Parkes Phoenix Editor

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

Croquet Results

February 14, 2019 by Maggi Barnard

Week ending 9th February

It was a good turnout for our Tuesday golf croquet with all of our courts in use. We would like to welcome a new member to our club, Ray Burridge who won his first game of the day and followed it up with a win in his second. This was a wonderful start for a beginner on the courts and is a reflection of some great coaching by the more experienced members. Well done Ray!

The winners of three games on Tuesday were John Browne, Kevin Rubie, Bill Scott, Marg Styles and Lorraine Todd.

Saturday’s Aussie croquet was a bit of a surprise. After all the rain on Friday night and the overcast Saturday morning, the courts were only set out for 24 players. To our surprise more than that arrived and this ended up with one follow on game.

It was good to see our newest member Geoff Coles playing his first game of Aussie croquet. He ended up with two wins after being coached before the start by our best player, Bruce Field. There were only two winners of three games, Harley Stewart and John Cole. Well done Kath Broderick for her first win for some time after she played very well.

By Anne and Harley Stewart

When you’re having a bad day, what do you do to make yourself feel better?

February 14, 2019 by Maggi Barnard

Jacinta Morton (right): To make myself feel better I might do a bit of shopping or book myself in for some pampering at the beautician.

Craig Dwyer: I ring my partner, Sarelle and she brings coffee, so coffee definitely makes me feel better. Unless it’s on the weekend, then it might not be coffee!

Terry Sharpe: I’d probably go home and complain to my wife and then have a few beers.

Helping Flood-Ravaged Queensland

February 14, 2019 by Maggi Barnard

Mopping up Queensland has begun, and flood-ravaged communities have been warned of heartache to come during their journey to recovery.

The State Government has kicked off a flood appeal with a donation of $200,000, as well as providing information on how you can support the families and organisations affected by the flood.

Services include: the Australian Red Cross Society, The Salvation Army, St Vincent de Paul’s North Queensland Flood Appeal and My Cause’s North Queensland Disaster Appeal have been listed as the predominant charities raising funds to assist the regions affected.

GIVIT, a national not-for-profit, offers a platform for individuals to list exactly what goods they need during the recovery phase of the flood. As the only reliable source of what is needed when it’s needed, the organisation’s program is the most responsive during this period. Items including uniform polo shirts for deployed volunteer teams, fridges, food, and beds have been listed by those who have lost everything in the deluge.

GIVIT also accepts monetary donations where the funds are spent on urgently needed items purchased from businesses in the disaster-affected area to assist in the recovery of the local economy.

Celebrating Ten Years’ Labour Of Love

February 14, 2019 by Maggi Barnard

The staff at CatholicCare Wilcannia-Forbes on Tuesday celebrated a milestone of 10 years service for the Deputy CEO, Kate Gibson.

During the celebrations, Kate was acknowledged for her hard work and enthusiastic commitment to the service which covers 40,000sq kilometres (52 percent of NSW).

CEO, Anne-Marie Mioche congratulated her on passionately fulfilling her executive role to help drive the organisation, which has delivered services to more than 4,000 people living in the Wilcannia-Forbes Diocese.

“The team at CatholicCare Wilcannia- Forbes is a constant source of inspiration to me and Kate is absolutely no exception.

We have a wonderful culture of passion, dedication and commitment and that is only possible because of this fantastic team we have,” said Anne-Marie.

“Unfortunately, there is a growing increase for crisis and support, as many families have been turning to us because they are affected by hardship and trauma.

“We have seen particular spikes in need for our safe houses and refuges as well as a demand for the Family Mental Health Support Services. The drought has also put severe pressure on many of our communities,” said Anne-Marie.

“CatholicCare Wilcannia is well placed to deliver vital frontline services and assistance as we are already working with individuals and communities to address unemployment, access to health services, homelessness, environmental extremes, entrenched poverty and intergenerational disadvantage,” added Anne-Marie.

Last year the CatholicCare Wilcannia- Forbes team travelled 737,363 kilometres to deliver services. They deliver social and welfare services to improve well being and improve opportunities for individuals, families and communities.

CatholicCare Wilcannia-Forbes delivers social services to develop and create social inclusion, targeting at risk and vulnerable sectors.

