Parkes Phoenix Editor

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

Girls Day Out Event Set To Entertain

June 14, 2018 by Maggi Barnard

The Forbes Business Chamber is looking forward to bringing renowned author Nicole Alexander to Forbes for their Girls Day Out event and they are offering a few options for you to enjoy the experience.

For a fun filled cocktail evening join Nicole Alexander, the Forbes Business Chamber Executive Committee and members of the Forbes Art Society at the Platypus Gallery on Thursday, 21st June from 6pm to 8pm. Nicole spent a number of years working in Australia and abroad in divergent fields before returning to agriculture. Her writing has been published in various countries and she is the bestselling author of eight novels.

During the cocktail party, Nicole will mingle with guests and do a short presentation about her life, writing and her awards.

All guests will receive drinks, grazing table and the opportunity to speak with Nicole during the evening. Tickets are limited to just 40 guests and available from Little Extras, ChapterTwo and Undercover Sleepwear at $45 per person.

The exciting Forbes Shopping Frenzy will coincide with the Nicole Alexander visit to Forbes. Participating businesses throughout Rankin, Templar, Lachlan Streets and Parkes Road will be offering a variety of specials, discounts and quirky rewards on Friday, 22nd June from 9am to 12pm. Look out for the pink balloons, streamers and posters displayed in windows.

Be sure to make your way to News On Rankin for a book signing opportunity with Nicole between 9.30am to 11.30am, free of charge. Following will be the ‘Lunch with an Uncommon Woman’ where Nicole will present her story. The luncheon will be held at the Forbes Golf Club at 12pm and catered by Eat Your Greens. Cost is $75 per person, tickets available at Little Extras, ChapterTwo and Undercover Sleepwear.

Centenarian Winifred Brown

June 14, 2018 by Maggi Barnard

For Winifred Brown, last Sunday afternoon was filled with balloons, flowers and cake in celebration of her 100th birthday.

Win, as she’s affectionately known, saw her milestone 100th birthday on the 6th June. She was honoured by family and friends through a ‘Thanksgiving Celebration’ held on Sunday at the Jemalong Residential Village (JRV) where she resides.

Approximately 120 family members came from far and wide to attend the special occasion.

Win was born in Manildra on 6th June 1918. She was the second of six children born to Frances and Roy Doust who lived at Burdett near Canowindra.

Her education commenced at Burdett Public School, a one teacher one room school of 20 to 30 pupils in 1923.The family moved to a farm at Garema in 1928 where Win’s schooling continued. She was awarded a bursary at the end of primary school and was able to board at the Forbes St John’s hostel and attended Forbes High School.

Following high school, Win started working as a governess on a property near Bedgerabong supervising correspondence lessons. It was during this time in 1935 that she met a young farmer from a neighbouring property. Following a friendship and courtship that lasted nearly 10 years, Win Doust and Edgar Brown announced their engagement and were married at the Forbes Methodist Church on 4th July 1945.

They made their home in a very roughly built cottage on the property “Glamis” and had no electricity or refrigeration. Recalling one of the many memories, was when trying to keep their butter from melting, they decided that the coolest place would be down a well. The butter was put in a hessian sugar bag and lowered down the well.

What they didn’t realize was at midday the sun shone directly down the well and the butter melted anyway.

The couple started their family and three sons were born by 1950. In 1959 their daughter arrived. Win was a devoted wife and mother. Edgar only had one hand so she was called on to help him in many ways.

From very early years, her Christian faith and a love for God influenced her life. She faithfully taught Sunday school for many years and regularly attended church services at Bedgerabong and Forbes.

Win was also involved in many community organisations including school P&C associations, CWA and Meals on Wheels, holding executive positions in these organisations.

In addition to four children, Win has 11 grandchildren and 21 great grandchildren.

She was married for 43 years until Edgar died in 1988 and has been on her own since.

MAYORAL NOTES

June 14, 2018 by Maggi Barnard

Hearty congratulations to Youth Rider of the Year, Tom Drane, who did so well in all three classes of the American Motorcycle Association Flat Track Grand Nationals held at Springfield, Illinois last week. It was an outstanding effort to compete so well overseas.

Forbes is honoured to have two dedicated community members recognised on the Queen’s Birthday Honours List, namely Barry Shine and Dr Untung Laksito. It is a great honour and wonderful to see people who work so hard for our community being recognised.

On Wednesday, I attended a lovely event at Carrawobity Homestead to acknowledge John Smith, Murray White and John McCallum for all their work for the heated pool here in Forbes. Congratulations and thank you, it was lovely to be involved.

