We are fast approaching Destination Forbes 2015 with the Girl’s Day Out Luncheon to be held on Friday 4 September. This year the guest speaker will be Julie Snook, a former graduate from Red Bend Catholic College. Julie began her career in Forbes as a print journalist before moving to the ACT to join the founding team at the Canberra
Weekly Magazine. She then went into television and radio until she accepted a role with Channel Nine in the Sydney newsroom.

The luncheon will be held at Forbes Inn Restaurant and a community nurse will also talk about ovarian cancer. Tickets can be purchased from Undercover Sleepwear & Lingerie for $50 per person, which includes a 2-course meal. Contact Marg Duggan on 6851 4405 for more details.

The new mobile breast screening unit is continuing its tour of Forbes until Monday 28 September following 5 weeks in Parkes. The bus is part of BreastScreen NSW Greater Western’s initiative aiming to increase awareness and promote early detection of breast cancer.

“It is vital for all women aged between 50 and 74 to have a mammogram every two years at a BreastScreen NSW clinic,” said Lachlan Health Service Manager Liz Mitchell. “It is a free service that only takes 20 minutes and it could save your life.” Liz said it is wonderful that women from Forbes can get a free mammogram locally without having to travel during this time, encouraging local women to make the most of the opportunity while the van is in Forbes.

The BreastScreen van is one of 11 upgraded units in the state with the purpose of helping to support early detection for the one in eight women in NSW affected by breast cancer in their lifetime. “Early detection is the key to improving the survival rate of breast cancer, and mammograms can detect cancers before they can be seen or felt,” Liz said.

Enhancements in the new vehicles include things like upgraded digital mammography equipment, a secure wireless communication system, improved air-conditioning and wheelchair access. Lorraine Parker, a Councillor for Lachlan
Health said the upgraded van is a great improvement because it uses the same technology and provides the same service as the BreastScreen service in Orange without the need to travel.

“It is really important that women visit the van while it is in Forbes,” Lorraine said. The BreastScreen Mobile Unit will be stationed in Victoria Park behind the Cenotaph on Harold Street until Friday 28 September, when it will then travel to Tottenham, Tullamore, Trundle, Peak Hill, Narromine and Molong. Bookings can be made by phoning 13 20 50 or just stop by the van.

 

Cricketers in Forbes and across NSW will benefit this year from the renewal of a partnership between Cricket NSW and fast food giant McDonald’s. This partnership will see McDonald’s as the Major Community Partner of Cricket NSW during the 2015/2016 cricket season to support individuals reaching for their sporting dreams.

“After an incredibly successful inaugural year, we are pleased to once again partner with Cricket NSW,” said Malcolm Harrison, licensee of McDonald’s in Forbes, Parkes and Cowra. “We value the development of important life skills such as teamwork and sportsmanship and we encourage locals from Forbes to sign up and get involved with their local cricket club.” “We hope our support of Cricket NSW will help to increase the number of Aussies batting,
bowling and fielding for our national support.”

Like last year, McDonald’s will be involved Forbes Cricket Funding with Cricket NSW on a number of levels including major sponsorship of Country Cricket and supporting recipients of the Cricket NSW Facility Grants program. Last season the program funded over $5.8 million worth of facility upgrades for grassroots cricket across the state.

Some McDonald’s restaurants will engage with their respective local cricket clubs to host sign-up days and other events to encourage active participation in the sport. As part of the sponsorship, they will recognise a McDonald’s junior cricketer of the week from both metropolitan and regional NSW during the cricket season. “We are delighted to have McDonald’s on board for another season,” said Cricket NSW General Manager of Commercial Operations
and Communications, Brett Richardson.

“Both Cricket NSW and McDonald’s are passionate about getting kids active and we will promote our recruitment messages to get kids playing cricket this summer.”

Windowrie and Neila have teamed up once again to host the 17th annual Windowrie Event which will be held Saturday 31 October. This is a very limited opportunity to enjoy the food of Neila, a restaurant that according to Good Food Guide, “would drop jaws in Sydney or even New York.”

