Articles Archives - Page 386 of 412

Bedgerabong Turns Out to Honour Fallen Son

February 18, 2016 by Maggi Barnard

Bedgerabong Picnic Races vice president Russell Constable hailed last Saturday’s race meet a huge success, with around 2500 people turning out in support of the late Stuart Brown.

Mr Brown lost his battle with cancer last November. He was a Bedgerabong local, and was the tallest jockey in Australian racing history, and worked tirelessly to keep his weight in the 60 kilo range.

He was a successful jockey in his 20-year career, bagging more than 200 race wins, including three at his home Bedgerabong Cup. His first home win came in 2004. This year’s Bedgerabong Cup was renamed ‘The Stuart Brown Memorial Bedgerabong Picnic Race Club Cup’ in Mr Brown’s honour, and was solely sponsored by the Picnic Race Club instead of being offered to an independent sponsor, as it had been in the past.

A delegate of Mr Brown’s family was present in a marquee on the day to represent the late local. Mr Constable said the day was emotional, but one to remember with tight results in most of the six races. “The Bedgerabong Cup was Stuart’s favourite race, being a Bedgerabong boy, so it was for the committee and his family for him not to be there,” he said. “It was quite emotional at the Cup, but we expected it to be.”

“But each race went well. We had great horse numbers, the races were good, the track was fantastic, and the fields were good. We can only race a maximum of 10 horses per race, and we had a couple with the full ten and others with eight.”

“These numbers were very good for a little Cup meeting.” This year’s Cup winner was third favourite Financial Gain, ridden by Billy Owen and trained by Kelly Milliner. The nine-year old bay gelding came in just 0.8 seconds ahead of runner-up Two Naughty, and won it’s second successive Bedgerabong Cup.

It was also its second win in consecutive weekends, after winning in Gilgandra with previous weekend. Mr Constable said the tight racing on the day made for a great spectacle for all 2500 people at the ground, and thanked them all for braving the hot weather. “The patrons braved the heat and they stayed there. It was up by a little bit on last year’s crowd which is great. We had a lot of
people in the fashions on the field as well,” he said.

Long serving committee member Bill Brown also received a life membership to the club.

Hogs for the Homeless Roll into Forbes

February 18, 2016 by Maggi Barnard

The people of Forbes turned out in great numbers on Tuesday, as the Hogs for the Homeless tour cruised through town. National Rugby League legends Brad Fittler, Nathan Hindmarsh, Steve Roach, Steve Menzies, Matt Cooper, Josh Perry and Brian Fletcher arrived in town in a convoy of Harley Davidson motorbikes.

The Hogs for the Homeless campaign was first organised by Brad Fittler in 2012, after he found out there was 50,000 people in NSW alone living on the streets. The campaign runs for two weeks and raises funds and awareness for Father Chris Riley’s “Youth off the Streets” foundation, which aims to put homeless people back in homes.

The former rugby league players were kept busy in Forbes, running a charity
sheep sale at the livestock exchange in the morning, before running a coaching clinic at Spooner Oval in the afternoon, and finally attending a fundraising dinner function at the Services Club in the evening. Each event was a huge success, with the sheep sale alone raising $11,560. With sheep buyers having the option of donating the sheep back to the sale yards, some sheep were sold multiple times, with one in particular selling a massive 56 times.

Hogs for the Homeless founder Brad Fittler, who played for the Penrith Panthers, Sydney Roosters, Australian Kangaroos and NSW State of Origin sides in his playing days, said the goal of the campaign was to make people aware that not everyone in NSW is fortunate enough to have a roof over their head. “There’s some real issues, and homelessness is one of them,” he said.

“Over 50,000 teenagers in the state are homeless, which is ludicrous,”
“This is about former footballers using their identities and getting out into the bush [so people in rural communities can meet them], and there’s the other side for Chris Riley and what he’s trying to accomplish.” Former Australian, NSW and Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles player Josh Perry said it was great to have been able to raise so much money, in particular the result at the
sheep sale.

“It’s amazing. We keep coming out to places like this and everyone says the
country is struggling a little bit, but it seems to be thriving, and the great people out here are digging into their pockets every time we see them,” he said.
Mr Perry, who was one of the organisers for this year’s tour, said it was enlightening for him and the other NRL legends to spend time with budding junior footballers, who do not normally get the chance to meet them, in rural communities.

“That’s one of the reasons why we come out. We get to meet the kids, and we get a lot out of that too. We’re lucky to be able to do what we do and we’re doing it every year now.”

Mr Fittler said he hoped more former players would keep joining the tour in the years to come.

Snippets…

February 18, 2016 by Maggi Barnard

McCormack appointed Assistant Defence Minister – Member for Riverina Michael McCormack has said he is honoured to continue to serve in the Ministry of the new Turnbull Government unveiled last Saturday in Canberra. Mr McCormack, whose electorate will see the introduction of the Forbes Shire to it at the end of the month, has been appointed Assistant Minister for Defence. He previously served as the Assistant Minister to the Deputy Prime Minister, Warren Truss, who last week announced his retirement from Parliament after decades of service.

