Parkes Phoenix Editor

Maggi Barnard has been with the Forbes Phoenix since 2021 and loves writing about her community.

Croquet Club Loses Stalwart

August 6, 2021 by Maggi Barnard

On Tuesday July 20 we were sad to learn the passing of John MacCullagh who was a valued member of our club. Players wore black arm bands in respect of a true gentleman. At 92, John was still winning the odd 3 games per day. Our sincere condolences.

Golf Croquet was on Tuesday July 27 there were 4 winners of 3 games. John Allegri, Kevin Rubie, Mal Smith and Denny Smith. Big winners were 11—2 Elvy Quirk and Joan Littlejohn.

Close games:
• Marie Spry 7 and John Job 6
• Denny Smith and Bob Murray 7 Neville Spry and Colleen Liebich 6

We had 26 players for Aussie Croquet on Saturday 31st July. There were only 2 players that won 3 games, John Browne and Merv Langfield. The big winners were 14 – 9 Neville Spry and Merv Langfield, John Farah and Tony Thomson.

Close Games:
• Cherylin Cole and Joan Littlejohn 14 Doreen Rogers and Neville Spry 13
• Neville Spry 14 Jeff Liebich 13

By Pegging Out

Snippets…

August 6, 2021 by Maggi Barnard

DROUGHT STORY: Forbes farmer David Kalisch walks into a dust storm in January 2020. Photo by Joel Brian Pratley.

Forbes farmer part of award-winning photo: Forbes farmer David Kalisch (pictured) is the centre of a remarkable drought photo taken by Sydney-based photographer Joel Brian Pratley.

Pratley has since accepted the National Photographic Portrait Prize from isolation in Redfern for the image taken in drought-affected western New South Wales last year.

He told ABC in an interview – “I was in Forbes in central NSW in January 2020 helping to create a film to raise funds for those doing it tough on the land, as both drought and bushfires caused devastation across the country. All at once, a huge dust storm swept over, obliterating the horizon.

“We were on the edge of Dave’s property and what you could usually see was fence line in the distance, the cattle, a bit of vista, but all of that kind of swept over and [there was] this kind of uncertainty,” Pratley said.

“We got Dave to walk off into the distance because his cattle were just out of frame and I just feel like that was a really strong moment when he was striding off with that kind of stoicism.”

Judges of the National Photographic Portrait Prize agreed.

“The vastness of the landscape turns farmer David Kalisch into an anonymous presence, leaving a space for us to consider our own place inside nature,” they said.

Farewell Emma: The Phoenix Group of Newspapers would like to say farewell to Emma Henderson who after only a short stay has decided to pursue other opportunities. Emma left quite an impression in such a short amount of time and we are sorry to see her go. All the best!

Scammer Alert: At least two businesses and one resident have been impacted by scammers the past week with everything from fake social media pages taking payments through to fake QR codes and phony ATO calls. Locals are asked to stay alert and contact police if they feel they have been targeted by scammers.

Local Government Week This Week: Local Government week is this week August 2-8 and is the perfect opportunity to celebrate the community. This year’s theme is “Locally Led” and Forbes Shire Council has been celebrating the role they play in the community by sharing some of the amazing locally led projects and programs they are doing.

TEMPLAR STREET: Templar Street has undergone multiple improvements and is one of many projects FSC has in the works for the shire.

Love Learning Through Reading At Forbes Public

August 6, 2021 by Maggi Barnard

MARIO KART: Primary staff from Forbes Public dressed as characters from Mario Kart to celebrate Education Week through their Book Week parade. The parade encourages children to come as their favourite character from a book. Photo courtesy of Forbes Public School.

Students and staff were eager to celebrate Education Week this year by promoting a love for learning through reading.

The week started with the Forbes Public School Book Fair which encouraged many of our students from the most avid readers to those who simply enjoy listening to and/or reading along with others to purchase books for their home libraries.

Despite the limitations of COVID-19 restrictions, our school made record sales. We are thrilled to know that our students have added to home libraries, their imaginations and time with loved ones at home sharing a story or two having purchased books.

The highlight of the week however, was the Book Character parade, where book characters were brought to life by both staff and students who proudly showed off their costumes by parading to music in front of the school.

While we did miss having parents, carers and our wider school community on site to join in the fun of the book fair, parade and classroom activities, we were grateful during these current times to be able to come together as a whole school to celebrate a love for learning through reading.

Meg Staples
Principal

Shooters Fired Up For Big August

August 6, 2021 by Maggi Barnard

BUMPER AUGUST: Forbes shooters and their colleagues are gearing up for a big month of competition at Bedgerabong Road Range.

