Parkes Phoenix Editor

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

Local Team Wins Holden Scramble

June 22, 2017 by Maggi Barnard

Twelve teams participated in the 4-person Ambrose Holden Scramble last Sunday. Teams came from Mudgee, Parkes, Orange, Condo and Forbes.

Three teams tied on 57 5/8 nett with a count back deciding the winners – J Fletch- er, D Tilley, D Sly and J Betland, who go to the regional qualifier in March next year.

The runner-up position was also a count back with the team of P Cowhan, B Thom- as, B Thomas and A Tucker just sneaking ahead of R Nixon, N Duncan, F Collie and S Grallelis by one shot.

On Saturday the Men’s 18-hole stroke was won by Andy Cogswell with nett 67 in the A division. Runner-up Cameron McMillan with 71, on count back from two others.

The B-division went to Milton Cartwright with 70 nett, and another count back for runner-up we had yet another count back on 72 nett. Bob Borger got the nod from Ron Morris.

The ball sweep went to 73 with 67 – Andy Cogswell; 70 – M Cartwright; 71 – C Mc- Millan, F Collie, T Morgan; 72 – P Duke, P Dawson, B Everest, R Borger, R Morris; 73 – R Nixon, N Duncan, D Rhodes.

By Short Putt

Our Gal

June 22, 2017 by Maggi Barnard

Kelly Bowden

How long have you lived in Forbes and what do you like about living here?
I grew up in Forbes, but I’m originally from Condo. We moved away to Griffith for a few years and been back here in Forbes for about eight years. I love living in Forbes because it’s home, it’s a nice little town.

Where do you work and what do you enjoy most about your work?
I work at Binaal Billa Family Violence Prevention Legal Service and I’m a Community Support Worker. In my line of work, it has its ups and downs, it can be challenging, stressful and also rewarding.

What do you do to unwind after work and on weekends?
When I come home from work I don’t get the chance to unwind until later, then I’ll get ready for Home & Away, or my daughter will put a movie on and we’ll watch it together. I love spending time with my family and friends, doing something or just chillin’.

What are you really good at?
I’m deadly at a lot of things! Nah, I’m good at art, dancing and just being my deadly self.

If you could have a super power, what would it be?
A healing power. So I can help people to heal within themselves from pain and trauma.

What is your pet hate?
I hate it when someone is eating with their mouth open, that just really annoys me.

What was your best holiday ever?
A few years back we went on our first real holiday up to Gerroa and we had the deadliest time. We really do live in a beautiful country.

New Podiatry Services For Forbes

June 22, 2017 by Maggi Barnard

Flannery’s Pharmacy is happy to announce a new podiatry service available at the pharmacy. Adam Debenham, who is originally from Forbes, and Bill Devanney will be visiting Flannery’s Pharmacy commencing 19th July to provide easy access to podiatry services for Forbes residents.

Our feet do an amazing job getting us from A to B throughout our lives and endure a lot of punishment in between. Often this pun- ishment can leave us with small deformities, callous, corns or difficulty to manage nails that impact greatly on our day to day lives. Doctors Choice Podiatry can offer a multitude of solutions to many of these disabling problems.

Biomechanical abnormalities can also cause issues with our gait, which can lead to pain and injury. Not all abnormalities require treatment with orthotics. Following a thorough assessment, Doctors Choice Podiatry can offer appropriate therapies ranging from simple stretching or strengthening exercises right through to prescribing custom-made orthotics.

Unfortunately, diabetes can have a major impact on our feet, especially circulation and sensation. Doctors Choice Podiatry can provide specialised nail care, corn and callous debridement, padding, offloading, along with vascular and neurological assessments.

“Flannery’s Pharmacy is very happy to be able to provide a podiatry service to the local community in one of the brand new consult rooms,” said Business Manager, Debbie Prior.

If you would like an appointment or more information please contact Flannery’s Pharmacy on 6852 1111 or call into the store.

Not Your Average Showgirl

June 22, 2017 by Maggi Barnard

Local women between the ages of 18 and 24 who make a difference in the community are being encouraged to get involved in the annual The Land Sydney Royal Showgirl competition.

