Parkes Phoenix Editor

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

Boscars Sponsors Announced

May 25, 2017 by Maggi Barnard

Evolution Mining – Cowal will be the overall naming rights sponsor for this year’s Boscars awards. General Manager Jason Grieve said: “It is a great opportunity to con- tribute, and we are excited to be part of the event. We see it as pivotal to support local businesses in the community.”

Mayor Graeme Miller said Forbes Shire Council was proud to be a Gold Sponsor. “It is fantastic that a number of the award categories are aligned with the NSW Business Chamber regional and state awards as it furthers the opportunity to be recognised at state level, as happened with HE Silos last year,” the Mayor said.

Other sponsors include Silver Sponsor: HE Silos, Television Sponsor: WIN Television and Award Sponsors include: Roylances Auto One, Flannery’s Pharmacy, The Forbes Phoenix, Bernardis, Crowe Horwath, BEC, NSW Business Chamber, Westpac, Agriwest CRT, Walkers Ag N Vet and News on Rankin.

How Your Business Can Be The Best

With the date set for the Forbes Business Chamber Boscars gala event on 15th September, it is time to start thinking how your business can become involved. The Forbes Business Chamber will be holding an information and networking night on Wednesday 7th June at the Forbes Servic- es Club. RSVP to Marg Duggan on 0428 514 415 or register online at http://www.inxcess.com.au/boscars/

Entries for the Boscars open on 19th June and close on 10th July.

Italian Food In Forbes

May 25, 2017 by Maggi Barnard

Feeling like some great Italian food, drop in at Café Aglio e Olio next to Spotlight.

They have an extensive pizza menu with traditional, gourmet and even dessert pizzas. All pizzas have pomodoro and moz- zarella. Also on offer are risotto, tortellini boscaiola and garlic prawns. Call 6851 5522.

Elaine’s Rich Memory Brings Local History To Life

May 18, 2017 by Maggi Barnard

Elaine Imrie has lived in Forbes for all her lively 90 years. To mark Heritage Month, she was invited to share some of her memories at Neighbhourhood Central’s social morning tea on Tuesday.

“I know many of you will have the same memories as I have about living in Forbes,” she said, standing with the aid of her black cane, and joking that she would stand as long as she didn’t fall over.

She began her talk with her memory of the day that peace was declared at the end of World War II, when she was 17 and working in the local solicitor’s office.

“I was sitting in there typing away, and all of a sudden this wild-eyed man burst through the front door and yelled at me and said: ‘The war’s over! The war’s over! Peace is here.’”

Elaine described a feeling of shock, and heading out into the street with her boss to see “perfect strangers hugging and kissing one another”.

As she spoke, it was as if the audience of around 30 people could hear the church bells ringing, and see the man in an old car dragging a rusty iron tank up and down Lachlan Street just to make a noise.

Laughter filled the room when Elaine reflected on having a bucket of water emp- tied on her head as she stepped beneath the balcony of the old Flannery’s Hotel. She didn’t care, she said, “because the war was over”.

But she admitted to feeling uncertain because she couldn’t remember what peace was like.

Elaine captivated the group as she then backtracked to describe what it was like to live in Forbes during the war. She shared her experiences of supporting the troops, food rationing, entertainment and “making do”.

She described how the troop trains would move slowly through the station, and how she and other young women would hand out cigarettes, mittens, gloves and other “comforts” to the soldiers as they passed.

When it came to food rations, Elaine talked about how she managed her share of butter. She would divide a half-pound ra- tion into seven pieces so that she would have butter for every day of the week, while her brother would finish his in two days.

She recalled her mother taking down dining room curtains to make a dirndl skirt for Elaine to wear to her first job.

Before she finished, Elaine had the group laughing again as she described almost knocking her brother out with a golf club one night as she walked home from music lessons.

Applause and questions made it clear that Elaine’s rich storytelling was a treat for everyone.

The Forbes Neighbourhood Central social morning teas provide a great opportu- nity for clients of Neighbourhood Central and HACC to enjoy each other’s company, listen to a guest speaker, or enjoy some entertainment. They take place on the third Tuesday of every month.

By Rochelle Bright

Nothing Can Dampen Local Mother’s Day Spirit

May 18, 2017 by Maggi Barnard

More than 50 people braved a chilly, wet morning in Forbes on Sunday to support the Mother’s Day Classic fundraising walk for breast cancer research.

