Parkes Phoenix Editor

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

NSW Waratahs Camp Attracts

July 26, 2018 by Maggi Barnard

The NSW Waratahs held a school holiday camp in Forbes last Wednesday. The camp saw 130 children from the Central West, participate in skills and drills run by NSW Waratahs staff and Wallaroos forwards coach, Matt Tink. Wallaroos and Australian 7’s player, Mahalia Murphy was also in attendance on the day. The school holiday camp was aimed at boys aged 6 to 13 years old and girls aged 6 to 18 years old.

The day saw players involved in developing their skills in catching and passing as well as tackling and contesting the ruck.

The players broke into their age groups to practice these skills before playing games to further develop these skills.

NSW Waratahs Central West Development Officer, Jarrod Simpson indicated that he was overwhelmed with the response from Forbes.

“It’s been an amazing response. To get close to 130 players is fantastic! To have Mahalia and Matt attend and run a camp, specifically for the 20 girls who attended, was exceptional. Forbes is a great rugby town and has proven it again today. The support we have received from the Forbes Club is really appreciated by the NSW Waratahs,” said Jarrod.

Representative Netball

July 26, 2018 by Maggi Barnard

The Forbes Netball Association (FNA) 12 years representative team competed in the Netball NSW State Age Championships during the school holidays.

The team consisted of Isla Worland, Tanesha Riddle, Andie Hodder, Katie Crouch, Ella White, Ebonnie Hopley, Ava Hui, Kate Stephenson, Bella Walker and Coco Gracie, along with Felicity Worland(Manager), Juliet Hodder (Primary Carer) and a wonderful group of supportive parents.

We started our State Age games with a loss of 10 points to the eventual winners, Nambucca Valley. The girls came off the court knowing that although they had lost the game, they had played well – which set the tone for the whole competition. Day one finished with one win and a draw from five games.

Day two we played six games with having one point difference in every game (four losses and one win, except for the draw) having been down to seven players from the second last game, showing just how competitive we were.

Day three and we started off with a win and a loss, before we found ourselves down to six players due to mounting injuries. The remaining players went into overdrive and managed to come away with two wins from their last three games at State Age, earning the admiration of opposing teams and umpires.

It was an honour to coach such an outstanding group of young ladies.

By Lyn Ford

Heavy Vehicle Route Complete

July 26, 2018 by Maggi Barnard

A road upgrade to create a major heavy vehicle route linking the Newell Highway to busy grain handling facilities at Wirrinya is now complete. Local Nationals’ MP and Deputy Prime Minister, Michael McCormack said the Federal Government provided $800,000 to the project under Round 5 of the Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Program (HVSPP).

“The Newell Highway is a critical freight artery for the Riverina and Central West, as well as one of Australia’s busiest highways,” said Michael.

NSW Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight, Melinda Pavey said the upgrade was part of the NSW Government’s commitment to improving regional freight links through the Restart NSW Fixing Country Roads program. “The $4.4 million Newell Highway to Wirrinya Heavy Vehicle Route Upgrade was awarded $2.8 million under Restart NSW Fixing Country Roads, including $1.8 million to Forbes Shire Council and $1 million to Weddin Shire Council.”

Parliamentary Secretary for Western NSW, Rick Colless said a 12.6 kilometre section of the road was widened, had its culverts strengthened, intersections realigned and rail crossings improved to allow access for an increased number of heavy vehicles.

Question of the week -What was the last good movie you watched?

July 19, 2018 by Maggi Barnard

Toby Jarick: Star Wars. I liked it because I’m a big Star Wars fan.

Codie Smith: The Heat. I like a bit of comedy.

Lisa Jarick: Hacksaw Ridge. It’s a war film based on a true story and I found it very inspiring.

Foursomes Championships Decided

July 19, 2018 by Maggi Barnard

The Foursomes are a championship event played over two days, and for which the sponsorship by S&S Welsh Transport is greatly appreciated.

The overall results were: • 36-hole Scratch winners: D Bayley/ P Dawson 153

• 36-hole Scratch runners-up: A Dukes/ S Sallaway 159

• 36-hole Handicap winners: B Thomas/ A Tucker 140

• 36-hole runners-up: D Bayley/ P Dawson 147

The day-1 Scratch leaders were Andrew Dukes and Shane Sallaway with a score of 76, ahead of Steve Betland and Mark Collits on 77. However, both pairings had poor scores on day-2, while the Bayley/Dawson pairing surged forward with a 75, three shots better than their day-1 score.