The 2017 Forbes Showgirl committee had its first meeting last week. They have three entrants so far and are looking for more. The committee includes Susan Earl, Kathy Sweeney, and former Bedegerabong Showgirl, Casey Mcquire, who won the local title in 2013.

Susan Earl has returned as an organiser of the local competition after a seven-year break, prior to which she managed the event for 13 years. “It’s a great way for young women to meet like-minded new friends, and get out of their comfort zone,” she said.

“Contestants are judged on general knowledge and knowledge of their local community, personality, life goals, speaking skills, personal grooming and presentation.

“The experience helps to improve interview skills, looks good on a resume, and is a great way to build confidence. There are also some beautiful prizes,” she said.

For more information about the Forbes Showgirl competition, contact Casey Mc- quire at casey.maguire@wf.catholic.edu.au, or Susan Earl on 0428445531 or via dsearlx@bigpond.com

Just a Short Drive to Young

June 22, 2017 by Maggi Barnard

Irish Drinks At The Cri

The Criterion Hotel at 135 Boorowa Street in Young first opened its doors more than 150 years ago in July 1861. The Irish pub, with Guiness and Kilkenny on tap, has been owned by a father and son team for the past 25 years.

Known for its food and live entertainment, there is also a weekly joker draw and pool competition. Regular visitors to Young rate the Criterion’s food as the best in town with large, well-priced portions.

New Stock All The Time

At Boutique 99 the owner Cynthia Watson offers a wide range of ladies clothing and accessories.

Cynthia has worked in customer service her whole life. She stocks exclusive labels to the region, as something for every occasion – from formal wear, debutante to weddings and special occasions. She has new stock arriving all the time.

Historic Location For Antiques

Gladys and Edna is an amazing antique furniture shop filled with bright and colourful giftware and homewares. Gladys and Edna have a beautiful historic location on the great corner location opposite IGA in Boorowa Street.

How To Make Your Business Shine

June 15, 2017 by Maggi Barnard

The major sponsors for the Boscars.

More than 30 business people attended the Forbes Business Chamber Boscars information and networking night at the Forbes Services Club last Wednesday. Jamie Coad represented Evolution Mining, the naming rights sponsor, while representatives from the gold sponsors, Forbes Services Memorial Club and Forbes Shire Council, were also present.

Vicki Seccombe from the NSW Business Chamber shared a lot of useful information. Entries for the Boscars have opened and the closing date is Monday, 10th July.

Start thinking about how your business can be involved and how to make your entry a key part of your marketing strategy.

The Boscars can help you promote excellence in your business to customers, staff, suppliers and a wider audience, as well as an opportunity to acknowledge key staff.

Local finalists also go onto the NSW Western Regional Business Awards.

Important points to remember are to sell your story and don’t be shy about your achievements. Also review each question, do not double up on answers, develop dot points to answer questions, make it easy for the judge to read, and get someone else to review your answers, grammar, stories and statistics. It might also help you to complete your answers offline in a word document, and only cut and paste your reviewed final product into the online system.

Fiona Ferguson from the Chamber is available to answer questions. Contact her on 0418 447 139. Enter for the Boscars at www.forbesbusinesschamber. com.au/boscars/

By Cheryl Newsom

800 Local Kids Taste Real Food

June 15, 2017 by Maggi Barnard

Joshua Reid, Sam Nicholson, Destiny Pout, Matilda Brakenridge, Joe Bentick-McEwen, Jack Gilchrist and Ella Gilchrist.

Getting kids to like fresh fruit and vegetables may sound like an impossible job for many parents, but the Forbes Food Revolution served up their 800th plate of the good stuff last Thursday.

The Real Food Tasting program, run by food ambassador Lucy Pearce and Maree Yapp from Schools as Community Centres (SaCC), is for children aged three to eight years.

Real Food Tasting is a lesson about healthy eating that invites children to try a plate of eight different fruit and vegies with their friends.

“We try to include familiar and not-so-familiar fruit and vegies for the children,” said Lucy. “Every child is encouraged to at least try something new.”

Lucy and Maree have visited every early childhood centre and primary school in Forbes. They have been thrilled by the response, with Kindy to Year 2 teachers embracing the opportunity to encourage children to taste test everything on their plate.

Parents are excited by the program and the difference it has made to their children’s eating habits.

