Parkes Phoenix Editor

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

SNIPPETS…

May 10, 2018 by Maggi Barnard

The sound of music… Forbes High School Year 10 student, Tom Boyd has been invited to be part of the West of the Divide Tour travelling to Italy in January 2019. Tom will be using the opportunity to further develop his musical talents on the flute.

Rotary Ipomoea Market: Rotary Ipomoea have their May market this Saturday, 12th May at Sir Francis Forbes Park in Camp Street from 8am to 12.30pm. The Relay for Life event is on the adjacent oval. Rotary members are hoping that the markets will encourage people to visit the relay site and lend support to the teams as well as visiting the market and enjoying the market atmosphere. Mother’s Day is also on this weekend, so people might like to bring their mothers and grandmothers along to the market and relay events. The Forbes Town Band ensembles will be playing at the market and relay sites to raise money for the Town Band relay team. The Rotary catering van will have a hot breakfast at the market and the coffee man will also be there.

Lions Car Boot Sale: The next Lions Car Boot Sale will be held on Saturday, 19th May. This will be in the pleasant surrounds of Lions Park from 8am until 1pm. Admission to the markets is free. As usual there should be a variety of goods for sale, ranging from hand crafted items and produce, to second hand wares. Site fees from the day will be donated to Havannah House to help with their work. The Lions members will be catering with their barbeque food including the generous Lions burger and also hot and cold drinks. Tickets will be available in their grocery voucher and wood raffles. Those wishing to hold a stall on the day are charged $10 and should contact Peter 0439 280 994 or Robyn 6851 2209 for more information.

Forbes Diggers Harness Racing Club competition: Well done to Joanne McRae and Michael Craft on being our competition winners!

iTunes card scams are doing the rounds: Police have received a number of reports in our area of scammers trying to get iTunes vouchers from potential victims. The scammer contacts a person advising them that their computer may have a fault and they need to be paid to repair it; that the tax office has a warrant for their arrest and they can pay the fine with iTunes cards or to pay a release fee for an additional payment, such as from Centrelink; or other similar stories. If you have been a victim of a scam, please report it via www.scamwatch.gov.au.

The ‘Coffee With A Cop’ event was a great success in Forbes with many community members utilising the opportunity to meet officers from the Central West Police District at The Bakehouse on Tuesday. Everyone enjoyed the event and had some great discussions.

Monthly Medals Decided

May 10, 2018 by Maggi Barnard

Saturday was the Monthly Medal, sponsored by Adept Plumbing.

Most of the field of 80 players found the scoring quite difficult but the winners found it a breeze.

The A-Grade winner was Peter Grayson, who played consistent golf to record a nett 70. Runner-up, once again, was Phil Maher on 72 nett, who had a roller-coaster round and may have won with a bit of luck.

The B-Grade title went to Rob Webb with a nett 70. He was consistent all day. Ian Bown was runner-up with nett 71. A high score on the 17th included an air swing.

The C-Grade was won by John Pritchard, a visitor from Orange with a nett 67. However, the medal goes to runner-up, Allan Rees with his 69 nett.

The ball sweep went to 75 nett on count back, going to: 66 – J Morgan; 67 – J Pritchard; 69 – A Rees; 70 – P Grayson, R Webb, T Edols; 71 – I Bown; 72 – P Maher; 73 – J Zannes, P Dawson, B Squires, T Hanson; 74 – P Pymont, R Borger, B Thomas; 75 – M Haley, P Nixon, J Haley, G Forrest, R Davies, W Judge and G Coles.

The NTP’s went to: 9th – Marty Woods; 18th – F Donohoe. Neither got their ‘2’. There was a big group of visitors from Wentworth GC and Tony Hanson from Shoalhaven. We may see them again for the Open this weekend.

There was no Stableford Medley on Sunday. Instead the day belonged to the Forbes Ladies Open, which was contested by 71 players. Players travelled from Mudgee, Wellington and our near neighbours.

There will be full report provided but for those interested, the scratch winners over the three grades contested were, A-Grade: Catherine Cox (Mudgee) with 89; B-Grade: Sally Crosby (Fbs) with 98 and C-Grade: Deb Dingwall (Fbs) with 103.

By Short Putt

Who is your favourite sportsperson and why?