In pink t-shirts, wigs and tutus, walkers of all ages brightened Lions Park with their smiles and enthusiasm. Many were breast cancer survivors, and others had come in honour of friends and loved ones.

When you’ve been through tougher battles, a bit of rain isn’t a problem.

“These girls are all survivors,” said organiser Yvonne Shaw, referring to her fellow volunteers. “We’re all happy to wear our pink shirts, and even if we only make ten dollars, that’s ten dollars more that can help.”

This year is the 20th anniversary of the Mother’s Day classic in Australia, which has raised over $30 million.

It is the third year of the local event, which has so far contributed over $2,000 to the cause.

One of this year’s largest donations came from the Forbes Breast Cancer Support Group, which offers support to women and men diagnosed with breast cancer.

Yvonne and fellow organiser Denise Jelbart are breast cancer survivors and mem- bers of the group, which Yvonne set up in 1992 while working as a women’s health nurse.

Yvonne was later diagnosed with the disease at the same time as her daughter, Sandra, in 1998.

Denise wants people to know local support is available. “It is a frightening thing to be diagnosed with breast cancer, but if you have the support of your family, and if you do know a group it’s good to be involved in that group. There are a lot of people out there who want to help you,” she said.

The Mother’s Day Classic is one of the group’s biggest fundraising events, and Yvonne and Denise will run it again next year, rain or shine.

By Rochelle Bright

Welcome Rochelle Our New Reporter

May 18, 2017 by Maggi Barnard

Rochelle Bright moved to Forbes from Canberra just six weeks ago. She has spent the past several years working in communications in government, and for organisations like the Australian Red Cross Blood Service and Headspace.

A writer all her life, Rochelle is involved in the Central West Skywriters Project, and is about to embark on her first novel. She is thrilled to have the chance to get to know members of the local community and share their stories. She would love you to contact her with your good news, your heart-warming news, your record-breaking stories, your unique stories, your events, your news tips and your photos, whether social, funny or just of interest.

You can contact Rochelle on 0419 017 762 or reporter@forbesphoenix.com.au

Fantastic Finish For Betland In Forbes Open

May 18, 2017 by Maggi Barnard

It took a play-off between two top players to decide the winner of the 2017 Forbes Open.

Local hero John Betland and Moore Park’s Hayden Gulliver both finished on 70 scratch with John winning on the second

GOOD GOING… A-Grade handicap winner Dan Bayley shows good form as he plays to the 16th green during the Forbes Open last weekend.

The Forbes Open, jointly sponsored by the Golf and Sportsman’s Hotel and Daniel Newton On-Par Golf, attracted many top line golfers with the opportunity to qualify for the GolfNSW Open as the event is a regional qualifying event.

The place in the GolfNSW Senior Open was won by Rob Martin from Lakelands with a par round of 72. The spot for a play- er and two friends to play in the NSW Open Pro-Am was won by local stalwart Peter Cowhan with the best nett score of the day of 68.

Nearly half the field of 114 comprised A-graders (of whom 12 were on zero or lower) with many of those travelling from Orange, Sydney, Narrabri, Newcastle and the Hunter, Nelson Bay, Condobolin, Canberra, West Wyalong, Young and Southern Queensland.

The main winners included many Forbes players: A-Grade scratch John Betland 70; B-Grade scratch Peter Cowhan 82; C-Grade scratch Ron Morris 96; A-Grade handicap winner Dan Bayley (69); B-Grade handicap winner Will Hurley, Condobolin (72 on c/b); C-Grade handicap winner Anthony Alley (74); Veteran handicap winner Mark Collis (71); Junior handicap winner Cameron McMillan (73); Visitor handicap winner Josh Gadd, Concord (73).

By Short Putt

Mayoral Notes

May 18, 2017 by Maggi Barnard

The NSW Open regional qualifying event was held at the Forbes Golf Course on Sun- day with a fantastic result for Forbes local John Betland gaining a place in the 2017 NSW Open to be played at Twin Creeks Golf and Country Club in November. The Forbes Golf Association were complimented for the standard of the golf course. A former captain of Royal Sydney Golf Club said Forbes golf course was one of the best country courses in NSW, if not the best.

On Sunday, Forbes Junior Rugby hosted a Walla carnival with a great number of chil- dren participating from around our region. Watching our grandson play in the carnival was a great joy.

