The 50th year of Carols By Candlelight was an entertaining evening for all.

The 50th Carols by Candlelight was held last Saturday and, as anticipated, drew large crowds for a spectacular evening of singing and entertainment.

Forbes residents both young and old arrived at Victoria Park with picnic blankets, camping chairs, food and drink and settled in for a wonderfully vibrant line up of guest singers.

Once again, MC Judy Prior quite literally lit up the stage and the atmosphere with her delightful festival costume that featured real Christmas lights, tinsel and baubles. Judy’s enthusiasm and quick wit ensured laughter and joy between each performance which contributed to a seamless procession of guest singers and speakers.

Council’s very own Kimberly Ryan astounded all with her beautiful rendition of ‘Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” and as she sang, children danced and played in front of the large screen beside the stage with their light up candles and flashing flower hair wreaths.

As the sun went down the park was illuminated by decorative Christmas lighting that hung from trees, was a true visual feast to behold.

Mayor Phyllis Miller gave the official welcome where she gave a heartfelt Acknowledgement of Country before urging residents to be safe on the roads over the holidays and wished the town of Forbes a prosperous year in 2020.

It was the Forbes Town and District Band who not only hosted the Carols with the support of the council, but also played through the evening, providing music for the song and maintaining a joyous and festive atmosphere for all to enjoy.

Summer holidays are notorious for testing the patience of even the most saint-like parents. There are ways parents can reduce the pester stress that is inevitable when young ones accompany parents on shopping trips. A small ask has the potential to escalate into a public meltdown, many parents have experienced this behaviour first-hand.

There are ways to survive the journey through capitalist marketing strategies seemingly aimed at making shopping a risky task during school holidays:

• Kids love having a job to do. You can keep children busy by designating them tasks, like pushing the trolley or ticking items off a list, they’ll feel more involved and interested.

• Visit the free fruit station. A healthy snack might give you the time to complete the shop with minimal fussing.

• Take things to distract. Difficult behaviour often arises when children are hungry or tired. If you have a book, toy or something to eat, you might be able to stretch their patience until the shop is done.

Remember that children will be children and parents will be parents. Hopefully parents can find comfort in knowing that they are not alone in experiencing challenging behaviours this silly season.

SafeWork NSW has increased its Safety Rebate for the purchase of an approved side by side vehicle with Roll Over Protection fitted from $1000 to $2000 for eligible ABN Holders.

The SafeWork NSW Safety rebate can be completed at Forbes Small Engines before purchasing your new Polaris Side by Side. They have all the documentation in store and can help complete the qualifying process.

As the Number 1 selling brand in Australia, together with Polaris they offer the most extensive range of Off-Road vehicles with Roll Over Protection (ROPS). With models covering 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 seat variants and they have over 30 models available, fitted with approved ROPS.

They can assist you with advice on which model is best suited to your needs and to confirm if you are eligible for the SafeWork NSW $2,000 rebate so please get in touch with the team at Forbes Small Engines.

Bec Kennedy, Jolene Jones and Taylah Jones want you to consider your Plan B.

Local pubs, clubs and bottle shops have thrown their support behind the NSW Centre For Safety’s “Plan B” campaign. Fifty-seven pubs, clubs and bottle shops throughout Forbes, Parkes and the Lachlan Shire are promoting this campaign which reminds patrons to consider alternative options to driving home after drinking.

The state-wide initiative aims at reducing causalities of drink driving, one of the leading causes of death and injury on NSW roads. Because of the lack of access to public transport and private taxi services, people in rural and remote areas are at a far greater risk of death and injury due to drink driving.

Participating venues and businesses invite patrons to put forward their plan B for getting home after a night out, doing so will enter patrons into a competition to win a swag valued at $250. Local radio station ROK-FM have also thrown their support behind the campaign by encouraging listeners to call in with their Plan B for getting home safely.

The competition winners will be announced on New Year’s Eve. The prize it- self reinforces the Plan B campaign to raise awareness and to make people consider other options to driving. Alternatives can be walking home, having a designated driver or throwing a swag out on a mate’s floor.

The promotion coincides with enhanced Police enforcement, reminding drivers that RBT means you need a Plan B, especially following the introduction of tougher drink driving penalties earlier this year. Since May 2019, drivers who commit a low range drink driving offence for the first time will have their licence suspended immediately, effective for three months. This will be coupled with a fine of $572. To avoid these penalties, please consider your Plan B.

For further information please contact Parkes, Forbes and Lachlan Shire Councils’ Road Safety and Injury Prevention Officer, Melanie Suitor, on (02) 6861 2364.

Susan Stewart, Sue-anne Nixon and Philip Gilderdale of Forbes Rotary Ipomea were delighted by the marvelous entries in their Christmas Tree Festival over the weekend.

The delightfully diverse range of talent, creativity and skill of the Forbes community was on full display over the weekend at the Rotary Ipomea Christmas Tree Festival. This year marked the ninth year that the festival has been staged at the Forbes Town Hall. Entries from various community groups as well as individuals ranged from the fun and spontaneous to the meticulously planned and intricately detailed. Such variety amongst so many entries meant many voters were hard pressed to choose one favourite, with many voting several times for different entries.

Jemalong Retirement Village took first place in the popular vote with their “12 Days Of Christmas” tree which amazed voters by the sheer size of the tree. The intricate detail and thorough consideration of the design, partnered with brilliant execution, made this entry a real stand out piece.

Uniting Church Nativity took out the second-place popular vote and Rotary Ipomoea members gave prizes to Eugowra Public School for their entry, made entirely of recycled materials. The Forbes District Lions Club also gained an Ipomoea prize for their “Christmas Wish Tree”, an amazing dry stump decorated with messages of hope.

It is apparent that as the festival matures, so does the scope of creative genius, skill and consideration in each entry. However, it is the enthusiastic involvement of the Forbes community, both festival entrants and visitors, that exemplifies the magnanimous Christmas spirit which makes this annual festival so very special.

Jemalong Retirement Village won first place in the popular vote for their entry “12 Days Of Christmas”

The Forbes District Lions club also gained an Ipomoea prize for their “Christmas Wish Tree”.

Come along to the Elvis statue in Cooke Park, Parkes to help celebrate Elvis’ 85th Birthday.

It is often said by visitors to Forbes that the wonderful community is so fortunate to host numerous community events, festivals, celebrations, concerts and more each year. So many that it can be difficult to find the time to see it all.

One event that Forbes Shire Council as well as the Forbes community has become more and more involved with over the years is the Parkes Elvis Festival. With the festival highlights spilling into Forbes it is important that Forbes residents continue to support events and festivals hosted by our neighbours, at this time more than ever before, with drought relief in mind.

Wednesday, 8th January next year will mark Elvis’s 85th Birthday and everyone is invited to celebrate the day in Cooke Park, by the Elvis statue at 10am. This celebration is proudly staged and supported by Elvis Revival Inc., the Parkes Elvis Festival founding committee and a small group of volunteers.

Guests are encouraged to bring chairs, rugs and whatever else will ensure their comfort while they enjoy music and entertainment provided by Barry Green, Parkes’ one and only Elvis tribute artist.

Do you share a birthday with Elvis? Bring along proof on the day to go into a draw to cut the official birthday cake. This celebration is proudly brought to you by the Elvis Revival Incorporated Committee.

Please note that the ARTC Cooke Park main stage and markets will be under construction at this time, so entry to the event will be via the corner of Cooke Park at the intersection of Short Street and Clarinda Street near the Elvis Statue.