Northside Chapel Community Church leader Rex Taylor says his organisation will benefit hugely from a jumping castle it will be able to purchase, thanks to the $500 grant it won from Westpac Forbes. Mr Taylor and his wife Rachel organise and operate the chapel with a volunteer team. The chapel runs children’s after school programs
for all primary school aged children each Wednesday afternoon, and church services on Sundays.

In addition to this, it hosts a family fun day periodically on a Sunday. The chapel runs two after school programs each Wednesday- an earlier one for the younger children, and one later for the older ones.

Mr Taylor drives a bus which picks up and takes home children after their after school programs, and with the chapel only making money from donations, it is hard for it to make big purchases.

But one of these hopes was to buy a jumping castle for its children, and this will now be possible.

“This money will provide the opportunity to purchase something the kids will enjoy, and hopefully can use it to provide entertainment for whole families,” said Mr Taylor. The venue is leased from Forbes Shire Council, but lots of community groups use it, and Mr Taylor said this would make the jumping castle an even better community asset.

“We’re now looking around for the right jumping castle and once we’ve found one we will be ready to purchase it. The kids are greatly looking forward to getting one,” Mr Taylor said.

“It will be great for the kids as a form of entertainment, but we want to get more parents and families involved and the jumping castle will help that too.”

With Westpac celebrating 200 years next year, regional branches in NSW were giving away $500 to community groups in need.

By Joshua Matic

Following a trial period and consultation, Forbes Shire Council has began work to upgrade the pedestrian crossing on Rankin Street.

Works, which started on Wednesday, will involve extension of the kerb to give improved user safety at the crossing as well as the addition of two car parking spaces. Work is scheduled to take several weeks in which time Council says will endeavour to keep disruption to a minimum. Pedestrian traffic movements will remain the same for footpaths, however the pedestrian crossing will be closed for the duration of works.

Stage one will involve upgrade of the kerb section on the corner of Templar Street and Rankin Street. Traffic will remain with two operational lanes.

The second stage of the work will be on the northern side of Rankin Street and will address kerb extensions and storm water inlets. Whilst this stage is in progress, to ensure the safety of pedestrians and Council employees working on the job, traffic will be reduced to one lane with eastbound traffic on Rankin Street being detoured up Templar Street. Westbound traffic will remain as usual.

Council is also currently completing road pavement repairs in the CBD until Sunday, June 5. The majority of the works programmed will occur in Lachlan Street however some works will also be undertaken in Rankin Street, Riley Street, Browne Lane, Grenfell Street, Camp Street, Cross Street and Johnson Street.

The majority of the works will be performed during the night. The approximate start time will be 8pm and conclude by 5am. Where possible, works will be scheduled later in the night when working adjacent to businesses which trade into the evening.

New Forbes Medical Centre Registrar Dr Maria Rasool says she is enjoying the rural lifestyle of Forbes three months in to her 12-month stint at the practice. Dr Rasool, originally from Pakistan, relocated to Forbes in February, and has
signed a 12-month contract to work in Forbes.

It is her first job as a general practioner, and as well as working during the day at the Forbes Medical Centre, she will also work once a fortnight at the Forbes Hospital, seeing her own patients as well as working shifts in the Emergency Department. She told The Forbes Phoenix she enjoyed Forbes so much that she relocated her family to the town.

“It’s a different lifestyle for what we’re used to, but it’s been a great change for my family. My daughter plays netball and she is loving it, and we’re really looking forward to travelling around to the different carnivals that the netball teams play at,” she said. While it has been a great move for her family, on a personal note, Dr Rasool said it has also been a great change for her. “I’m enjoying having the weekends free and travelling around the Central West to see what there is to see and do,” she said. Dr Rasool moved to Forbes from Fairfield in Sydney, where she worked at Fairfield Hospital.

She has also worked at St George Hospital in Sydney and Griffith Hospital in the NSW Riverina.

She is currently studying for her final GP exam early next year while she works at the Forbes Medical Centre. Being her first role as a GP, she said she enjoys it more than hospital work. “You get to know your patients so much better, especially in a rural setting,” she said.

By Joshua Matic

A large contingent of 13 caravans set off for our three-week roving rally, led by our Tour Director John Apps and his wife Di, to all meet for our first night camp at Ariah Park. The next day saw all set off travelling to Griffith and Jerilderie and Conargo. Day three saw us drive through Deniliquin and crossing the Murray River into Victoria at Barham for a morning rest. Kerang was our next stop for lunch and then we drove to the town of Birchip which is famous for it’s vanilla slice at the bakery. We then reached the border of South Australia and after a fruit fly check camped that night at Parilla.

Heading off we went to Tailem Bend, Murray Bridge and through the towns of Hahndorf and Crafers to our five-night stay at the Belair National Caravan Park in the Adelaide Hills.

On leaving we were all directed out of Adelaide by our leaders and all safely made it to Dublin. Most drivers missed the bakery there and headed off to Ardrossan. This was the start of the Yorke Pennisula ,which is a wealthy grain producing area. We stayed at the caravan park at Yorketown and we found this a very friendly spot. Next stop was at the Clare Racecourse in the Clare Valley- famous for its wine and produce. At Seven Hills we visited the old Jesuits winery and church with its crypt. Leaving the Clare Valley on Anzac Day, the group held their own private service at the War Memorial at Gladstone, camping that night at Hawker in the Flinders Ranges. The next day we all arrived at Wilpena Pound. This is a beautiful area where walks and climbing into the pound are enjoyed, as well as driving through Brachina Gorge to Blinman and Parachilna. Lots of natural beauty was seen.

