Forbes Shire Council held the 2016 Youth Week Awards on Thursday 5th April to acknowledge and recognise the positive contributions our youth make within the Forbes Community. Twenty three nominations were received and were judged by an independent judging panel of community members. Forbes Mayor Phyllis Miller said the standard
of each nomination was very high. The Young Sports Volunteer Award acknowledged the dedication and the many volunteer hours Jack Piercy contributes to the Forbes Netball Association and Forbes High School. Courtney Ward received the School Youth Award for her excellence at school, her strong leadership skills and for her strong community spirit. The Further Education Excellence Award was taken out by Aiden Clarke for his dedication and passion for his studies in Early Childhood. The Brighter Future Award recognises a young person who is endeavouring to make a positive change to their lives and Blake Harrison was a very worthy recipient. The calibre of the nominees suggested for all categories was particularly high and for the first time the judges were compelled to award Maddi Collits a Highly Commended in the Major Youth & Community Award before announcing Liam Bosma as the overall winner. Liam’s extensive involvement in the Youth Advisory Committee and Spectacular Screenings over the past four years as well as being named the Central West Volunteer of the Year in 2015 were just a few of the factors which made him the winner.
By Anita Morrison

On Wednesday May 4, Red Bend Catholic College hosted the Forbes Special Sports Day. Groups of very excited athletes attended the day and relished in the time of competition and friendship. Athletes came from across the Central West, including Dubbo, Forbes, and Condobolin. Dianne Decker, a Forbes local has been organising the sports days for thirtyfive years, with Wednesday 4 May being its birthday. Mrs Decker had written to Prince Harry to invite him to the event, and whilst he unfortunately was unable to make it, there were plenty of visitors.

The sports day was held in the gymnasium at Red Bend Catholic College, with athletes cheering from the side-lines whilst their friends competed. Forbes Deputy Mayor Graeme Miller, and Deb Wheeldon, director of Teaching and
Learning at Red Bend College, judged the march, which was won by Dubbo Westhaven, with Brian Tisdale, resplendent in a kilt playing the bagpipes. A large group of friendly Red Bend Catholic College students gave up their time to be judges and recorders for the event, and a canteen supplying an assortment of foods was open.

Whilst the day was a time of competition and sports, its mainly a social day, and one which was eagerly anticipated by all who attended. Stacey from House With No Steps was excitedly waiting for the walking race and was hoping to win it! Nathan Ellison, also from House With No Steps was planning to compete in four separate races, and sat watching from the side-line, waiting for his turn. A fantastic day of sports and friendship was had by all.

Victoria Park and surrounding streets were packed with thousands of people who came together to honour the special day and welcome the parade which commenced in Cross Street. Our young people played a large part in the parade with all of the schools and early childhood services represented along with veterans, families and local service personnel. Michael Walker and
Robert (Roc) Walshaw conducted the proceedings with Charles Dwyer, Forbes High School Principal, Mayor, Phyllis Miller and Juliet Slack-Smith, St Laurence’s School student, delivering the Prayer of Thanksgiving, Prayer for the Queen and the Prayer for the Nation respectively.

Bryan Stapely, a member of the Canberra Vietnam Veteran’s Motorcycle Club who travelled to Forbes to participate in the parade, gave the Commemoration
to the Fallen before Aaron Parry played the Last Post and the Reveille
as he had done earlier at the dawn service to end the service.

The dawn service was also well attended with hundreds of people welcoming the lager contingent of marchers who followed the police escort to the cenotaph at approximately 5.30am. Captain Meaghan Gallagher of the Salvation Army gave the dawn service address which honoured all servicemen and women. Captain Gallagher said “Those who served created a legend, not of military victories but of courage and determination” and also “ANZAC is a heritage for every Australian”. She then thanked God for the faithful service of our soldiers whose sacrifices have given us the freedom and liberties we enjoy today.

