In a push to encourage more Forbes residents to enjoy reading, Forbes Shire Council has installed an amazing bright red “Street Library” in Nelson Park. Local resident, Kathy Prow initiated the project with Council after seeing Street Libraries in other locations around NSW.

Kathy explained that the concept of Street Libraries is that they are a beautiful home for books, planted in a public place.

“People can simply reach in and take what interests them and when they are done, they can return them to the Street Library. They can also swap the book they take with one of their own, or even just donate a book or two for others to enjoy.”

General Manager, Steve Loane said that the installation of the first Street Library is part of Council’s ongoing commitment to supporting community initiatives.

“We congratulate Kathy on her idea. Our support of this project is in line with great events such as Reading Down Town Day, that really foster an ethic of learning in young and old alike. Reading is so important for children and modelling an enjoyment of reading by adults can only encourage young people to do the same. This street library is the first in town and there is more planned – stay tuned!”

Parkes Christian School is celebrating its most successful HSC results to date. In just their fourth year of delivering the HSC, the school is very proud of the results achieved by their 2018 cohort.

Students achieved Band 5 and 6 results in Advanced and Extension English, Biology, Business Studies, Community and Family Studies, Design and Technology, Modern History and German Continuers.

Emma Greenland capped off a year to remember when she received her ATAR of 90.95 last Friday. Emma, who was named High School Dux and Best All-Rounder at the school’s Presentation Night last week, received a Band 6 in Community and Family Studies, and Biology. She also achieved Band 5 in Modern History and German Continuers, and also Advanced English which she completed as an accelerated student in 2017. Emma will now be able to gain direct entry into a Speech Pathology Course in Sydney next year.

Elly Collins also achieved some outstanding results in Design and Technology and English Extension 1, in which she received 40/50 in an extremely demanding and academic course. This will put her in a good position to undertake an Occupational Therapy degree in Port Macquarie, which she had already gained entry to through the Schools Recommendation Scheme.

Madelynne Capple achieved a Band 5 in Business Studies and will use her business acumen when she enters the International College of Management on Sydney’s Northern Beaches in 2019.

High School Coordinator, Greg Ballantyne was thrilled with the results. “As a school we are really pleased for Emma.
Her results are the product of many hours of hard work and dedication,” he said.

“But the rest of the group have also done extremely well and have bright futures ahead of them. Every student who applied for early entry to university received an offer, maintaining our 100 percent record over the past four years,” said Greg.

The Amazing Forbes Elvis Breakfast will once again wow visitors in Forbes on Saturday, 12th January 2019. Set to bring all the fun of a 60’s, 70’s retro carnival to Forbes, the Amazing Forbes Elvis Breakfast will feature food vans, live entertainment, kids activities and much more… all in the heart of Forbes CBD.

Join us in Templar and Rankin Streets from 7am for free live entertainment from International Elvis tribute artist, Che Orton, followed by chilled tunes from local artist, Adam Enslow until midday. Tantalize your tastebuds with visiting food vans. Featuring fairy floss, bagels, old-fashioned lemonade and popcorn as well as local retailers featuring special Elvis-inspired menus. The kids will be kept entertained with face painting and free rides including a massive jumping castle and bucking bull, along with retro carnival-inspired activities throughout the morning.

“We are thrilled to be once again hosting the amazing Forbes Elvis Street Breakfast,” said Mayor of Forbes, Phyllis Miller OAM. “Last year was a raging success and this year is set to be just as much fun!” “I’m especially looking forward to trying out some special Elvis-inspired treats from our local cafes and we have a great range of local food vans joining the party including Sweet 3 Vintage Van, Benny’s Bagels and Bakery and Steve’s Mega Treats,” she said.

Take advantage of special deals and discounts from local retailers, only available during the Festival period (Thursday, 10th to Sunday, 13th January). All can enjoy a relaxed breakfast before the special shuttle bus departs at 9am to transport festival goers from Forbes CBD to Parkes, arriving right on time for the Northparkes Street Parade.

For more information about the Amazing Forbes Elvis Breakfast, contact Forbes Shire Council on 6850 2300.

Congratulations to the young men and women who have completed their HSC this year – no small feat! A passed exam is a happy event unlike any other.

As you know, there is no secret to success. It’s the result of hard work and more importantly, resilience. Not everything goes to plan and it’s not the wins that make us who we are, but our ability to handle the setbacks along the way.