SNIPPETS…

February 14, 2019 by Maggi Barnard

Raising Issues With The Pollies: It is an ideal time to remind politicians when they come to visit of the things the community would like to see in their town. Some of the issues discussed last week during Phil Donato’s visit were 24 hour policing, Early Childhood Education subsidies, improvements with LEP (Local Environment Plan) timeframes and regional doctors’ shortages.

Bedgerabong Picnic Races Competition Winner: Congratulations to Ryan Carnie who was our winner of a double pass to the Bedgerabong Picnic Races.

Sharing the road with horse riders: Horse riders and horse drawn vehicles also have rights to share our roads. Watch out for ridden, driven or led horses. When you come across horse traffic remember: Horses can be unpredictable, so slow down and give them plenty of room. Never sound your horn, rev your engine or pass a horse at high speed. Slow down or stop if a rider is having difficulty with a horse.

Further Boost To Small Businesses: About 18,000 small businesses in the Riverina and Central West are set to benefit from taxation reforms to boost the national economy. The instant asset write-off threshold has been increased from $20,000 to $25,000, effective immediately. The popular tax write-off has also been extended for another year beyond its existing June 2019 end date, giving small businesses with an annual turnover of less than $10 million the opportunity to access the new $25,000 incentive from now until 30th June 2020.

Come and try an instrument: Would you like to try to learn a musical instrument? ‘Come and try’ days will be conducted during Term 1 at the Forbes Town Band Hall at 165 Rankin Street (opposite Bernardi’s). Learn to play flute, clarinet, trumpet, saxophone, trombone, tuba, xylophone or drums. The ‘Come and try’ date is on 18th February from 6pm to 7pm.

Meaghers Lane Upgrade: You may have noticed work going on down Meaghers Lane this week. This is all part of the CBD upgrades. In this stage 1, the water main is being replaced and minimal access is available for traffic or pedestrians during this time. Works will take place between the hours of 7:30am to 5pm Monday to Saturday.

This stage is due for completion by 9th March. Stage 2 will see the lane paved to tie in with the CBD upgrades.

NSW Seniors Festival

February 14, 2019 by Maggi Barnard

Putting Our Seniors First

The 2019 NSW Seniors Festival started on Wednesday and runs until Sunday, 24th February.

The NSW Seniors Festival is the largest festival for seniors in the Southern Hemisphere, reaching up to 500,000 seniors each year.

If you are over 60 years of age, the NSW Seniors Festival gives you the chance to make new friends or get together with old ones at an array of local community events, many which are free or heavily discounted.

Presented by the Department of Family and Community Services (FACS), the NSW Seniors Festival is designed to celebrate the role seniors play and the contributions they make to the NSW community, aligning to the policy objective of inclusive communities.

Every year during the NSW Seniors Festival, government, community and commercial organisations hold hundreds of events across the state, encompassing art, sport, music, entertainment, technology, recreation, health, good nutrition and much more! Who is NSW Seniors Festival for?

• people over 60 years of age

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders over the age of 50

• people over 50 years of age that have a lifelong disability Each year, FACS directly supports around 800,000 people, reaching a further one million people through local community-based programs, and provides over a million Seniors Cards.

Cutting Edge Technology In Eye Care

Parkes Eyecare Plus has invested in the gold standard of eye health testing that is available today – Optical Coherence Tomography or OCT.

OCT uses optical ultrasound to look at the deeper layers of the eye underneath the surface of the retina. This enables optometrists to detect many eye diseases much earlier than with standard retinal photography.

This cutting edge technology allows more accurate identification and treatment of eye disease and conditions including Macular degeneration, Glaucoma, Diabetic eye disease and Optic nerve damage.

As these conditions can cause vision impairment and even blindness, early detection and management can help to safeguard your vision into the future.

If you are over 40, or have a family history of glaucoma or macular degeneration, an OCT scan is essential in providing the best eye care possible.

Steady Play Ensures Golf Comp Win

February 14, 2019 by Maggi Barnard

The Saturday Men’s comp two weeks ago was an Individual Stableford sponsored by the Tuesday Golfers, and contested by a smaller field of 45 players.

The A-Division was won by Dave Mylecharane with 39 points, compiled through steady play. Runner-up was Paul Kay with 38 points, resulting from even halves of 19 points each. The B-Division saw Steve Grallelis win with 39 points, ahead of runner-up Craig Barrett on 36 points.

The ball sweep went to 36 points: 39 – D Mylecharane, S Grallelis; 38 – P Kay; 37 – B Parker, R Nixon, L O’Connor, M Wood; 36 – J Zannes, G Webb, C Barrett, N Mc- Millan. The NTP’s went to: 9th – Mat Duff; 18th – Doug Churchill.