Forbes’ second Walk to Defeat Motor Nuerone Disease (MND) attracted more than 150 walkers for the event held last Sunday. These numbers were an increase on the inaugural walk held last year and although many of the walkers were locals, fifty of the participants travelled from Orange to attend and participate in the day. Orange resident, Nicky Turner, who has MND, came to Forbes to participate and was excited to see an event of this type held in country NSW. Pat Duncan, the driving force behind the event, was very pleased with the numbers and was grateful to local businesses, including major sponsor Duncan Stockcrates, and volunteers for their generosity
and support.

Motor neurone disease (MND) is the name given to a group of diseases in which the nerve cells (neurones) controlling the muscles that enable us to move, speak, breathe and swallow undergo degeneration and die. MND can affect a person’s ability to walk, speak, swallow and breathe and the walk is an opportunity to raise awareness for this disease. MND is a progressive, terminal neurological disease that can strike anyone.

There is no known cure and no effective treatment for MND. Each day in Australia two people die from MND, and in addition, two people are diagnosed each day. Kaylah Tulloch was the lucky 1st Prize winner of the raffle which was drawn on the day and walked away with $750 cash. Lyn Henley claimed 2nd Prize and L Talbot took home 3rd.

The annual Forbes Rodeo is proving itself to be one of Forbes’ favourite events for the year and the 2016 event did not disappoint. Committee member, Troy Read, although exhausted from the huge weekend, was very happy and felt that the crowd attending was the best so far.

The committee have worked tirelessly over the past months to provide the best possible facilities for competitors and spectators and have been rewarded for their efforts with some extremely positive feedback. Many of the top Barrell Racers in the country commented on the particularly high standard of the arena, which boasted an exceptional surface for their horses, allowing them to compete to the best of their ability with minimal risk of injury.

A clash of dates with Rodeo’s near Tamworth and Yass saw a drop in Professional riders attending but this was more than compensated by a huge increase in novice competitors which was very pleasing to see. Rodeo is a competitive sport that arose from the working practices of cattle herding in Spain and Mexico. It involves horses and other livestock and is designed to test the skill and speed of the cowboys and cowgirls in two basic categories: rough stock events (Bull riding etc.) and timed events (Barrel racing, Steer un-decorating etc.)

Mr Read made special mention of the many local sponsors who support this event, “without them we would not be able to continue” he said. The committee are looking forward to continuing to bring this event to Forbes which attracts visitors from far and wide and increases the town’s economy in
the process. The committee see a great future for the Forbes Rodeo and are working towards a permanent home for the event at the old Rodeo grounds located at Botanical Gardens.

The Forbes Golf Association has received a massive boost to its operations, with Golf NSW announcing the Forbes Golf Course will host the inaugural Sand/Grass Greens State Championships in August. In another huge boost for Forbes, the local golf course will also host a qualifying event for the NSW State Championships in June.

Part of the events will also be staged at the Grenfell Golf Course, with Forbes Shire Council teaming up with Weddin Shire Council to help make the event possible, as well as the two golf associations of each shire working together with Golf NSW. With at least 150 players expected at the State Championships qualifier, and many more at the Sand/Grass Championships, Forbes Golf Association President Andrew McDonald said both events would be a massive boost for Forbes and the surrounding region.

“All of the activities as well as the profiles of each event and the participation opportunities will bring a lot of golfers to Forbes from across the country as well as our own region,” he said. “The winner of the State Championships qualifier will get automatic entry into the State Championships, so that incentive should bring a large number of golfers in
to Forbes.” Several years ago, the state of the Forbes Golf Course was in dire straights, and it would have been hard to imagine any major golf event coming to town, according to Mr McDonald.

At that stage, the Association partnered with Forbes Shire Council, and this led to vastly improved irrigation systems and equipment, and the golf course is now one of the best in the Central West. Mr McDonald said partnerships were what the Association now strived to achieve in order to continually improve the quality of golf in Forbes.

“We were fortunate enough to receive some grants from Golf NSW as well, which helped with our improvements,” he said. “Nowadays we’ve got high quality employees, and new, modern mowers, as well as the Jack Newton golf partnership, where our own Dan Newton works with other golf clubs in our region.”