Whether your HSC results exceeded what you expected or fell a little short, you’ve put in the hard yards and for that you deserve a huge pat on the back.

It’s important to know that your future isn’t determined solely by those numbers, as plenty of opportunities will arise if you’re ready to meet them. Your future is determined by your attitude, choices and – here’s that word again – your resilience moving forward.

You may have put some pressure on yourself, or you may have felt the pressure from others, to have the enormous question of “what you’re going to be” all figured out by now. But the truth is that you find the path on the way, and there are plenty of paths to choose from.

I wish you happy beginnings in the next chapter of your life.

Cheers,
Phil.

The wait is finally over with the Forbes Christmas Carnival happening today! There is so much more on offer this year including free rides on the tea cups, jumping castles and Hector – the bucking bull. Test your artistic talents with Street Art or join the kids in a giant game somewhere in Templar or Rankin Streets.

Showcasing 30 market stalls with lots of variety. Some of the stalls include plants, children’s clothes, honey, cherries, adult clothing, handmade jewellery, natural oils, candles, signs, beeswax wraps and slime.

There are also some wonderful food and drink stalls dotted around.

Again the amazing emergency services will be on hand to demonstrate and talk to visitors. There are also give-aways and activities.

There is even a rumour that a special visitor might arrive on a very important vehicle as well.

The novelty relay race will be held at 6:45pm in Rankin Street. Teams of two are most welcome. Call into SportsPower and nominate or show up on the evening.

Come along from 5pm to 9pm and join in the fun.

Forbes High School Year 11 student, Sophie Cowan was presented with the prestigious Victor Chang School Science Award at a ceremony held in Dubbo recently.

The prestigious Victor Chang School Science Awards were presented to 13 Year 11 students from the Western NSW region for excellence in the field of science. Sophie Cowan of Forbes High School (FHS) was one such recipient to receive the esteemed award at a presentation ceremony held at the end of November in Dubbo.

Showing promise in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), these bright students have continued to challenge themselves in the classroom.

“Sophie is a student who has consistently worked to achieve her best in all areas of study. She has researched and produced a biology depth study of exemplary standard, providing knowledge and insight far above her peers,” said Toni Edwards, FHS Head Teacher Science/Agriculture.

“Sophie is always positive, quiet, diligent and confident in her work, assisting others when needed. Her calm demeanour provides an environment for others to feel comfortable and confident during group settings.

“She is both respectful and responsible, leading by example in all facets of course work. She has been placed first in Biology at Forbes High School, having achieved two perfect scores for assessments this year,” said Toni.

Named after the late cardiac surgeon and pioneer of modern heart transplantation, Dr Victor Chang, these awards were established to celebrate young, gifted studentsand to foster growth in scientific studies.

The Victor Chang School Science Awards help raise community awareness and appreciation of the important contribution scientists can make to our everyday lives.

Dr Alastair Stewart from the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute believes that by guiding and encouraging these students to consider a career in STEM, the legacy of Australian discovery will only become stronger.

The winners will join more than 200 students from across NSW on a tour of the Victor Chang Institute, and have the opportunity to learn first-hand from our world renowned scientists.

Inland Rail will be in Forbes this month to talk to locals about the project and get feedback on the early designs and planning in the local area.

Inland Rail is the 1,700 kilometre rail line which will link Melbourne and Brisbane allowing the passage of double stacked freight trains up to 1,800 metres long and helping connect cities and farms to markets across the country, safer, faster and more efficiently.

Between Stockinbingal and Parkes the project will use the existing 169 kilometre rail corridor. But there are structures along that route where changes are needed to allow the passage of the taller trains.

These community drop-ins in the Forbes town centre will allow people to hear directly from project representatives, ask questions and give their feedback.

“We want to hear from as many people in the area as possible. It is still the early design stages for this leg of Inland Rail,” said Project Manager, Cameron Simpkins.

“But we’re looking at the options around replacing the Lachlan River rail bridge, and what enhancements will be needed at the Wyndham Avenue road bridge, so that the taller trains can pass under it safely. There are also likely to be some enhancement works needed in the Forbes railway station precinct.”

The scheduled sessions are:

• Daroobalgie on Monday, 17th December from 10am to 1pm at the canteen at the Forbes Central West Livestock Exchange;

• Forbes on Monday, 17th December from 4pm to 7pm at the corner of Templar Street and Lachlan Street and

• Forbes on Tuesday, 18th December from 8am to 11am at the corner of Templar Street and Lachlan Street.