The Parkes/Forbes Cake Decorators Guild (CDG) hosted a State Rostered Day at the Parkes Baptist Church recently, along with demonstrators from the CDG of NSW State Body.

Attendees travelled from Newcastle, Wagga Wagga, Bathurst, Cabonne, Orange, Dubbo, Peak Hill, Forbes, Sydney, Camden and Mudgee. Parkes Shire councillors Patricia Smith and Bill Jayet were amongst those attending the morning session.

Guests were welcomed by CDG president, Jeanette McGregor, where after groups were formed for demonstrations by expert cake decorators.

The first demonstration was presented by Elizabeth Ivory, which was a cake topper made out of modelling paste to the exact proportions of the flower cosmos in variouscolours.

The second demonstration was presented by Cathy Rice who taught attendees how to create a zygotes cactus. Cathy was encouraging attempts at such a project.

The Third Demonstration was conducted by Connie McCartney who showed guests how to decorate elaborate chocolate cupcakes in a cool cat design with the latest chocolate modelling paste.

Renee Mutton intrigued with her Sassie Giraffe. A Giraffe that could be used as a child’s birthday cake and puppet. Renee made a story from her creations which were built upon with each demonstration group starting with a page boy giraffe, a bridesmaid giraffe, a best man giraffe, a groom and lastly the bridal giraffe made out of fondant.

The Final demonstration was a combined demonstration from the members of the State body of NSW CDG. A demonstration of a checkerboard cake by the State President, Helen Robinson, as well as Elizabeth Ivory and Narelle Wardle. The checkerboard cake consisted of two ordinary cream and jam sponges combined with two mud cakes.

The event was made possible (sponsored) through a Cultural Grant from the Parkes Shire and the Northparkes Mines Community Grant awarded to CDG.

 

 

The NSW Small Winemakers Wine Show will be returning for its 26th year at the Forbes Youth and Community Centre, with judging occurring from 28 to 30 August.

This year 524 entries have been received from 89 wineries and will be judged to select the top wines based on their appearance, aroma, body, taste and finish. Judging will be done by Chairman of Judges, Mike De luliis from De luliis Wines, Pokolbin and his team of expert wine judges and associate judges.

Following the judging and the announcement of the results, the wines will be showcased at the public tasting event from 6:30pm on Friday, 1 September at the Forbes Youth and Community Centre.

Tickets are $25, which includes finger food, and are available at the door.

The award winners are then invited to a prestigious presentation night on Saturday, 16 September at the Forbes Services Memorial Club, which is also open to the public.

It features a five course meal accompanied by the trophy winning wines. Tickets are $100 and are available at BWR Accountants or by calling 0499 180 101.

NSW Small Winemakers Wine Show President Mark Watts said: “The committee and I are excited about what this year’s show will bring and it will be a great event. Our show is continuing to defy the trend of falling entries at wine shows, essentially maintaining the number of wineries entering our show, and the number of entries are similar to the past three years.”

For more information go to www.nswwineshow.com.au or follow NSW Small Winemakers Wine Show on Facebook.

By Amy Millerd

How To Prevent Falls
It is estimated that at least 30% of people in the community aged 65 years and over fall one or more times a year. Around 10% of those falls result in a fracture so maintaining and improving your health is vital as you get older. According to the Pharmacists at Flannery’s
Pharmacy it is very important to exercise to improve balance, strength and flexibility. “Home or group exercise programs are a good way to stay active as well as social,” said Flannery’s Pharmacy

Registered Nurse, Rachel Hayes. “It is also very important to wear shoes that are comfortable and that fit well,” said Rachel. Pharmacist, Tracey Edwards advises that it’s important for people to know about any side-effects from medications that could cause dizziness or drowsiness. “If you are on a number of medications it’s a good idea to sit down with your pharmacist for a MedsCheck which is a free service,” said Tracey.

Other ways to prevent falls is to use nonslip bath mats, install hand rails, keep all areas free from clutter and power cords and ensure that there is adequate lighting in the home. “If you are experiencing balance problems, Flannery’s Pharmacy has a wide range of home health care aids that can help you,” said Rachel. The range includes walkers, walking sticks, over toilet aids, pedal exercisers, easy reachers and many more aids.

