Draw number five took place last week. Supervised by the lovely staff of Cahills Shoes, a winning ticket came out of the big bin, revealing Harry Gault as the winner of a $500 Why Leave Town Card. There are only two more draws before the major draws take place on Thursday, 24 December 2020.

“We are delighted with the Christmas window decorations, thanks to all of the entrants for this years’ competition,” said Forbes Business Chamber President, Marg Duggan. Voting for the Viewers Choice is underway with everyone in the community being urged to vote using the Forbes Business Chamber Facebook page.

“I would like to thank Matt Hunter and Jay-Lee from Hunter Real Estate in Parkes for their support in allowing us to use empty shops for displays. The displays have certainly been the focus of favourable comments from the public,” said Marg.

Next week the Forbes Business Chamber and Forbes Shire Council will partner to add another exciting activity to the Christmas program, Find The Elf In The Shop, which will encourage children, youth and adults to wander through the CBD and seek out an Elf that is hidden. Forbes Council has provided three $100 Why Leave Town cards for the winners. “This treasure hunt is taking place from 14 to 21 December, the community has to identify 20 stores with an Elf in their front window or in a prominent position that is visible during and after hours,” said Marg.

Clues will be printed on the back of the entry form. When the Elf is found, the details of his whereabouts are to be completed on the entry form. Entry forms can be collected from News On Rankin, Undercover Sleepwear, and Allure on Main from 14 December. Completed forms can be handed into Made Of Fridays by 21 December.

Learner driver Jordan Moody will keep our roads safe with the right advice from supervisors and parents.

Forbes, Parkes, and Lachlan Shire Councils will be hosting another online workshop for parents and other supervisors of local learner drivers, full of practical advice and information about completing the 120 hours of supervised driving.

The free Helping Learner Drivers Become Safer Drivers workshop is scheduled for Thursday, 10 December from 6pm.

Forbes, Parkes, and Lachlan Shire Council’s Road Safety and Injury Prevention Officer, Melanie Suitor, said while the usual face to face workshops weren’t possible due to the current COVID-19 restrictions, the online delivery will hopefully make it more easily accessible for participants to attend.

“We held two of these online workshops back in August and had a great response from across the region. Parents and supervisors of learner drivers have a crucial role to play in making our roads safer. That is why we have teamed up with Transport for NSW and the Councils across the Western Region to hold another one of these workshops via Zoom,” Melanie said.

Participants can attend from the safety and comfort of their own home. The estimated run time is around one hour and 15 minutes.

The workshop covers the licencing system, how to use the Learner Driver Log-book, including the use of digital logbooks, licence conditions for learner and P-plate drivers, the benefits of on-road driving sessions, tips on supervising a learner driver, and much more.

“Parents and supervisors who have attended this workshop in the past have found that it boosted their confidence, helped them better plan driving sessions and allowed them to share their experiences with other parents and supervisors,” Melanie said.

Bookings are essential and can be made online via Eventbrite, through the Councils’ Facebook pages or by calling Melanie Suitor on 02 6861 2364.