On leaving here it was the start of a homeward journey, travelling to Peterborough and Burra Morgan, and finishing at the Riverland in South Australia . The next stop was Hay, and then Forbes for a meal with some of our Club members and home after a long and very enjoyable journey.

Colleen Liebich,
Publicity Officer

Work will begin on the Rankin Street Crossing at the corner of Templar Street next Wednesday, May 23, in a move that Forbes Shire Council Acting General Manager Max Kershaw says is needed for it to meet Australian standards.

The project was initially supposed to go ahead earlier, but with business owners on Rankin Street expressing concerns, it has been revised and pushed back. The project was initially going to see the curbs on both sides of the crossing brought out to be within around 3.2 metres from the middle of the road, while the curb on the corner of Rankin and Templar Streets was also going to be brought out a similar distance. Business owners on Rankin were concerned that the project would make Rankin Street too narrow for traffic to safely pass through, and had a meeting with Council on Wednesday May 4 to address their concerns. But Mr Kershaw said improvements had to be made, as the crossing did not meet Australian standards.

“Council was pleased to meet with the business owners, and took on board comments made at the least meeting, which lead to our revised plan,” he said. “We still had to make improvements to the crossing, as it did not meet Australian standards.”

Martin Cahill, owner of Cahill’s Footwear on Rankin Street, said while businesses on the road thought it would still be too narrow, it was good Council listened to the concerns of local businesses.

“We fear it will be dangerous not for pedestrians on the crossing, but for cars turning from Templar Street onto Rankin Street, across the crossing, and not having enough room to do so with traffic coming in the opposite direction,” he said.

“However we’re happy that Council took our concerns into consideration. They hadn’t consulted us before announcing the project, so hopefully now this won’t happen in future.”

Free Tai Chi classes will be available in Forbes for at least the next 19 weeks, with Forbes Shire Council teaming up with two local Tai Chi instructors to hold weekly classes for all residents.

Cheryl Shirvington and Sandra Nicholson both have experience in teaching 10 different forms of Tai Chi, and have been sponsored by the Council to run a 20-week program of weekly classes, which started last Tuesday.

Classes are being held at the Uniting Church on Brown Street on Tuesday mornings between 10am and 11am, with morning tea also provided.

The program is aimed at encouraging locals, of all abilities, to increase their health and fitness, and instructor Cheryl
Shirvington said that Tai Chi provided for people of all ages. “Because Tai Chi is a slow and relaxing form of exercise, people think that it is only for senior citizens, but this is completely wrong,” she said.

“Tai Chi offers challenges for both young and old, and is definitely a great way for youth to exercise as well.” Mrs Shirvington and fellow instructor Sandra Nicholson are teaching the form of Tai Chi known as ‘Yang 24 Forms’, which Mrs Shirvington described as being “what you would normally see in the park or on TV”.

She said each class would offer something new, but that they were also tailored for people of all abilities. “We teach in a very inclusive way to include all abilities. If there is something that someone cannot do, we’ll always give
them alternatives,” she said. Residents can contact Mrs Shirvington on 0400 984 114 or Mrs Nicholson on 0437 522 778 for more information.

By Joshua Matic

Lions Recycle for Sight Australia is part of the Lions Clubs International Worldwide Eyeglass Recycling Program, headquartered in Queensland and operating throughout Australia and overseas. Recycle 4 Sight Australia has collected thousands of pairs of used spectacles, sunglasses, new frames and other equipment. The program distributes regraded spectacles to many parts of the world to Lions Clubs, Rotary Clubs and other humanitarian
organisations for distribution to poor people in need at no expense or obligation on the recipient.

Over the 15 years that the Australian program has existed, the program has delivered 2.5 million pairs to countries in Africa, Europe, Middle East, Indian Sub continent, Lions Recycle for Sight Australia East Asia, and the Far East, including China, the countries of the Pacific Rim and Southern Asia and Oceania. The Recycle For Sight program is operating in Forbes for the Month of May. The Forbes Lions Club is collecting used eyeglasses and sunglasses from the local community so they can be cleaned and sorted before being used for distribution in Lions Eye Clinics around the world. Glasses can be left in the collection boxes located at Phillip Wells Optometrist and Eyewear Specs.

Lions, Lioness and Leo Clubs of Australia have collected and forwarded 250,000 pair of glasses, sunglasses and other equipments that are the life blood of the program.

By Anita Morrison

Concerned business owners, and representatives from Forbes Shire Council met at the pedestrian crossing on Rankin Street on Wednesday May 4 to discuss the amendments to the crossing. Acting General Manager, Max Kershaw, Director of Engineering, John Zannes, and Manager of Technical Services, David Timlin, met with business owners to discuss their concerns. Max Kershaw started by apologising for the lack of previous consultation and resolved to answer questions, and to address concerns. Business owners are concerned that the extension of the kerb is not safe passage for cars speeding through, and it also takes up car spaces.

Martin Cahill from Cahill Footwear voiced his concern about trucks getting around the corner, “When a truck parks in front of the extended kerb, cars can’t see around it and have to pull out into the other lane to pass.” All business owners reiterated that safety is their first concern, but some were adamant that the extension of the kerb was not the best option to optimise safety. The issue of the speed limit in the street was voiced, with the suggestion of reducing the speed limit to 40 km/ h. Some of the business owners were in support of the amendments, stating that any safety measures were desirable, and even if the kerb extension wasn’t ideal, it was better than it had been. Mr Cahill asked for a show of hands for those who do not support the kerb extension, and the majority raised their hands.

Mr Kershaw confirmed that the crossing amendments would go ahead, and reassured business owners that the rumours of Rankin Street being closed, were false. While the meeting may not have produced an outcome favourable by all, it was an important time for business owners to have a voice, and have their concerns directly addressed by the Council.
By Annelise Stephenson