Forbes Shire Council has opened nominations for Forbes Indigenous Person of the Year and Forbes Junior Indigenous Person of the Year Awards.

The Forbes Indigenous Person of the Year Award is open to local Indigenous people aged over 18 years, while the Indigenous Young Person of the Year Awards

Sean Choolburra entertaining the crowd at last year’s local NAIDOC and Indigenous awards celebration.

“Forbes has many outstanding Indigenous residents and this is a chance for the community to see they receive the recognition they deserve,” Mayor Graeme Miller said.

The awards are part of NAIDOC celebrations, but while the national week runs in early July, Council will hold a local event on August 24 to ensure more people can participate.

“NAIDOC Week falls during school holidays. Having our celebrations later means we can get more of our young people involved, and hopefully the weather will be a little kinder,” Mayor Miller said.

The celebrations will feature a march, performances from local schools, and a community barbecue. World class Indigenous performers, Koomurri, will also perform.

“Koomurri have performed at the AFL and NRL Indigenous rounds, the Rugby World Cup, and the Sydney and Athens Olympics. More recently they’ve performed at the Adelaide Fringe Festival and we’re delighted to welcome them to Forbes,” Mayor Miller said.

Nominations close at 5pm on Tuesday, August 11. Nomination forms can be completed by visiting Council’s Administration Office. Contact Community Relations Officer Blake Nicholson on 6850 2355 for more information.

How much fun would it be to spend three days with more than 100 other year 5 students, messing about in the great outdoors?

Last month, 114 local kids got to find out when they enjoyed three days of adventure, skill development, and outdoor learning at NSW Sport and Recreation Camp Lake Burrendong.

The camp is an annual event under Forbes Shire Council’s Positive Connections program, which began in 2011 and is supported by Evolution Mining.

Council and Evolution Mining partnered with Forbes North Public, Forbes Public, Bedgerabong Public and St Laurence’s Primary Schools to provide the subsidised excursion, which ran from 21-23 June.

The Lake Burrendong Camp provides the students with a range of challenges and ac- tivities that promote key learning and com- plements the curriculum.

The students develop skills in communication, problem solving, cooperation, negotiation, and respect, and an appreciation of the natural environment and sustainability.

Forbes Shire Council’s Youth Development Assistant Clarissa Stewart described it as a chance for the students to experi- ence the outdoors in a fun, active and inclusive setting. “They can step out of their comfort zones, learn, challenge, grow and develop,” she said.

Mayor Graeme Miller said the camp is a great way for students to build relationships with other students before transitioning into high school.

“Lake Burrendong offers students a great experience, and with the help of Evolution Mining and the schools, Council is pleased to support it,” he said.

By Rochelle Bright

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

Arthur “Turtle” Tamwoy from Sydney performed with his didgeridoo.

The Forbes community turned out in force last Friday to celebrate National Reconciliation Week at the Wiradjuri Dreaming Centre. They gathered to support this year’s message of taking next steps towards recognising Australia’s indigenous heritage.

Local Wiradjuri woman Cathy Bowden organised the event, supported by family and friends.

Cathy’s daughter and local artist, Kelly Bowden, produced a painting especially for the day. People were encouraged to add their painted handprints to the work to create a memento of the event in the spirit of community.

Kelly Bowden made a special painting for last Friday’s National Reconciliation Week event in Forbes

The event began with a welcome and introductions, and an explanation of the purpose and importance of Reconciliation Week.

After introductions, special guest from Sydney Arthur “Turtle” Tamwoy performed a welcome to country, and entertained the group with his didgeridoo, impromptu language lessons, and teaching young folks to do the emu dance.

After the speeches and entertainment, Cathy and her grandchildren baked Johnny Cakes over a fire, while Peter Apps and Andrew Rawsthorne fired up the sausage sizzle.

Each year, Reconciliation Week celebrates and builds on the respectful relationships shared by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and other Australians. It runs from 27th May to 3rd June.

This year, those dates commemorate two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey—the 50th anniversary of the suc- cessful 1967 referendum, and the 25th an- niversary of the High Court Mabo decision.

The week reminds us that big changes take persistence and courage, and every step counts.

By Rochelle Bright

At 23 years of age former local Kacie Anderson is making waves in a male-dominated trade in the Northern Territory.

Last week she was awarded the Advanced Training International Overall Trade Appren- tice prize at the School of Trades annual presentation in Darwin.

The only female apprentice in her trade, Kacie was described as “an outstanding choice, having excelled academically and as a practitioner of her craft,” by Roy Brandner, Head of School of Trades at Charles Darwin University.