Research shows you don’t have to be a nerd to benefit from The Brain – It’s backto-school-time, and amidst the challenges of new classes and making friends, beyondblue is encouraging young people and their parents to get to know its ‘The Brain’ character. New data reveals that more than half of the young Australians who saw The Brain during a beyondblue campaign last
year are more likely to talk to a friend when struggling with problems. The Brain was a pesky character in an eight month campaign last year that caused anxiety and depression in animated ads and images. The campaign encouraged teenagers to take action against such symptoms.

Seasonal workers expanding to greener pastures – Member for Calare John Cobb has announced the expansion of the Seasonal Worker Programme from primarily horticulture to the broader agricultural sector. This will see an increase in the types of low and unskilled jobs included in the programme. The expansion will also contribute to the economic development of Pacific Island nations and Timor-Leste. Mr Cobb said these changes mean more agricultural
businesses will benefit during peak periods when labour can be in short supply.

Safer Streets round two deadline extended – The Federal Government has extended the deadline for round two of the Safer Streets Programme to March 2. The programme gives local councils, neighbourhood watch groups, and local sporting groups the chance to apply for funding. Funds can be applied for to improve or install security infrastructure such as CCTV,
extra lighting, and the establishment of crime prevention projects. The deadline has been extended to ensure all eligible organisations have the chance to apply.

Family Friendly Forbes Rodeo

February 18, 2016 by Maggi Barnard

The Forbes Rodeo Committee are hard at work preparing for the Forbes Rodeo to be held at the Forbes Showground on Saturday 9th April 2016. In direct response to public feedback the program has been amended to be more family friendly with the Main Event, featuring some of the top riders in Australia, commencing at 3pm instead of the usual 6pm of the previous years.

Gates will open at 10am on the day with events to start at 11am with Junior and Timed Events such as Barrel Racing, Steer Wrestling, Café Roping, Team Roping, Breakaway Roping and Steer Un-decorating. Last year more than 300 entries were received for the day and Shaun Read, of the Forbes Rodeo Committee, is confident that they will reach this number or have increased
numbers this year.

The Main Event part of the program, including the Local Poddy Calf Ride, the
Saddle Bronc Ride, Bareback Bronc Ride and Bull Ride, will feature both Novice and Open divisions and there will be no shortage of top class competitors and entertainment for the whole family. The Forbes Rodeo is a sanctioned event with the Australian Bushmens Campdraft & Rodeo Association (ABCRA) and riders will be doing their best to earn points to improve their National standing. The ABCRA season starts at the beginning of December each year and runs through until the end of November with the cowboy and cowgirl with the most points claiming the National Title.

Not only will the top horse men and women be on display but Australian Saddle Bronc of the Year – Moves Like Jagger, Australian Bareback Bronc of the Year – Little Egypt and Australian Bucking Bull of the Year – Eye Candy will also be trying to maintain their claims to fame challenging the skills of the riders at all times.

Always On Always Present

February 18, 2016 by Maggi Barnard

GET YOUR BUSINESS MOBILE
If you are one of those businesses who are wondering how you can get your business onto mobiles cost effectively, then you need to come along and find out more about our iluvlocal Mobile App. Started in Sweden two years ago, this app is now part of many local businesses in Scandinavia. Costs sometimes
are prohibitive for smaller businesses to be part of this wave, however iluvlocal is not only very affordable, and easy to use, it also takes less than 3 minutes for you to create ads, campaigns and competitions for your business.

Latest research shows that 51% of all people who spent time with digital media spent it on their mobile phones. The implications are clear – if you’re not
able to reach your audience through mobile search or display, or you’re not providing a satisfactory mobile experience you will miss out compared to competitors who are.

Be at the Forbes Services Club at 6pm on Tuesday lst March to see how you can be involved. Call now to reserve a seat with Casey on 0400 279 984.

Forbes Phoenix to celebrate International Women’s Day

February 18, 2016 by Maggi Barnard

International Women’s Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating
the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.
The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender
parity.
International Women’s Day (IWD) has been observed since in
the early 1900’s – a time of great expansion and turbulence in
the industrialized world that saw booming population growth and
the rise of radical ideologies. International Women’s Day is a collective
day of global celebration and a call for gender parity. No
one government, NGO, charity, corporation, academic institution,
women’s network or media hub is solely responsible for International
Women’s Day. Many organizations declare an annual IWD
theme that supports their specific agenda or cause, and some of
these are adopted more widely with relevance than others.
The theme for this year’s event is #PledgeforParity and International
Womens Day will be celebrated locally at the Forbes Services
Club on Friday 11th March and will include a two course lunch
catered by the Services Club, and special guest speaker Tara
Scott, an Ambassador from One Girl, the charity we are supporting.
This charity is committed to educating 1 million girls across
Africa by 2020.
The event would not be possible without all of the wonderful
sponsors that have come on board. The Forbes Services Club,
Ray White Rural and the Central West Credit Union have each
donated their valuable services to make it possible. This will go a
long way to supporting One Girl in their quest to educate 1 million
less fortunate African girls within the next four years.
Catering at the Services Club will include a two course lunch,
and $5 per ticket sold will be donated to One Girl to help them in
their African girls education mission.
Tickets are $45.00 per person and can be purchased from the
Forbes Phoenix. Grab your friends and come and enjoy a fantastic
days with lots of goodies to be won.