Most scoring was on or below average with only seven scores better than par. Putting was a problem for many, exemplified by Brian Everest’s four missed 2-foot putts.

Players either missed the fairways like Ecky Dawson, spent time in the trees like Kim Herbert, or lost concentration leading to hitting the wrong ball like Craig Barrett.

Both Neil McMillan and Mike Wood lost valuable equipment, their thongs, but thankfully these were found.

The Sunday Stableford Medley was very quiet. Neil McMillan did well to win the day with 36 points. Runner-up was Ken Sanderson further back on 33 points.

There was no ball sweep. The NTP’s went to: 9th – Ray Taylor; 18th – nil, as no one hit the green.

The Stableford Medley on Monday saw A Alley win with 38 points, ahead of D Mylecharane on 36 pts. The balls weep went to: L O’Connor, S Sallaway. There were no NTP’s.

Head Pro, Ben reminds all players to keep hydrated in the hot weather. Take plenty of drink with you, aiming to drink three litres per 9-holes.

By Short Putt

And The BOSCAR Goes To…

February 14, 2019 by Maggi Barnard

The BOSCARS Forbes Business Awards gala dinner once again shone light on some of our best local businesses and their employees.

The dinner was held last Friday evening at the Forbes Services Memorial Club and with its charismatic theme a ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream’ attendees arrived in their best attire.

The BOSCARS are the premier business recognition event in Forbes and is presented by the Forbes Business Chamber. The awards celebrate businesses in the Forbes region and publicly promote and reward business excellence.

The category winners were:

• Excellence in Business (20 or more employees): Powertools Plus

• Excellence in Social Enterprise: Kate Ralph of Elevate Dance Studio

• Excellence in Small Business (under 20 employees): Flannery’s Pharmacy

• Excellence in Innovation: Life Pharmacy

• Employer of Choice: Flannery’s Pharmacy

• Apprentice or Trainee of the Year: Jessica Byrnes of HE Silos

• Business Leader of the Year: Debbie Prior of Flannery’s Pharmacy

• Employee of the Year: Michelle Grace of Flannery’s Pharmacy

• Young Entrepreneur (Age 18-35): Kristen Woods of Kristen’s Dance Studio

• Start Up Superstar: Made of Fridays

• People’s Choice Tradie of the Year: Anita Wesley of Forbes Vet Clinic

• People’s Choice Most Popular Business: Sweet Three Vintage Van

The BOSCARS Business of the Year is awarded to the most outstanding business which has demonstrated excellence across all areas of operation. The winner is selected from the winners of all categories. This year, Flannery’s Pharmacy was named Business of the Year.

Our Gal -Gayle Williams

February 7, 2019 by Maggi Barnard

How long have you lived in Forbes and what do you like about living here? I moved to Forbes 37 years ago. I like the friendly locals and attractive country town atmosphere.

Where do you work and what do you enjoy about your work? I work at Red Bend College and enjoy the great staff and variety that the job brings.

What do you do to unwind after work or on weekends? To unwind I enjoy reading, travelling, playing badminton and volunteering with the local Lions Club.

What are you really good at? I’m really good at reorganising things.

If you could have a super power, what would it be? Teleporting, to avoid long haul flights.

What is your pet hate? Rude people.

Tell us about your best holiday ever. A fly/drive holiday through Ireland and Scotland, where we got off the tourist track and into the countryside.

MAYORAL NOTES

February 7, 2019 by Maggi Barnard

We are all back into the swing of things this week with many committee meetings taking place. The Councillors are very refreshed and keen to go.

It is so exciting to see the picket fence going up around Grinstead Oval. The farmers are doing a mighty job and have worked tirelessly through this disgusting hot weather.

Lucky we all love Forbes or there would be a mass exit to the coast! Seriously, I would like to thank the workers we have through our Drought Farm Trade Initiative. You are making a big difference in helping Council deliver our Capital Works Program.

This week we met with local real estate agents to get a feel for the state of play in our area. As many of you would be aware, Council has two areas for residential development, Edward Street and the old Vintage Village site. Master plans for both sites are underway and we will continue to liaise with the agents for the best results.

Stay cool everyone, I will have more for you next week.

God Bless.

Your Mayor, Phyllis Miller

Parkes Phoenix Editor

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