Windowrie’s Long Lunch is an alfresco affair with tables set under the 40 year old Prunus trees that line the entrance to the family garden and homestead at Windowrie Vineyard. Guests will be entertained by Sydney singer songwriters Dela & Grets as well as local musician Oli Statham. Windowrie winemaker Anthony D’Onise and vigneron Jason O’Dea will present the wines and discuss their matching to Neila’s dishes, which will reflect the melding of Chinese and Greek influences.

Bookings are essential so secure your place at this amazing event online at www.windowrie.com.au. Tickets are $120 per person and are all inclusive.

Marie Thomas, a much loved and appreciated employee celebrated her retirement recently after 39 years working with TAFE, bringing a fulfilling and interesting career to a gentle finish. Celebrating with a big farewell function at
the Forbes Services Memorial Club on 24 July, Marie looks back on her administration career fondly.

Marie’s first taste of TAFE life came as a 16 year old student when she sat for her Secretarial Certificate before starting her administrative career. Starting at the Parkes TAFE as a typist in June 1976 when she was only 21 years old, Marie was a loyal TAFE employee on the Parkes campus for many years until 1998. “When I first started at the college as a typist I was by myself,” Marie said, “but the college grew quite big.”

When Marie was elevated to a role as Cluster Leader in Customer Service, she became involved with TAFE campuses in Parkes, Forbes, Cowra, Grenfell and Condobolin. For two years during 2007-2008 Marie worked out of Dubbo as the Head of Administration looking after Cobar, Bourke, Brewarrina, Walgett, Lightning Ridge and Coonamble
until coming back to her job at Forbes in 2009. “I chose to go down a few grades so I could come back to Forbes for the lifestyle,” Marie said. “Money is not everything.” “Our focus was on our students, ensuring they had the support they needed to succeed in their chosen career paths.”

“I loved seeing school students come to TAFE and watching them mature, and I loved the people I worked with in TAFE and the family type atmosphere.” “I was very passionate about trainees that came through and very supportive of my staff because you have to value the people that work for you.” “I will miss people a lot. I’ll miss the staff and
interacting with the students. But I’ve earnt my retirement; this is now my time which I’ll share with my family.”

Ray White Rural Forbes have recently made a very proud announcement after their highly successful experience at the Ray White Awards which were held on the Gold Coast on 2-4 August.

Ian Simpson and his enthusiastic, dedicated team travelled to the Gold Coast for three days of scheduled conference events and international awards. The team attended the Rural function on Sunday 2 August alongside 150 other specialists in the industry. The Forbes rural real estate agent was awarded Marketer of the Year, Number 10
Sales Achiever Rural Network and Premier Sales Achievement within the group. As part of the 3 day conference, activities were organised for the participators. Ian and his team took part in group workshops with speakers including Andrew Denton, Adam Gilchrist, John McLean and Lachlan Murdoch.

Ian said the team found the event to be highly motivational and have returned to Forbes with recharged batteries and the drive to improve for greater future successes for their clients. Congratulations Ian, Lisa, Stacey and Ned
on this monumental achievement.

Feelings of depression and suicide affect millions of Australians every day and when Sandra Moran’s 22-year-old son Jai tragically took his own life, she knew she had to share the burden of her loss.

To honour Jai’s memory, Sandra is helping others overcome depression and suicidal tendencies by talking about the risks of emotional and mental health issues that are often stigmatised or swept under the rug in smaller communities. Travelling with her is Jerry Farsoun, an individual who has struggled with feelings of suicide
and depression himself and who strives to prove that there is a higher value to each and every person, showing people what they can achieve through determination.

The team travel together with Sandra on a motorbike and Jerry riding with his family in a fully equipped, state-of-the-art bus, visiting remote and rural communities to reach out to individuals who might need them. “Basically the main people that can help suicide survivors are other suicide survivors,” Sandra said when the bus/motorbike convoy rolled into Forbes on Monday. “There’s always someone to reach out to.” “I am enjoying it,” Jerry said about the tour, “and it’s great when people come out but many people are reluctant to talk when they are a part of a tight-knit community.”

“We are really putting ourselves out there. What we are doing is revolutionary; we’re beating a different drum.”
Jerry is also pioneering an incredible new mobile application which gives people the option to set up a “guardian” network. If the person fears for their personal safety, they can hit the “panic” button, which notifies the nominated network of people that the person is in trouble, what their location is and how much battery life they have left.