The next S.S.A.A. sporting shooters .22 cabilre and other rimfire rifle (.22 magnum or.17HMR) Sunday shoot will be held August 15 at 10am. The Wednesday shoot will be August 18 at 2pm. The Centre-fire rifle shoots start at 2pm after the Rimfire shoots on Sunday at the Bedgerebong Road Range. All target shooters are welcome to attend these shoots. Any person wishing to try can attend any of these shoots to take part after filling out a P650 form at the club. Junior shooters must be 12 years or over.

For .22 cabilre rimfire shooting contact: Wayne Facey (Mobile 0414524059), Norm Brook (Mobile 0458664541), Ben Smith (Mobile 0427524151) or David Coleman (Mobile 0427401263 After Work).

The next shoot for the Forbes S.S.A.A. sporting clays will be their two-day shoot tomorrow August 7 and Sunday August 8.

On Saturday a 75 target five stand will be held at 4pm. Sunday a 100-target field shoot will be held for the Tim Lynch Memorial Shield starting at 10am. If wet, a five stand will be held.

For all information on clay target shooting contact: Norm, Tony Bratton 02 6852 3349, Doug Davis 02 6852 3249 or Phil Picker 02 6851 6494. Anyone wishing to obtain a longarm firearm licence can contact Wayne, Norm or Tony to do a firearm safe shooting assessment course – a requirement for a firearm licence application. Members are reminded that Local Range rules apply to the Forbes SSAA range.
Full results and draws on Facebook @forbessportingshooters

Residents Urged Not To Ignore Life-Saving Test

August 6, 2021 by Maggi Barnard

SILENT KILLER: Bowel Cancer kills 54% of men and claims over 100 lives each week making it the second most fatal of all cancers in Australia. Over 15,000 new cases are diagnosed each year – approximately the size of Parkes.

New figures from the Cancer Institute NSW show that in 2021, almost 226 people in Western NSW Local Health District (WNSWLHD) will be diagnosed with bowel cancer and around 81 will die from the disease.

However, experts say a simple test could change this. Taking part in regular bowel cancer screening can help detect cancer early and, in some cases, help to prevent cancer by picking up changes before cancer develops.

The National Bowel Cancer Screening Program sends a bowel cancer screening test kit to all eligible Australians aged 50 to 74, every two years. This kit, which can be done in a person’s home, can detect potential warning signs of bowel cancer at a very early stage, before symptoms develop.

Currently in NSW, only 40.8 percent of test kits sent out by the
WNSWLHD Director Cancer Services and Innovation Dr. Ruth Jones, also urged men and women aged 50 to 74 to screen for bowel cancer.

“Around 81 people in WNSWLHD will lose their life to bowel cancer this year. My message to everyone in our community is do the test when it comes in the post. Don’t put it off. This piece of mail could save your life. We need people to stop putting the test away in a drawer and forgetting about it.”

Over the past five years, the NSW Government, through the Cancer Institute NSW, has invested more than $25 million in bowel cancer, including for public awareness and education campaigns, and grants to local community and health organisations to promote bowel cancer screening.

For more information on the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program, visit cancer.nsw.gov.au and if you have any symptoms or change in bowel habits, please talk to your GP.

Mayoral Notes

August 6, 2021 by Maggi Barnard

This week we have received reports of minor flooding in our Shire and it is the next challenge we are being dealt, but one I’m sure our community is confident we can handle. Please be careful on the roads especially when they are wet and do not go through flood waters, even if there isn’t a road closed sign.

I received an interesting email this week regarding $2,135,615 worth of lost or unclaimed super belonging to people living in our Shire. Go to: www.ato.gov.au/forms/searching-for-lost-super/

On the subject of data, next week is Census night on the 10th August. The Australian Bureau of Statistics is reminding people that they can complete their Census as soon as they receive their instructions. Households across the country have started receiving Census letters with instructions on how to complete their Cen-sus online, or how to order a paper form. If you are yet to receive your Census instructions, or would like to complete a separate Census form to the rest of your household, you can get a Census number or request a paper form on the Census website: www.abs.gov.au/census. Due to the Local Government Election postponement we will be having two Council Meetings in August. The first falls on the 5th August and the next will be on the 19th August, this will get us back on track with the scheduled third Thursday of the month we always have the meeting fall on.

Till next week. God Bless.

Your Mayor,
Phyllis Miller

Panthers Drenched By Storm

August 6, 2021 by Maggi Barnard

Forbes Ferrari Charlie Staines Penrith Panthers were humbled by title rivals and defending premiers Melbourne Storm last Sunday in a COVID rescheduled and contentious game in Brisbane.

With Penrith missing five Origin reps (Cleary, Yeo, To’o and Koraisau) as well as new short-term signing Tevati Pangai Jr, Kiwi prop James Fisher-Harris and Tyrone May – it was always going to be a tall order for the NRL’s youngest side to beat a full strength inform Storm team.