The day-1 Handicap leaders were Dukes/ Sallaway (70.5) but their day-2 score pushed them back. Brett Thomas and Ash Tucker followed their day-1 score of 71.5 with a very good 68.5 to leap-frog into the winner’s jackets.

The day-1 ball sweep went to 75 net on count back, going to: 70.5 – Dukes/ Sallaway; 71.5 – Thomas/Tucker; 73.5 – Churchill/A Borger; 74 – R Nixon/N Duncan and 75 – Bayley/Dawson, N McMillan/B Carpenter, S Betland/Collits. The NTP’s went to: 9th – B Carpenter; 18th – S Sallaway.

The day-2 ball sweep went to 74 nett, going to: 68.5 – Thomas/Tucker; 72 – Bayley/ Dawson and 74 – R Nixon/N Duncan. The NTP’s went to: 9th – W Judge; 18th – J Betland.

The best exhibition of wonderful play goes to Niel Duncan and Richard Nixon on day-2. Their driving was not as good as before but it was around the greens that they excelled. Between them, they chipped in four times – on the 3rd, 4th, 10th and 15th – for pars and only needed 21 putts on the other 14 holes.

On Sunday there was a Stableford Medley played by a very small crowd who wanted a normal game. Dave Clarke won the day with 35 points, ahead of Ian Bown on 30. There was no ball sweep and no NTP’s as everyone missed the green.

The junior clinics are still being run on Tuesday afternoon, commencing at 4:30pm. Contact Simon in the Pro Shop on 6851 1554 for details.

By Short Putt

Tightening Up Child Safety

July 19, 2018 by Maggi Barnard

The free Child Restraint Checking Day earlier this month, a service provided by Forbes Shire Council, discovered that 86 percent of the child restraints checked were fitted incorrectly.

The service provided free child restraint inspections at Forbes Pre School Kindergarten by local RMS authorised child restraint fitters, Jelbart Dawson and Forbes Auto Electrical Service.

Fifteen child restraints were brought in by parents and grandparents for checking, two child restraints were installed and one was turned around.

Forbes Shire Council’s Road Safety and Injury Prevention Officer, Melanie Suitor said the annual Child Restraint Checking Day event continues to be extremely popular.

“This year we were trialling a new format by going to where the children are to offer the free checks. We held a parents/carers session, followed by an open session. It was very successful! There were a large number of bookings but equally as many people who dropped in for the free check or asked about having their child restraints checked whilst dropping off their children.

We will be offering the service at other childcare centres in the coming years.”

“Most of the child restraints that were checked had minor problems that needed fixing to ensure the safety of the child. The most common mistakes were that the seatbelt needed tightening, a gated buckle was needed, the seatbelt was twisted or wasn’t used correctly with the child restraint, the shoulder straps needed adjustment and there wasn’t a large enough gap between the back of the front seat and the child restraint,” said Melanie.

National child restraints laws have been in effect in NSW since 2010. Children are required to be seated in an approved child restraint, appropriate for their size until they are seven years of age.

Prevent Poisoning At Home

July 19, 2018 by Maggi Barnard

It is important to be vigilant with children and adults alike around potential household hazards. The numbers are worrying.

Around 180,000 calls are made to Poisons Information Centres in Australia each year and around half of those incidents involve children who’ve come into contact with poisonous, or potentially toxic, substances.

From detergents and toilet cleaners to hand sanitisers and pool chemicals – many everyday household products are a hazard, particularly for younger children.

A recent report from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) found almost 2,500 children are admitted to hospital each year following poisonings.

“The most serious incidents relate to carbon monoxide exposure, button batteries, caustic cleaners such as oven and BBQ cleaners, acids, pool chemicals, household bleaches and herbicides,” says Delia Rickard, ACCC Deputy Chair. “Children under five are most at risk of accidental poisoning, with the risk highest for two-year-olds.”

The ACCC report says injuries from poisons range from skin irritations and eye damage through to severe internal burns.

How to keep your home safe from poisons:

• Store cleaning products in a secure cabinet that children can’t reach.

• Check the kitchen, laundry, bathroom, toilet, garage and garden shed for potential poisons and stow them away securely.

• Keep household chemicals in their original containers – don’t transfer them to used soft drink bottles. Young children could easily mistake poison for pop!

• Read the safety instructions on product labels and follow use and storage directions.