May 10, 2018 by Maggi Barnard

Lilli Cronin: Hurdles athlete, Sally Pearson. I like how fast she runs and her style of jumping.

Poppy Constable: Usain Bolt because he’s really good at what he does and he is caring and kind.

Hannah Cudaj: Susan Pettitt because she pushed through difficulties within netball of being cut from the Australian team and worked hard to eventually make her way back into the team.

Croquet News

May 10, 2018 by Maggi Barnard

Week ending 5th May

We have a huge month with regards to birthdays occurring during May. The birthdays of seven members were celebrated at the Bakehouse Café. Everyone who attended the festivities had a lovely and social time.

Sharing the cutting of the cake was Elvy Quirk, John H Browne, Lorna Field, John Brown and John Cole. Anne and Harley Stewart’s birthdays, also taking place in May, were celebrated in their absence.

Members are reminded that Saturday, 12th May is the Relay for Life walk with the opening ceremony commencing at 1:45pm.

The Forbes U3A team is looking for more walkers on the day/night and would like supporters and members to donate on the Forbes Relay for Life website.

Go along and enjoy the camaraderie, fun activities and make new friends. For donations go to the Cancer Council website.

The club is always looking to welcome new players to join a friendly and supportive bunch of people on Tuesday and Saturday mornings. Come and watch or have a chat about the games to some of our long standing members.

By Anne Stewart

Amber Has The Answer

May 10, 2018 by Maggi Barnard

Be inspired by a breath taking transformation, from backyard to home haven, when you invest in Amber tiles.

No matter the latest trends or styles, Amber products have always, and will continue to be of the highest quality; and its quality that doesn’t cost the earth.

The selection at Amber Orange is varied and focuses on texture, colour and versatility in trending designs to meet the demands of the market.

Working with stone, travertine, marble and the newest glazed porcelains will deliver an enduring timeless look.

Also the current “Love My Amber” Competition, allows you a chance to win back your costs towards your renovation or new build, with a total pool of $10,000 to be shared with three lucky winners.

Come in and see the in-store professionals while the 20% off sale is on during 14th and 19th May.

Amber Orange staff can provide customers with personalised and cost effective solutions for both indoor and outdoor areas.

Visit Amber Orange today! Located in 26- 32 Peisley Street, Orange.

Supporting Local Police

May 10, 2018 by Maggi Barnard

The Central West Police District has unveiled their new vehicle at the local ‘Coffee With A Cop’ events. Frank Spice Hyundai in Forbes has joined forces with the local district again to help prevent crime within the Parkes, Forbes and Lachlan Shire Councils.

Frank Spice Hyundai made the decision to provide the Central West Police District with a new Hyundai Kona Highlander. Dealer principal, Troy Hurford said support for the local police was a continuation of community goodwill.

“We felt it is a good opportunity to give something back to the community, a gesture in helping crime prevention and the opportunity to extend our input to the community we currently have.”

The Kona will be used by several officers involved in crime prevention, youth liaison and domestic violence. It will allow operational police vehicles to remain on the street and respond to community needs.

Inspector Shane Jessep, Officer in Charge of Forbes, Condobolin and Lake Cargelligo, said: “The sponsor vehicle arrangement is greatly appreciated and highlights how a long standing local business such as Frank Spice Hyundai can participate and support local police in the prevention of crime.”

Landmark Inland Rail Agreement Puts NSW On The Right Track

May 10, 2018 by Maggi Barnard

The Federal and NSW Governments signed a landmark bilateral agreement, which makes way for the commencement of works on the multi-billion dollar Inland Rail project in NSW.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Michael McCormack and NSW Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW, John Barilaro signed the Intergovernmental Agreement at the Parkes Railway Station last Friday.

NSW is the second state to sign up to the nationally-significant project. The new agreement provides consent for the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) to deliver Inland Rail in NSW.

Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack said the signing of the bilateral agreement was a landmark moment in the delivery of the project. “Inland Rail will be a corridor of commerce for communities along the eastern seaboard and this agreement is another vital step in making its vision a reality.”

He said 60% or 1,050km of the line will be in NSW linking up the ports of Melbourne and Brisbane boosting the state’s gross domestic product (GDP) to $2.6 billion per year.

Deputy Premier Barilaro said the project would not only grow regional communities and bring additional government services, but also reduce congestion on roads. “Inland Rail has the potential to completely reinvigorate parts of regional NSW, well beyond the thousands of jobs that will be created in the construction phase,” he said.