“A mum thanked me for the work Forbes Food Revolution has done,” said Maree. “Her child would not eat fruit before and she was so excited the first time she could pack a banana in her child’s lunchbox! This is what makes us so excited about providing Real Food Tasting to our community”.

Lucy and Maree are grateful to Woolworths Forbes, which donates fresh fruit and vegies to the program each year.

This is the fourth year of the program, and children are starting to recognise the red Forbes Food Revolution shirts and plates of fruit and vegies.

Though the program ended last week, Lucy and Maree are always thinking of new ideas. If you would like to be involved, contact Maree on 6852 3008.

By Rochelle Bright

Our Bloke

June 15, 2017 by Maggi Barnard

Ian Bartholomaeus

How long have you lived in Forbes and what do you like about living here?
Originally from Adelaide, I moved to Forbes in 1980. Being the “Centre of the Universe” why would you bother to live anywhere else? Great people and there’s not much we go without in this great community. Life is what you desire wherever you choose to live.

Where do you work and what do you enjoy most about your work?
I’m the Managing Director of Midpro Engineering. I love my place in the business doing engineering designing and 3D solid modelling using Solidworks (CAD) as well as general business affairs, which select few really get to experience.

What do you do to unwind after work and on weekends?
I love to cook, which is quite dissimilar to my occupation, and also it takes a lot of beer and wine to put together a masterchef creation! It winds me down after a long hard-working week.

What are you really good at?
Everyone would probably say annoying people but I reckon I’m just good at being happy.

If you could have a super power, what would it be?
First thing I thought of is mind reading, but I think mystery is sometimes intriguing so I’d have to say being invisible.

What is your pet hate?
People doing 50 in a 100 zone, and that equates to anything in life.

What was your best holiday ever?
I’ve forgotten what a holiday feels like, but I love the coast and one of my favourite locations would have to be Noosa.

Question of the Week:

June 15, 2017 by Maggi Barnard

Do you think it’s still important to celebrate the Queen’s birthday?

Sisters Marlene Burton from Forbes and Joyce Nash from Eugowra:
Joyce: Yes, of course it’s important. She deserves it. I’m amazed she can get to this age and do so well.

Geoff Suttie and Brian Collits
Brian: Yes, it is. And I can tell you the story of driv- ing my horse and sulky down the main street on the day of her coronation!
Geoff: I don’t think about the Queen’s birthday until that time of year comes around. It was good to see Colin Hodges get the Order of Australia. He’s a good bloke.

Michael Rush and Jeremy Markwort:
Michael: No. I don’t really see the point. What do the royals do for us as a country?
Jeremy: It’s not as relevant as it used to be. And if they’re looking at changing Australia Day, why celebrate the Queen’s birthday? I think we should just combine them all into Anzac Day and have one celebration.

Great Honour For Race Caller

June 15, 2017 by Maggi Barnard

Forbes local Colin Hodges was awarded an OAM on Monday.

Forbes’ own Colin Hodges has been awarded an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) in this year’s Queen’s birthday honours for service to the horse racing industry as a radio broadcaster.

A local all his life, and a shearer until he turned 49, Colin has been calling races for 47 years. He is well known throughout the region but is perplexed by the award and the attention it brings with it.

“Geez, all I did was get up and call out a few horses’ names,” he said with a chuckle.

Growing up on a property in Bogan Gate, the first hint of his future in race calling appeared at school when he was nine years old, when he rounded up kids and had them trotting around a made-up track while he called the race.

But it was the late Bobby Gunn who brought him into the business. “He got me in and had me practice with a tape recorder. At Gooloogong he gave me a call one day, and that’s when I started – in 1970 and I was about 20.”

Now, Colin calls races right across regional NSW. He estimates he’s called the names of over 150,000 horses.

He also spent 14 years calling races in a jungle in Vanuatu to support fundraising for disaster recovery.

What has been most rewarding for him was the wonderful people he’s met, and their resilience when there have been hard times. “They were still willing and found the energy to organise their annual race meeting and bring the community together.

“I feel privileged to have met all those people who have been so resilient and so generous with their time, and the people who train and ride the horses,” he said.

By Rochelle Bright

Parkes Phoenix Editor

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