“We always want to work with other golf clubs, and it’s great that Grenfell are on board with these two events as well.” The Forbes Golf Association have signed a three-year agreement to host the Grass/Sand Championships, and will host the State Championships qualifying event this year after Golf NSW decided to take qualifying events to the country for the first time.

Golf NSW Chairman John Robinson said qualifiers had been taken to the country to provide greater opportunities for regional golfers to have a go at making the State Championships. Forbes Mayor Phyllis Miller said Council was “honoured” to partner with both events as well.

The State Championships qualifier will be held on June 18 and 19, while the Sand/Grass event will be August 20-21.

Acting Forbes Shire Council General Manager Max Kershaw says it will be business as usual in the Council’s General Manager office, after he was appointed to act in the position. Forbes Shire Council appointed Mr Kershaw in confidence at its last Council meeting on March 18, and he started work on Tuesday this week (March 29).

He has been hired on a rolling, weekly contract, and will perform his duties until early August at the latest, by which time Council hopes to have appointed a new permanent General Manager. Advertisements for the position are expected to be sent out in the coming weeks. Mr Kershaw brings with him many years of rural council management experience, with his most recent job being the GM at the Harden Shire Council.

He retired from the position around 12 months ago, and has been brought out of retirement to work in Forbes. He told The Forbes Phoenix he planned on ensuring communication through the Forbes Shire Council was up to scratch in testing times of possible Council amalgamations.

“My plan is just to keep things moving along without any interruption. It will be business as usual,” he said. “There are obviously amalgamations on the plate with a lot of rural councils at the moment. I’ve worked through three council amalgamations in the past.” “It’s so important to communicate well with staff, especially with so much happening in local councils at the moment.”

Mr Kershaw brings with him an impressive CV that shows no less than 42 years of service to local government in rural NSW. A Parkes born and bred man, he has worked for the Parkes Shire Councils, as well as the councils of the Tenterfield, Yallaroi, Gunnedah, Warren and Narrabri shires.

One might question what brought him out of retirement after so many years of service. He retired to sunny Scarborough, north of Brisbane, in Queensland, but he said family and his passion for local government brought him to Forbes. “I have a great affinity to rural councils, and my sister and her family live here in Forbes,” he said. “I have also known Mayor Phyllis Miller for quite some time now, and I was really chuffed when she asked me to come and
work for the Forbes Shire Council.” “You sort of hit the wall when you retire,
so I thought I could work one last job. I consulted the opportunity with my wife, and she said I should do it.’

While he will only be in the job for about three months, he said he would like to see economic development and youth employment in Forbes improve. He said Forbes was a “pretty” town with a passionate community that set its own
agenda, and looked forward to working with it.

The Ronald McDonald House in Orange has proved to be an important place for families in Forbes since it’s opening last year. Ronald McDonald House is a charitable foundation that accommodates the families of seriously ill children when they are forced to leave home and stay in hospital for medical purposes.

The House covers all serious illnesses as well as serious injuries, high-risk pregnancies, and mental illnesses. And since the House opened on April 13 last year, 10 families from Forbes have already used the facility.

One young boy from Forbes stayed there overnight last year after suffering a major injury during a game of football, after being transported to Orange Base Hospital. Other Forbes locals have used the House for pediatric and high-risk pregnancy purposes as well.

Ronald McDonald House has partnered with the Men of League Foundation, and will host a fundraising dinner at the Orange Ex-Services Club on April 9.
Central Western NSW local and dual rugby code international James Grant will be the master of ceremonies, and will be joined by fellow dual international Mike Cleary, as well as rugby league greats Bob
McCarthy, Stuart Raper and John Peard. RMH Orange Executive Officer Rebecca Walsh said that functions are the biggest fundraisers for RMH, and the dinner would be crucial.

“Functions are our biggest fundraiser by a long shot. We have a ball each year and last year we raised $105,000 from it,” she said. “There is a great synergy between the Ronald McDonald House Charity and the Men of League Foundation, particularly here in the Central West, as it is a great rugby league territory.”

RMH Orange has the biggest coverage area of any RMH in the NSW/ACT region, covering a whopping 86% of the state, all the way from Broken Hill across to Orange. The House has already accommodated 77 families from across the state. It has eight units that sleep six people in each, and the cost to run these is about $138 per night.