“This is all about helping NSW farmers get their product from paddock to port as cheaply and efficiently as possible, and in turn, putting money back in the pockets of those producers to reinvest in their businesses or spend in their regional and rural towns.

“What this agreement shows is that across all levels of Government, there is a commitment to invest heavily in our regions, and a commitment to co-operate to deliver a transformational project not just for NSW, but for the country.”

Construction on the Inland Rail project is due to commence within six months on the Parkes to Narromine section with 14,000 tonnes of steel rail delivered at Peak Hill in January.

The project will create a direct rail freight connection between Melbourne and Brisbane capable of moving double stacked freight containers of up to 1.8km long at speeds of up to 120km/h.

COUNCIL COMMENTS

May 10, 2018 by Maggi Barnard

My heartiest congratulations go to young Tom Drane, who will be competing in the AMA Flat Track Grand Nationals 2018 in Springfield, Illinois next week. It is just fantastic that he has been invited and he has been training so hard as it is a completely different style of racing to here in Australia. Forbes sends you our very best wishes.

On Tuesday night, I attended the Forbes Heritage 2018 major celebration. The night was a celebration of dedicated and committed volunteers who contribute to our history and heritage. The Forbes Shire Council Art Acquisition prize and colouring-in awards were presented.

Also on Tuesday, I attended the Narrandera Newell Highway Taskforce meeting where we are seeking funding for the hydrology report required for the next stage of the flood proofing project between Forbes and West Wyalong. I’m hoping news will be to hand today or early next week.

On Wednesday, I had the great honour of attending the sod turning of the Forbes Men’s Shed. The committee and members have done an absolutely wonderful job to develop a place which is really important for the well being of our male community.

A reminder to all, that the Forbes Relay for Life is on this weekend. I will be going, unfortunately not to walk, but to show my unconditional support for this very worthwhile organisation. Even if you aren’t in a team please support one of the walkers or the teams.

Mayor Graeme Miller.

Our Bloke -Kerry Stevenson

May 10, 2018 by Maggi Barnard

Kerry Stevenson

How long have you lived in Forbes and what do you like about living here? I have lived in Forbes for 30 years. It’s a friendly town in beautiful surroundings. I’ve found it a great place to bring up a family and a good place to do business. I find tonnes of stuff to do, so never a dull moment unless I want one.

Where do you work and what do you enjoy about your work? I currently work at News On Rankin. They are a great and happy bunch of people, all working towards positive outcomes that make it a pleasant workplace. I enjoy getting around town delivering newspapers and receiving smiles and waves.

What do you do to unwind after work or on weekends? I like to read books, play Internet games, visit friends and my folks and go to church. I also enjoy mountain climbing with my son. I love cooking, playing guitar, song writing, storytelling and volunteering on the local radio.

What are you really good at? Talking! If you could have a super power, what would it be? A super sense of humour. I like to see people laughing and happy.

What is your pet hate? Definitely flies!

Tell us about your best holiday ever. Mushandike, which was a school excursion when I was 12. A family trip to Zimbabwe with sight-seeing of Victoria Falls, Kariba Dam and the Inyangas. Lake McDougal in the Tribal Trust Lands – getting bogged in quicksand, boating across the lake, watching the hippos at play and listening to the night sounds of the African bush.

Jemalong Wool Weekly Market Update

May 10, 2018 by Maggi Barnard

This week saw the Northern region market close at 1892 (down 16) cents, the tone did however turn positive by the end of the sale, and so much so, that the Western Region recorded gains of 15-30 cents for the day. The selection continues to consist of many lower yielding, poorer style wools, which buyers are struggling to average into their purchases.

The skirting market had a steady week with not much movement recorded, although there was strong interest in wools carrying less than 3% VM and those possessing excellent AM results.

After being the best performing sector in recent weeks, the crossbred market lost ground for the first time in five weeks. The broadest microns were hardest hit, with 30 micron dropping by 35 cents and 32 micron falling 10- 20 cents.

There were minimal movements in the oddments, with the exception being the Western region where corrections brought prices back into alignment with the Eastern states.

Quantities reduce next week, currently 38,292 bales are forecast for sale.

Source AWEX

Parkes Phoenix Editor

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