The Mother’s Day Classic walk around Lake Forbes on Sunday had low numbers unfortunately due to inclement weather.

At yesterday’s Council meeting we adopt- ed the Our Forbes Shire Community Stra- tegic Plan 2017-2027. Supporting plans include the 2017/18 Operational Plan, the 2017/18 Fees and Charges Schedule and the 2017/18 Budget. These are now on public exhibition and can be viewed online at www.forbes.nsw.gov.au, at Council’s ad- ministration and engineering offices and the Forbes Library until 14th June. We encourage you to view these plans and make comments.

There have been a lot of comments from ratepayers about the latest water bills on social media. Council has sent out a media release to clarify the concerns. If you have any questions, please contact Council on 6850 2300.

Mayor Graeme Miller

Claim Your Placemark Online!

May 18, 2017 by Maggi Barnard

Are you happy with your online profile as a small business operator? Set next week Tuesday aside as there will be a free workshop in Forbes that is all about boosting your internet profile in the online map services of Google, Apple and Microsoft.

“It is all about claiming your placemark on online maps,” said Geomancia’s Managing Director, Angela McCauley, who is presenting the Building the Digital Economy work- shops in Forbes and Dubbo.

She said not many business owners realised they could claim the placemark which pops up when you do a Google search for a business. “By claiming the placemark you can add more information, such as business hours and upload photos. This would give you much better search results.”

The workshop is for two hours and during the first hour Angela will focus on changes in consumer behavior and the transformation to the digital world for businesses. The second hour will be a hands-on session where participants will start building a web presence. If you are already on the web, you will get tips on how to lift your search results.

If you cannot make the workshop in Forbes, the Dubbo workshops are on 30th and 31th May.

Google “Geomancia Digital Economy” for more information or see page 2 advertisement.

Our Bloke

May 18, 2017 by Maggi Barnard

Bruce Adams

How long have you lived in Forbes and what do you like about living here?
I’ve lived in Forbes all my life, which is almost 75 years. I like the sense of belonging and community that we have here.

Where do you work and what do you enjoy most about your work?
I was a farmer until I retired about 20 years ago. Now I’m busy with voluntary work. I’m President of the Forbes Historical Society, and Secretary of the local Neighbourhood Watch, among other things. Meeting people and learning about the history of Forbes is what I enjoy most.

What do you do to unwind after work and on weekends?
I don’t really stop. If I do, I might read a book. My wife, Margaret, and I also like to travel.

What are you really good at?
Probably organising people. I like bringing people together to get things done. It probably comes from being the eldest of five kids.

If you could have a super power, what would it be?
That’s an interesting question. I think I’d like to be able to persuade governments to be more responsive to the will of the people.

What is your pet hate?
People who are intolerant of other people.

Tell us about your best holiday ever.
The most interesting holiday was our visit to Iran last year. The people were lovely, and we felt very included.

Corked Thigh

May 18, 2017 by Maggi Barnard

If you have ever been hit hard in the thigh with someone’s knee or shoulder, you most likely know how painful and debilitating a corked thigh can be. A cork, or a muscle contusion as was more formerly known, is a common occurrence in contact sports, as well as sports like cricket and hockey when a player is hit by the ball. Contusions result from blunt trauma to a muscle such as when two players collide and one is hit in the thigh by the knee of the other. The underlying muscle and connective tissue are crushed without breaking the skin. This causes bleeding within or between muscles resulting in a haematoma.

A cork may result in immediate pain, weakness, muscle spasm and stiffness. Most contusions are minor and heal quickly, however if you lose joint range or power in the leg, have trouble with explosive bursts or kicking, it is time to come off the ground and not return to play.

It is important that treatment of a muscle contusion starts immediately, with the first 48 hours post injury the most important. Immediate treatment for a corked muscle should include ceasing activity, icepacks applied every two hours for 15 minutes, bandage the corked muscle with an elasticized bandage, elevate the injured limb above heart height whenever possible and avoid exercise, heat, alcohol and massage in the first 48 hours.

Range of motion is a good indicator as to the severity of the injury. Difficulty flexing the knee past 90 degrees may suggest a more severe injury that requires physiotherapy assessment.

For the fitness of you,

Linda Reilly

Parkes Phoenix Editor

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