• Always close containers properly so any child resistant features work correctly.

Written by Sarah Marinos

Our Bloke -Jack Loomes

July 19, 2018 by Maggi Barnard

How long have you lived in Forbes and what do you like about living here? I’ve been living in Forbes my whole life. I like living here because the people are easy to get on with and polite.

Where do you work and what do you enjoy about your work? I work at Loomzy’s Fish ‘N’ Fix. I enjoy seeing different people that come in to say g’day.

What do you do to unwind after work or on weekends? I watch telly, fish and hang out with my mates.

What are you really good at? I play badminton… I’m pretty good at that.

If you could have a super power, what would it be? If I could have a super power, I’d choose super speed.

What is your pet hate? My pet hate is people who chew with their mouth open.

Tell us about your best holiday ever. My best holiday… I don’t go on holiday!

Croquet News And Results

July 19, 2018 by Maggi Barnard

Golf Croquet 10th July

A big roll up on Tuesday, 10th July and after a very cold start to the day the game was enjoyed by all. Three wins on the day were recorded by John Allegri, Dorothea Croker, Joan Littlejohn, Evelyn Mahlo, Kevin Rubie and Tony Thomson.

A meeting was held after the game and resignations were received from our Publicity Officer and Treasurer because of ill health. Newly elected into those positions were Harley and Anne Stewart as joint Publicity Officers and Treasurer elect was Elvy Quirk.

A big thank you to Harley and Anne for their efforts over many months filling in whilst our Publicity Officer, Veva has not been well.

On Tuesday, 10th July we held our monthly birthday luncheon and all enjoyed a beautiful meal at the Vandenberg Hotel. Libby Smart was our birthday girl for the month and all wished her a very happy birthday.

Visitors for the game of croquet on Tuesday were Catriona, Emily and Olivia Hunt.

Aussie Croquet 14th July

A very cold start to the day on Saturday with minus five recorded, however the fog soon lifted and left us with a beautiful sunny morning.

Three winners for the day were recorded by John H Browne, John Cole, Elizabeth Mclean and Jill Rubie.

On Saturday we made welcome David, Sally, Ben, Hugh and Angus Parsons together with Campbell Rubie. All played a great game and it was lovely to have them join us.

Croquet is played by all ages and should you like to join us in a game of croquet we play on Tuesday and Saturday each week and all are made very welcome.

By Elvy Quirk

SNIPPETS

July 19, 2018 by Maggi Barnard

And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda: Three local music groups combined their musical talents last Wednesday for an unusual performance of Waltzing Matilda.

Members of the Lachlan Regional Orchestra, Parkes Shire Concert Band and Forbes Town and District Band met at the AOG hall to put together a recording of the legendary song which will contribute towards a final video performance on the big screen at Federation Square in Melbourne on 12th September. This final performance will be a compilation of recordings from individuals, schools and community groups from around Australia, all playing Waltzing Matilda.

The idea is a new online initiative of the Australian Music Examination Board to create the AMEB Online Orchestra. The recording process was a lot of fun, and a rare chance to put together a really diverse range of instruments (and musicians) for a common cause. Members of the three groups are all keen to find other opportunities to combine together again soon.

Forbes Ladies Probus: Forbes Ladies Club meets every fourth Friday of the month at the Forbes Services Club at 10am. The next meeting will be held on 27th July. Come join us for friendship and fellowship.

Meet new people and make new friends. For those wishing to attend the birthday luncheon in August, the amount of $25.00 is due and payable at the July meeting.

Memberships are also due and if not a financial member you will not be covered by insurance. Take care and stay warm.

Foodbank appeals to Forbes Shire residents: With 15 percent of the population experiencing food insecurity at some point every year, Foodbank and Woolworths are appealing to Forbes Shire residents to support its national public appeal and help meet the rise in need for food assistance over the winter period. The 2018 Foodbank Rumbling Tummies report found that more than one in five children in Australia have experienced food insecurity in the last 12 months, with 652,000 Australians seeking food relief via Foodbank each month. Over 1.3 million meals were provided per month to NSW residents, unfortunately however, many are still going without. From 11th July to 24th July, Woolworths customers in Forbes Shire can add a $2 Foodbank token donation to their shop, with 100 percent of funds raised going to Foodbank to deliver more food and groceries at a time of year when families most desperately need it.

The Waratahs Rugby Clinic was attended by 130 rugby players on Wednesday morning in Forbes.

Parkes Phoenix Editor

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