Ms Walsh said RMH will never expect families to fully cover these expenses,
which is why it fundraises and hires volunteers, but a $43 charge per night can be claimed back through a Federal Government scheme for those who have travelled 100km or more.

A stay for three nights or more will be bulk-billed in full straight back to the Federal Government. Tables of 16 will be set up for the dinner, with a three-course meal provided for $25 per head, along with raffles, auctions, lucky
draws, and other entertainment.

Soaring temperatures over the weekend did not deter our volunteer firefighters from competing to the best of their ability in the 2016 Region South 2 Fire & Rescue NSW Firefighter Championships held in Forbes on the weekend.

Twenty five teams from around the state competed in eleven events during the two day competition with Kelso the eventual winners followed by Nowra and then Bega in third position. The Forbes Brigade entered two teams in the event and finished 8th and 11th which was a fantastic effort.

Each event simulates a real life emergency situation and fire fighters race against the clock to secure the fastest time. Penalties are incurred for infringements of the rules or protocols with all teams taking the competition very seriously. Visiting officials were very impressed with the venue
provided by Forbes and team entries for the weekend were one of the highest for this level of competition.

Forbes Mayor, Phyllis Miller welcomed everyone to Forbes and expressed gratitude for the incredible job our fire fighters do everyday. She reflected on her own personal experience and could not fault the local Forbes Brigade when her home was burnt several years before. FRNSW Chaplin Lyndsay Smith gave the blessing and the Fire & Rescue NSW Commissioner – Greg Mullins AFSM declared the championship officially open.

President FRNSW FCA – Captain Greg Fredericks remembered the last time the event was hosted in Forbes and stated how the Forbes Brigade responded to a house fire during the event.

The Saturday evening function held at the Sport & Recreation Club was a huge
success with approximately 200 attending and organisers of the weekend were
extremely pleased with the weekend overall. Future 2016 Championships are to be held at Grafton in May, Tamworth in August and the State Championships at Wyong in October. The Forbes team are hoping to attend Tamworth and Wyong and improve their position on the ladder.

By Anita Morrison

Forbes teenager Sam Mackay tends to get himself involved in the community a little more often than most other people his age. Besides trying his hand at most sports in town, including rugby league, cricket, and tennis, the 14-year old also involves himself heavily in the livestock industry.

And on April 10, he will be hosting the Forbes Poultry Auction at the Forbes
Showground. While it will not be the first time the teenager will host his own auction, it will be the first time he sells other poultries besides just chickens.

He will also be selling ducks and turkeys on April 10, but the auction will also be the first time a new computer system will be used to assist with the sales.
A Microsoft Excel-like program, it has been developed by his aunty, Trisha Milford, and her husband, and can process sales and store information. Before now, everything was done the old-fashioned way on paper, Mr Mackay said.

He said he loves being able to host poultry auctions, taking some genes from his father Tim Mackay, who works for Forbes Livestock, and said his passion helps him to be so organised for someone as young as him.

“It’s something I’ve always been interested in- the sales and everything,” he said. “I help my dad out with his work during the school holidays, and I seem to really like that.”

“I can’t even remember how it all started to be honest. I think I just had a real build up of chooks one time. I have my own chooks and I couldn’t get rid of them.” “I thought to myself ‘I wish there was a sale around’, and then thought that I would just run one.”

During the April 10 auction Mr Mackay will organize all of the chickens, including recording their pen details, and individual chicken details, while his father Tim does the auctioneering. Sam Mackay has organised four auctions
in the last 12 months, but said from now on he’ll likely limit himself to one per
year.

“It’s something I really enjoy doing,” he said. “I would love to follow my dad’s footsteps and make a career out of it. Probably not with chooks though, but with cattle of sheep.”

“Unfortunately I can’t hold my own cattle and sheep auctions as they already have them going at the moment, but I go to them every Sunday to help prepare for the cattle sale.” “Whenever I can get a Tuesday off I go down to the sheep sales as well.”