The General Manager and I will be attending the National General Assembly of Local Government at the National Convention Centre in Canberra. This is the main annual event for 800 mayors and councillors to engage directly with the Federal Government.

The Forbes Business Chamber is hosting a range of exciting events next week, a cocktail party, shopping frenzy and lunch. It sounds like a wonderful line-up of events.

Make sure you go along to enjoy them.

Also please note, plans for extensions for the Livestock Selling Exchange will be on display at the site next week and we are looking forward to plenty of feedback and comments to make sure we are continuing as the state of the art leading selling centre.

Legal Eagle -Neighbourly Objections

June 14, 2018 by Maggi Barnard

Most local councils have a policy of notifying neighbours of any proposed development to an adjacent property. All councils are required to have the proposed developer affix a notice at the street frontage of the property notifying the public of the proposed development.

Such developments can range from demolition and new construction to the building of a pool or a garden sunroom. It’s quite frequently a difficult time for neighbours.

You may think that you get on very well with your neighbours in chatting over the fence or having a cup of tea or a beer every now and then. But wave a development notice in the wind and things can change dramatically.

If you are thinking of a major renovation or extension, which will require council approval (and even redecoration that most of us do at some stage), have a chat with your neighbours. Listen to their concerns about any impact on their property. The great probability is, if their concerns are well-founded, that minor concessions by you will resolve the issue. Most problems are loss of view, overshadowing, or loss of privacy.

Land is an expensive commodity. Houses are the same. People are justified in protecting what they have earned. You don’t want hostile neighbours. Stick to council guidelines and recommendations. It usually leads to a development approval.

If we at Matthews Williams can assist you on this or any other legal matter, feel free to phone me or one of our solicitors or call into our office for an appointment.

By Mark Olson

Keep Well This Winter

June 14, 2018 by Maggi Barnard

The head cold, also known as the common cold, is usually a mild illness but it can impact your daily life. In addition to sneezes, sniffles, coughs and a sore throat, a head cold can leave you feeling tired, rundown, and generally unwell for several days.

Sarah Hazell, Pharmacist at Flannery’s Pharmacy shared some self help tips to relieve the symptoms of the common cold.

“It’s important to get plenty of rest, drink lots of water, keep warm and eat a healthy diet with plenty of fruit and veggies,” said Sarah.

“It’s also vital to avoid cigarette smoke as this will exacerbate the symptoms,” said Sarah.

Many people benefit from boosting their immunity to prevent the common cold.

“Taking immune booster products can help with general immunity and can also help reduce the severity and length of colds,” said Sarah.

Colds and flu can make other conditions worse, such as asthma or diabetes. You should see your doctor if you:

• Have symptoms lasting longer than 10 days;

• Can’t or won’t drink fluids;

• Vomit frequently;

• Experience intense headache;

• Experience chest pain;

• Have breathing difficulties and

• Have a rash with a fever

There is a large range of over the counter medications which can help relieve the symptoms of the common cold including throat lozenges, gargles and sprays for sore throats, cough mixtures/tablets to alleviate dry or chesty coughs and medications to help with blocked or runny noses and headaches. “It’s best to visit the Pharmacy to discuss your symptoms and seek professional information and advice,” said Sarah.

Forbes Under 17’s Representative News

June 14, 2018 by Maggi Barnard

The Forbes under 17’s representative team came home after a huge long weekend in Gosford where they competed in the NSW Netball 2018 State Championship 17/U Division 3.

The Gosford Netball Association marked the 50th hosting of the iconic championships and 96 teams from 71 associations travelled from all over NSW to participate on the Central Coast.

Held over the June long weekend annually, the NSW Netball State Championships is three days of competition bringing together elite netballers from across the state.

This year’s championship didn’t always offer agreeable weather, with one round being postponed on day two due to heavy rain and dangerous playing conditions.

Nevertheless, the Forbes team strived forward and achieved incredible results. The girls played 20 games over three days and placed 8th out of 21 on the ladder, a result which they are very pleased with.

All games were played skilfully and fought to the end, with losses being close and within only a few points of the other top teams. In total, 11 games were won and one drew.

The team’s representation both on and off the court was impeccable, with positive comments from umpires on the girls’ sportsmanship and attitude.

There was great support with many travelling to cheer the girls on from the sidelines.

