Bowling Club at 7pm on Tuesday September 25, and further meeting dates and venues will be advertised in the press and on this website.

Media Release 14/09/07 - Walkway, Fitting Memorial to Chas Poynter

Wanganui Mayoral candidate John Martin says completion of the riverfront walkway provides a good opportunity to honour Chas Poynter's 27 years service to the city and district. "Since Chas's untimely death last month we have been reminded how seriously he took his responsibilities as guardian of our environment, and how much he wanted all people of Wanganui to be proud of and cherish our river," said Mr Martin. "I'd suggest that council and Iwi consider naming the walkway after Chas.

I'd also like to see the Council make a commitment to complete the work started by Mayor Poynter's council and set out in their 2003 Long Term Plan, which envisioned completion of a walkway from Aramoho to the sea. "Mr Martin said restoring community pride in and enjoyment of the Whanganui River was a key goal of the 2003 plan, which also set out a commitment to continued development of the walkway.

"Chas's council took the big step of starting work on the new sewerage scheme, and that's really the starting point for a new focus on the river for both city and district," said Mr Martin. "I can't think of a better way to honour Chas than to name the walkway for him and to work together to finish the job he started."

Media Release 12/09/07 - Lets Look to the Future

Let's look to the future, Wanganui's rapidly growing debt needs to be brought under control, says Mayoral contender John Martin. "As ratepayers we owe $30 million more than we did just three years ago and unless there's a change of approach, city debt will balloon even further beyond the current $70 million," he said. "It's obvious that a new Council, with a new approach, is needed to tackle this risk to the future well-being of our city." John said there would inevitably be a big impact on people's ability to afford their rates and on the Council's ability to maintain services. "It's time to shift the focus from money-losing events and non-essential but costly 'frills'.

Three years of 'impulse spending' have simply added to our debt without seeing any meaningful investment in basic infrastructure, apart from the sewerage scheme which was well under way under Chas Poynter's council. He said Wanganui had been able to control rates reasonably well in recent years due to the sound decisions made by previous councils to ensure that major projects like storm-water separation were completed on a pay-as-you-go basis. Increased property values had provided additional windfalls in rates take. But it was now time to get debt under control without 'standing still' as a council.

"My first job as mayor will be to lead the development of a genuine strategic plan based on a consensus about where Wanganui wants to be in 15 years. Once we've done that we can map the plan back from there, ensuring that both mandatory and optional projects are achievable. "John, a former international business manager, said development of a strategic vision for the city could only be done by a Council that was prepared to take a long-term view and genuinely wanted to involve people in decisions about a sustainable future rather than short-term 'baubles'.

"The community needs to help develop a long-term plan and understand where and when various projects can be implemented. "We all want to see new amenities and attractions for Wanganui so it is important that these are part of a realistic plan and can be delivered without denying essential infrastructure programmes."

Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery

The PositiveWanganui Blog is the official web presence for John Martin - Mayoral Candidate, Wanganui 2007. The blog was set up as a valid and informative resource for voters, interested in John Martin.

As opposed to websites, Blogs are free to set-up and maintain, suiting our budget and the temporary needs of an electoral campaign.

It has come to our attention that recently, 'Vision Wanganui' has set up 2 websites with the exact same content as their official site www.visionwanganui.com under the names www.positivewanganui.com and www.positivewanganui.co.nz ! This may be a coincidence, albeit an unfortunate and unlikely one.

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then PositiveWanganui Blog is flattered. It is telling that this 'flattery' is probably more costly than our valid resource.

We are not interested in hindering voters from finding out information about opponents, to the contrary we encourage it. The democratic process is about voters making an informed decision from a range of candidates.

If you want to find out more about 'Vision', follow the links above, make up your own mind and let them know what you think.

Whatever your decision, the important thing is to VOTE on October 13th 2007 and exercise your democratic right to choose your own representatives in local government.

John Martin and Positive Wanganui Blog encourage your contact and if you have any questions regarding John Martin, the campaign or other issues, please feel free to contact him positivewanganui@gmail.com .

For a list of all candidates for Local Body / District Health Board Elections visit: www.wanganui.govt.nz (Candidate profiles and pictures will be available from the 21st September 2007).