Stacey Clarke ready for Parkes Showgirl contest

February 18, 2016 by Maggi Barnard

Local showgirl competitor Stacey Clarke will be competing in the zone six judging event in Parkes this weekend. She will be assessed on how she presents herself during the day, which includes an interview in the morning, riding on horse back during the day, and another on stage interview at a gala dinner in the evening. She will be judged by a panel of three judges.

“They judge us on confidence, rural knowledge, community knowledge, what
you do in the community, and other things like that,” said Ms Clarke. She competes mostly at local shows and charity events, and also judges fashions on the field from time to time.

Customer Service at the Forefront of Eyewear Specs’ Plans

February 18, 2016 by Maggi Barnard

Forbes, there is a new eyewear and optometrist outlet in town. Meet Eyewear Specs, a store that will sell all your needs for glasses and provide two optometrists, which is due to open next week.

Fiona Hayward, an experienced optical dispenser, is the business owner, and said where her business will differ from others is in customer service.
“I want to be available to anybody that needs glasses…it’s not about price, it’s about quality, and we’ll reach out to everybody,” she said.

“Customer service is number one. I want people to feel like this is their local place to shop, that they don’t have to travel away, and I want everyone to think they can come in and get glasses, no matter how much they want to spend.”

Ms Hayward, who is originally from Sydney but has lived in Parkes for the last 10 years, decided to set up business in Forbes because she grew fond of the community and people in it. “We have always loved the quaint town. It [Forbes] is a real country town. It’s so friendly, and it just seemed logical. I’ve
been wanting to do this for a very long time and the opportunity has come up,” she said.

After working for a larger eye care company for the past 25 years, Ms Hayward felt the time was right to branch away and form her own business. Besides optometrist work, she is trained to do anything with a pair of glasses, including fitting frames and lenses.

The two optometrists will job-share, with one working the first half of the week, while the other works the second half of the week. “I’m a trained optical dispenser… I choose the right pair of glasses and lenses for people, I can make lenses up to fit the frames. I’m the technical person,” she said.

When speaking about her new business’ future, she said she was in Forbes to stay. “This is my life. I love it. I’m so passionate about what I do. I couldn’t think of doing anything else. I’ll be staying here,” she said.

Social Puppies

February 18, 2016 by Maggi Barnard

It’s important to socialise puppies, as it helps them grow into well adjusted adults and in general reduces aggressive behavior. This results in a more rewarding, relationship between owner and dog.

When we refer to socialisation we mean exposing your dog to new and different environments, developing new relationships with different people and other animals. Owners may find it more beneficial to take their dogs to different parks, introduce different toys, walk different routes, visit friends in their own homes and expose their dog to different animals, different people,
different noises and different smells, after the puppy is covered by their vaccinations.

With dogs it is believed that the critical time for socialisation is between 3-16
weeks of age. A good breeder will initially start the socialisation process very early on by handling the puppies and providing a stimulating, fun environment. Puppies that lack socialisation may be slower learners, less able to socialise and have increased anxiety when they are moved to their new
homes and forever family at around 8 weeks of age.

It’s important to continue the socialisation process after this move to the new
family. However, your puppies vaccination does not cover them until they are at least 14 weeks of age, you should not let your puppy roam outside your own yard.

Forbes Vet Clinic offers puppy preschool, for puppies between the ages of 8-16
weeks, providing a safe controlled environment for puppies, where they can socialise with other puppies and people. Puppy preschool runs on Sunday evenings and consists of a four week program. Bookings are essential as places are limited. Please phone Forbes Vet Clinic on 6852 1775.

NSW Firefighter Championships Coming to Forbes

February 18, 2016 by Maggi Barnard

The first Regional Firefighter Championships of 2016 will be held in Forbes on the weekend of the 12th and 13th of March at Stephen Field. Firefighters compete in eight Regional Championships over a two year period in preparation for the State Championships held every two years.

The Championships will showcase the skills and expertise a modern firefighter uses everyday when attacking a fire or responding to a hazard or major emergency or accident. Teams of firefighters compete against each other in a range of events designed to hone their fire fighting skills. The events
emulate real life challenges which give the competitors an opportunity to showcase their firefighting, team work, leadership and problem solving skills on land, on water and in the air.

Andrew Rousell, a firefighter with the Forbes Brigade, is encouraging everyone
to come along to see the best of the best volunteers from across NSW battle it out for Championship points and have a great day out for the whole family.

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