During September, Flannery’s Pharmacy is hosting free health checks, which include blood pressure and blood glucose monitoring as well as free MedsChecks. Want to know more? Call in at Flannery’s Pharmacy or give them a call on 6852 1111.

Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is the most common cause of disability and decreased mobility in older people. It can also occur in younger or middle-aged people, mostly those who have injured their joint earlier in life.

It mostly affects the articular cartilage (the cartilage covering the ends of the bones) of a joint. The cause of osteoarthritis has often been attributed to “wear and tear” but this can be misleading. Joint cartilage actually requires regular movement to remain healthy. In healthy joints, there is a balance between degeneration and regeneration of the articular cartilage. When degeneration exceeds regeneration, the cartilage thins and may even crack causing the bones to rub together. Cartilage, however, needs some load to regenerate. Healthy loads
need to be applied to joints for cartilage recovery.

In the more advanced stages of osteoarthritis the articular cartilage disappears and the two bone surfaces begin to touch. This causes pain, swelling and increased heat in the joint due to inflammation. Trying to protect itself, the body produces more bone at the joint edges and osteophytes (jagged bits of bone) form. As the soft tissues around the joint, including ligaments and muscles, become affected the joints
become looser and the muscles tighten to compensate. This leads to even more pain and often joint deformity.

Currently there is no proven way of curing cartilage loss. Treatment is aimed at reducing symptoms and improving function of the joint. Regular movement and strengthening the muscles around the joint helps to reduce joint laxity and keep the remaining cartilage healthy. Maintaining a healthy weight reduces the load on weight bearing joints therefore decreasing the rate of cartilage breakdown.

For the fitness of you.
Linda Reilly

Indigenous students are invited to apply for the Origin Foundation Grant King Indigenous Scholarships, which will provide two students with a full residential scholarship to undertake a degree in Engineering or Science at the University of New South Wales.

Origin Foundation Head Sean Barrett says the new program will help generations of students aspiring to careers in a STEM field to realise their dreams. Through its Indigenous Programs Unit, Nura Gili, UNSW provides entry pathways for Indigenous students in all faculties and programs, and supports them throughout their studies.

Scholarship holders will also have the opportunity to be mentored by Mr King, who was formerly the Managing Director at Origin and remains one of Australia’s most prominent business leaders as the President of the Business Council of Australia.

“Investing in access to exceptional education and support for Indigenous students is crucial to our society. Mentoring a young person through their most formative years can make a significant impact on their future, and I thank UNSW and Origin Foundation for creating this opportunity,” Mr King said.

The Origin Foundation Grant King Indigenous Scholarship is open for applications now: https://www.scholarships.unsw.edu.au

It is a sad reality that young drivers are involved in 25% of crashes on roads within the Forbes, Parkes, and Lachlan Shire Council areas.

The mock crash demonstration is the major strategy of the NOT A STATISTIC! Youth Driver Education Program, developed in response to crash statistics across NSW, and aims to improve the attitudes and behaviours of young drivers and passengers.

Parkes, Forbes and Lachlan Shire Councils’ Road Safety and Injury Prevention Officer, Melanie Suitor, invites locals to find out what the annual mock car crash demonstration is all about by attending the last dress rehearsal on 21 August at 7pm at Parkes PCYC.

“We are excited that this is the third time we have offered this experience to locals. In the past we received requests from people who wanted to see the demonstration and we’ve also found that having a live audience lifts the performance from our actors,” said Melanie.

“The demonstration is as close to the real thing as it can be. It starts with a short film that sets the scene prior to the crash occurring and proceeds with the mock demonstration, which is a full emergency response involving NSW Police, NSW Ambulance and Parkes SES,” she said.

Local youth actors will play the crash victims and local emergency services will perform their usual tasks. The demonstration concludes with victim impact statements recorded by the crash victims six months on from the crash.

“The run time is around 60 minutes. There’s no need to book – just turn up, “ Ms Suitor said.

“It is important to remember that the content is not suitable for children under the age of 15,” she added.

Over 500 students from nine high schools across the three Council areas will view the mock crash demonstration on Thursday 24 August.