“It’s a phenomenal concept and it will revolutionise personal safety,” said Jerry. “It’s amazing in the sense that it could save lives.” Check OverDownUnder out on Facebook to find out how to donate to a cause in need!

A fully-sustainable and self-sufficient home is turning into the new Australian Dream. A house that is energy efficient, cost effective and friendly to the planet might be the trifecta, and Forbes’ own Jason Hopkins is turning
dreams into realities all over town. “For too long, only the very few could build a green home, and that is most likely to do with the high rates being charged by niche green builders in the Australian market,” Jason said.

“Now we are able to deliver homes that are as practical and affordable as they are efficient and healthy, opening up a world of lower bills to every Australian, regardless of their budget.”

In 2014, Jason became one of the first franchisees of Green Homes Australia, a national award winning building franchise. He has a passion to be a builder who provides an exceptional experience for those clients that choose to work with him in constructing their ultimate energy efficient home.

Green Homes Australia are the only building company in Australia that can deliver homes that are certified to comply with ISO 50001, the international standard covering systems and processes which improve energy performance. “Forbes has become one of the very first towns to have an internationally recognised, certified energy efficient home built for a local couple on their Bogoin Lain property,” Jason said. “Another Forbes couple are building on South Lead Road.”

“We should be very proud of this achievement as we will see in the near future the entire industry focusing on how to make homes and businesses more energy efficient.”

Earlier this year, Chris Finkel and a group of Rotary friends climbed Mount Kenya, quite a surprising accomplishment for a man in his 70s. “Three years ago John Glassford, who is a member of Rotary Club of Cootamundra, decided to organise a team to climb Mount Kenya,” said Chris, a member of the Rotary Club of Forbes.

John’s aim was to go back and help some of the less fortunate people living in Africa by getting together a group of 12 people who would raise $5000 each by climbing Mount Kenya, the second highest peak in Africa. The goal of $60,000 would help educate the Maasai People, a hunter-gatherer tribe in southern Kenya and northern Tanzania. Some of the funds raised will go towards building a school and training teachers to give children a better education.

The money will also be used to build an AIDS clinic, with some going towards the Australian charity Legacy. “So far we’ve raised around $40,000 and donations will be open until the end of 2015,” Chris said. The following is an excerpt from Chris’ journal where he wrote about his experiences and his Tanzanian guide, tackling the peak on
ANZAC Day. “After the first few minutes of climbing, I began to experience serious breathlessness. Moses dropped back from the main group to stay with me and slowly we made progress towards the last flat ridge below Point Lenana.”

“Moses and I reached the 4700 metre ridge to cheers and snow ball attacks from the rest of the team. I had climbed 4700 metres with a 10kg pack of gear and water on my back.” Chris was at the gym for 2-3 months before the challenge and would walk 8kms a day with a backpack and 6 litres of water to prepare. “It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life,” says Chris, “but we did it. It was a great challenge.”

Some members of the group also visited the Oloimugi Maasai Village, the site of a new school to be built using the funds raised by the Mt Kenya climb; quite a fascinating story in itself. “A village gate had been erected in our honour
and we were greeted by Maasai songs from the village ladies. We were guided through the gateway under an array of walking sticks held up by the very tall Maasai elders. I was singled out by a white bearded older Maasai tribesman and presented with his walking stick.”

The Rotary Club of Forbes will be hosting a Sponsor’s Night at the Vanderberg Hotel in September to celebrate the achievements of climbers and sponsors with food and a presentation of the adventure.

Six prominent Shorthorn Studs, namely Coonardoo, Moombi, Polldale, Ronelle Park, Southern Cross and Trojon are the vendors for the Shorthorn Central Bull Sale. They decided to create this opportunity after seeing a need for Shorthorn Bull sales in the Central West.

A team of 40 bulls will be on offer and since the vendors wanted “all things equal”, they have all been housed at one property for the past 90 days on grazing oats in the lead up to the sale. This way all bulls can be compared to each other as if it were a farm bull sale. The bulls will be weighed and scanned on the 9 August and their figures will be available on sale day or by emailing rjj60@bigpond.com

All bulls have been semen tested and vaccinated with vendors giving a 6 month guarantee. “We are looking forward to the sale, presenting our bulls to you and talking to everyone that comes along,” Janelle said.