Media Release 10/09/07 - Social and Cultural Wellbeing

Wanganui needs collaboration rather than confrontation to rebuild its social and cultural confidence.

It’s no good focusing on expensive capital projects if we don’t also pay attention to our most important assets – our people and community organisations.

Many groups have taken a battering over the last three years and been made to feel they are not valued. We have to change that, and make sure everyone feels their contributions are respected and their needs are recognised.

I will encourage the new council to review the system of grants to voluntary organisations, many of which had struggled to survive as the Council’s Community Contracts funding process became focused on financial measures.

I would like to see a bi-annual ‘Festival Of The River’ to show-case all of our cultural riches in a unique celebration promoting a positive Wanganui.

Whanganui Hospital has suffered from much negative publicity yet it continues to provide a valuable service for residents. The Council needs to move quickly to re-establish a strategic working relationship with the hospital and create a positive environment for the recruitment of medical staff.

We need a strategic development plan for our riverfront and heritage precinct and to find ways to encourage and assist the redevelopment of our unique heritage asset in a contemporary environment.

Above all, people want a Mayor who treats everyone with respect and dignity and a Council that can listen and learn from the people it represents.

We need to work as a community to find answers to issues that make the community feel at risk, including boy-racers and graffiti artists. I’m keen to bring our youth and related agencies together to put their ideas into practice.

THESE WILL BE URGENT ISSUES FOR ME AS MAYOR AND I'LL MOVE QUICKLY
TO GET ALL INTERESTED GROUPS AND INDIVIDUALS WORKING
TOGETHER FOR A BETTER FUTURE – John Martin

Lets Get it Going!

With less than five weeks to go till the local-body elections, for some candidates, the campaign is hotting up.

With more billboards, posters and flyers appearing around our city, the local papers full of ads for candidates, profiles and letters from the public to challenge and question our political aspirants, it is important that we, the voters are lobbyed fairly and democratically.

To this end rules and regulations (http://www.wanganui.govt.nz/AboutCouncil/Election2007.asp) are set in place regarding Local-body elections, overseen by the District Electoral Officer(noeline.moosman@wanganui.govt.nz). This includes publicity deadlines, spending limits for individual candidates and media guidelines. Please feel free to contact the Electoral Officer if you feel any of these guidelines have been contravened by any candidates.

Positive Wanganui looks forward to a clean and fair campaign by all candidates and would like to once again apologise to Mayor Michael Laws for comments made in an earlier post (On the Campaign Trail Week 1) regarding the Vision Campaign's adherence to Electoral guidelines.

Positive Wanganui is pleased to welcome Mayor Michael Laws as a reader of the Positive Wanganui blog.

A Message from Callum Martin

Yes, I am biased, but I am very excited for Wanganui. Dad is going to provide the leadership that this city needs.

Aside from his obvious successes in both the Military and in business, Nikki and I are in a unique position as his kids to provide personal references on the “father and family John Martin”.

Dad has always been a great leader and role model – especially for kids and young adults.He was the uncle or mates dad to come to for advice. He has a special way of making people feel at ease and empowered, or, as in my case many times growing up, decidedly uneasy when the time comes for direction.

One of the most essential tools I learned as a kid from my father was that it is infinitely more successful to promote, rather than to degrade people. This applied as much as when we played up as when we were achieving. You knew when the line had been crossed as a kid, but dad would always explained why.

The point is – you always know where you stand, with Dad there is no reading between the lines, or changing moods or opinions with the wind. You get honest, intelligent answers to questions – be it the answer you were looking for or not.

How Can YOU Help the Campaign?

Behind John Martins campaign are a committed group of friends and followers doing what they can to make the campaign successful.

Without a big collective budget or organisation to make this happen, it takes the generous support, help and creativity of volunteers to make the message heard in the clamour of the campaign, where 'they who shout loudest' often get what they want.