Our Gal-Linda van Coller

June 14, 2018 by Maggi Barnard

How long have you lived in Forbes and what do you like about living here? I have been living in Forbes for the last four years. Forbes is such a lovely community country town. The locals made us feel welcome from day one.

Where do you work and what do you enjoy about your work? I have been working at the Forbes Family Dentists for the last eight months. What I enjoy the most is meeting new people every day and working with such an awesome group of co-workers. I am also super excited about having joined the Phoenix team as of June.

What do you do to unwind after work or on weekends? Weekends are normally jam-packed with my kids’ sports but after all that we love spending quality family time together.

What are you really good at? I am good at finding things to keep myself challenged! If your dreams aren’t scaring you, they are not big enough!

If you could have a super power, what would it be? Knowing what will happen in the future and saving the world.

What is your pet hate? Laziness.

Tell us about your best holiday ever. It must be our Perisher ski holidays.

SNIPPETS…

June 14, 2018 by Maggi Barnard

Flying the flag for Forbes… Well Done to Melissa West from Forbes on winning the Millinery category of the Fashions on the Field at the 2018 Parkes Picnic Races on Saturday.

Country of Origin Labelling: Minister for Agriculture, David Littleproud has reminded companies and consumers that country of origin labelling is just days away. From 1st July, products on supermarket shelves will be legally required to display country of origin information. “Aussie customers will be able to choose Australian and vote with their wallets. Companies which source their products from Australia will be able to display it loud and proud and reap the rewards. Aussies will very soon have the chance to choose clean, green Aussie produce. It’s no surprise Aussies prefer Australian farm produce – we produce the cleanest and most ethical food in the world. Country of origin labelling shouldn’t stop at the supermarket. Aussies should get the chance to support Aussie farmers in other marketplaces too. This is why I convened a meeting with fast food companies recently, in which they agreed to display country of origin information on their websites and apps,” said David.

Recycle For Sight 2018: The Forbes and District Lions Club will be running their Recycle For Sight program during the month of June. This program collects used eyeglasses and sunglasses which are then forwarded to a recycling centre in Brisbane for cleaning and grading. If you have some unused glasses around the home consider donating them. More than 150 million people in the world suffer from blurred vision due to near or far sightedness which affects their ability to learn and find employment. Glasses collected in Australia and Japan are shipped to six recycling centres in Australia some of which employ people from local correctional facilities thereby teaching them skills which they can use after leaving prison. If you have unused glasses in good condition, these may be dropped into the collection boxes at the following locations, Phillip Wells Pro Vision Optometrist or Eyewear specs in Forbes.

Farming Community – we need you: Forbes Shire Council is keen to gather feedback from the farming community on what we have to plan for in our shire for the agricultural industry. Come along on Wednesday, 20th June to Bedgerebong Community Hall at 7:30am or Thursday, 21st June to Garema Public Hall at 7:30am for a free bacon and egg roll and let us know your ideas! Bookings to community@forbes.nsw.gov.au.

Member for Orange, Philip Donato met with 100-year-old Winifred Brown on Wednesday and presented her with flowers and a congratulatory certificate. They were joined by her two sons Scott Brown (back) and Graham Brown (right). Philip said that it was very humbling to meet Winifred. “What amazing changes she has seen in her lifetime and what a wonderful contribution she has made to her community and family inspired by her deep faith,” he said.

Funding Announcement Welcome

June 14, 2018 by Maggi Barnard

Grazing Down the Lachlan’ has been successful in securing $20,000 funding under round two of the NSW’s 2018 Incubator Event Fund.

Mayor of Forbes, Graeme Miller said that he was delighted about the announcement. “This is the second year that the event has received funding from Destination NSW under its Regional Flagship Events Program,” said Graeme.

“The ability of the ‘Grazing Down the Lachlan’ committee to apply and be successful two years running is testament to the quality of the event. It also demonstrates the skills and commitment of individuals on the committee to create and deliver a successful event.”

‘Grazing Down the Lachlan’ is quickly becoming a destination event for Forbes.

Not only does the event showcase local food and wine but it also promotes Forbes’ Wiradjuri heritage and captures the Shire’s stunning natural assets.

Graeme encourages the Forbes community to get behind ‘Grazing Down the Lachlan’ by encouraging family and friends to attend the event on Saturday, 22nd September.

“The visiting friends and relatives market is a key visitation segment for the Shire. What better time to host a visit than on the weekend of ‘Grazing Down the Lachlan’,” he said.

Footy Tipping Results Round 14

June 14, 2018 by Maggi Barnard

Parkes Phoenix Editor

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