As gallant as the Panthers were, the Storm were far too classy (and lucky) winning 37-10 at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. The Craig Bellamy lead side ran in six tries to two flexing their premiership muscle over the Panthers yet mindful that titles aren’t won in August but they can be lost. Penrith will now welcome back some troops for this Saturday against the Roosters while sweating on the outcome of numerous incidents from the weekend’s loss.

With both sides having won once each against each other this season, it sets up a potentially exciting third game which may yet be in the 2021 decider and a 2020 GF rematch. Should that happen, the Forbes Ferrari may just return with a premiership ring.

Blustery Conditions For Hawke Trophy

August 6, 2021 by Maggi Barnard

TEEING UP: Max Haley teamed with Heather Davidson for the Hawke Trophy as golfers braved wintry conditions to tee up for the popular event.

In blustery but sunny conditions on Saturday, a good field of 87 players contested the Annual Hawke Trophy, a 4BBB Stableford Medley event.

Terry Griffiths is in a purple patch and this weekend teamed with Paul Kay to score 43 points for the day. Terry and Paul romped home with six 3-pointers on the back-9 to take the winners honours on a count back.

Andrew Dukes and Shane Sallaway also had 43 points, doing their best work on the front nine. Their highlight was a 4-pointer on the 7th which helped score 24 points for the front.

The ball sweep went to 38 points on count back. The NTP’s went to: 9th – Men: P Barnes; Ladies: B Duncan; 18th – Men: A Dukes; Ladies: N Deathh. The 3rd hole Super Pin went to Steve Betland.

The Sunday Stableford Medley was played in dreary conditions, but the scoring was certainly not the same.

Isaac Vale carried his form from Saturday to score 40 points and win the day. Runner-up, and also partner for the Saturday comp, was Jake Hemming who managed to get at least a point on each hole and finish with 35 points.

The NTP’s went to: 9th – Jake Hemming, 18th – nil, as they all missed the green. There was no ball sweep.

Don’t forget the 3-Person Ambrose on Sunday August 15, which carries a substantial prize for 1st place. Cowra has its 2-day Open on August 7 and 8.

Saturday August 7 is the Monthly Medal, sponsored by Bernardi’s Marketplace. Sunday August 8 has a Stableford Medley.

By Short Putt

Create An Everlasting Memorial

August 6, 2021 by Maggi Barnard

Just some of the beautiful monumental masonary created by Jason Hanley.

Jason Hanley Memorials specialise in monumental masonry with more than 30 years of experience. We can create, design and install your memorial from start to finish. There are unlimited options of design, and we can create and restore your new and existing headstones to provide you with an everlasting memorial for your loved one. All our granite is sourced locally and 100% Australian.

Serving Parkes, Forbes, Condobolin and surrounding districts in the Central West. Please call Jason for your memorials today on 0428 539 043.

From The Bush Wins Forbes Cup

August 6, 2021 by Maggi Barnard

FORBES CUP WINNER: Gayna Williams trained From The Bush holds out Reward Seeker and Toulon Brook to take out the Bankstown Sports Club Forbes Cup for 2021 last Sunday at Forbes Racecourse.

The Gayna Williams Bathurst trained From The Bush has beaten Reward Seeker by 3/4 length with Toulon Brook third in a time of 1:38 to win the Bankstown Sports Club Forbes Cup over 1600m last Sunday at Forbes Racecourse in wet, gloomy conditions.

With rain and COVID dampening the flagship day, a solid turn-out was on hand all things considered, to watch the “deepest field to ever contest the Forbes Cup” according to caller Col Hodges who was celebrating 50 years as a caller. It didn’t disappoint.

Forbes Jockey Club started with a strong eight-race-card and $270,000 in prizemoney on offer. The record prize money saw some very competitive racing with She’s Smart taking the chocolates in the Shead Nicholson Class 2 Handicap for Claire Lever while Lockdown Gamble won the preceding event.

Yet all eyes were on the main event and jockey Anthony Cavallo rode the five-year-old brown gelding to perfection holding off more fancied rivals on a heavy track that copped more rain throughout the day.

Coming from barrier 14, From The Bush was carrying 55kgs and had brought solid form into the showcase event with four wins from only ten starts to go with two seconds and a third. The horse had never won at this distance having only won at 1400m so the challenge was there to go where it hadn’t gone before and it did.

Sitting among the leaders with the straight in it’s sights, From The Bush scooted to the front leaving challengers in its wake as they headed for the post. The Poet’s Voice cross Endaxi sprinter had just enough to keep a swarm of contenders at bay.

Cavallo was ecstatic with the win, with $22,000 going to winning connections from the $50,000 purse, while second claimed $8,950 and third a handy cheque for $5,000.

Parkes Phoenix Editor

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