We realise that many people support John and want to get his name and his message out there for the voters to hear.
Here are a couple of ways that you can do this. (For more information or to assist with the campaign in one of these ways email: positivewanganui@gmail.com)

1. Word of Mouth - Tell your friends, work colleagues, family and the person in the dairy to vote for a John Martin.
2. Go along to your local Public Meeting (Schedule in under 'Meet John Martin") and bring your friends.
3. We have posters, flyers and bumper stickers (Produced on goodwill) that you can display and distribute.
4. Visit the Blog - This blog is the main resource for information and news about John Martin and the campaign. Spread the word, email the link and keep visiting!

With your support Wanganui will get the 'Right Man for a Change'.

STOP PRESS - Mayoral candidate takes message to YouTube

What do Wanganui mayoral candidate John Martin and US presidential hopeful Barak Obama have in common? They're both part of the You Tube internet video phenomenon that sees some 100 million videos per day viewed by web surfers around the world.

This week Mr Martin stepped up his campaign for the Wanganui mayoralty with two YouTube videos by award-winning Wanganui filmmaker Costas Thrasyvoulou."I've long been a fan of Costas's quirky style," said Mr Martin. "And when he offered to help my campaign I jumped at the chance to show Wanganui voters that local body elections needn't be boring affairs.

"Mr Martin said there were already more than 150 Wanganui-related videos of varying quality on You Tube, but he hadn't seen anything to match the kind of talent that had won 20-year-old film graduate Mr. Thrasyvoulou first place in the 2006 Sarjeant Art Review and 2005 BadHorse Video Awards."Costas has directed and produced two videos for my campaign," said Mr.Martin. "One features me acting the 'good guy' in the kind of quirkyblack and white silent movie style spoof that he specialises in, while the other one is a bit more serious and gives viewers a chance to see and hear me talking about what I'll be doing as mayor."Mr Martin said

17 US presidential hopefuls – Democrats and Republicans– had joined You Tubes 65,000 video uploads per day. "It's the hot new political medium and it's a great way to reach voters of all ages," he said.

To view the videos scroll down to see them featured in individual posts below or click on the sidebar under 'See John Martin' to go direct to Youtube.

On the Campaign Trail - Week 1

Hullo to readers of the PositiveWanganui blogspot

Some of you asked for an update on the campaign trail. Well, it’s certainly been another week of it so far.

On Monday after three meetings with residents in various suburbs, Brenda & I attended the Wanganui Lions dinner at the Racecourse Function Centre where I was guest speaker. My address was well received and summed up by a witty member who said, “You can’t possibly become Mayor – you’ve got far too much common sense.”

Tuesday was a full day of one-on-one meetings and finalizing promotional material before a dinner with a rural group that evening. A final run through emails and voice-mails ended the day at 11.50pm.

Wednesday morning was another 5am start responding to emails before leaving home at 6.15am for a Chamber Of Commerce/ Wanganui Inc breakfast meeting to ‘Meet The Mayoral Candidates.’ I was surprised to find I was the only candidate that turned up !

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The other candidates can’t have considered our business community to be worth talking to – or perhaps it was just too early in the morning.

From the Meet The Mayoral Candidates meeting I raced off to attend a morning tea fund-raiser for the Cancer Society, which was hosted by Dempsey & Forrest.
I got some good advice from Tom Joll who has a good insight into issues facing Wanganui.

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Yesterday required three changes of clothes as we jumped from carrying billboards, collecting posts and stakes to attending meetings and presentations.

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Gotta run now – first meeting today is with CBD retailers at 8 am.
Have a great week – I am!

John Martin
For a Positive Wanganui

Note:
'Positive Wanganui Blog' would like to take this opportunity to apologise for any comments made regarding the Mayor Michael Laws and the Vision Campaign's adherence to the rules set out by the Electoral Officer.

The Adventures of Cody

"John's successful and unlikely career as a silent movie actor is not often talked about in civic circles these days.
However, the discovery and digital restoration of this classic of early Whanganui cinema, 'The Adventures of Cody', directed by the Mesopotamian master of movies , Costas Thrasyvoulou, will enthrall fans old and new of John 'Wayne' Martin!"

A Conversation with John Martin

John Martin in Conversation with Costas Thrasyvoulou. This video and the 'lost classic', The Adventures of Cody can also be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/