Campervan and Motorhome Club of Australia Solo Network rally organiser Rainey Parsell labeled this week’s Forbes rally a huge success.

Around 350 campervans and motorhomes rolled into town on Monday for a week’s worth of action, and they are due to hit the roads again on Monday. The Rally was held at the Forbes Showground for the Solo’s Rally, an event that members of the CMCA Solo Network, as well as some couples from the CMCA, participated in.

Solo Network members are members of the CMCA that are single. With between 30 and 40 of the 350 vans made up of couples, it is estimated that
around 400 people made it to the rally.

While the rally is still yet to feature its open and market day, which is on tomorrow for the public to enjoy, throughout the week members have engaged in activities such as dinners, morning walks, tai chi, meditation, arts and crafts, musical sessions, dance classes, seminars and regional tours.

Mrs Parsell said the support Forbes had offered to the Rally was great. “Council let us stay at the campgrounds for free while we set up the showground, and while we were there people came up to us and thanked us for coming.”

Mrs Parsell said many members of the Solo Network had suffered from depression due to being single and lonely (from losing their partners or families) and NSW Mental Health had come on board to run a seminar to help those affected by mental illness.

“It’s also great for those people to be apart of what we do as well. We spend our lives on the road and just have lots of fun together,” she said. Tomorrow’s open day will also feature vehicles for inspection, and in some cases, purchase.

Forbes and the entire Central West has sweltered through February and the start of March, as the country comes to grips of a record-breaking heat wave. Some areas have recorded their hottest start to Autumn in history, and above average temperatures are expected to hang around until April.

While the historical average maximum for March is 29 degrees, Forbes has seen daily average highs of 36 degrees so far this month. This followed a daily average of 34.1 degrees in February, up 1.5 degrees on the historical average.

While possible showers have been forecasted for Friday, the last two months have been very dry, with only 6.4mm of rain officially falling since February 1.
Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Jake Phillips said the extreme weather was due to persistent high pressure in the atmosphere. “It’s largely due to a band of high pressure, which has been very static across the region, and that’s prevented any cold fronts from moving through,” he said.

“The most extreme conditions have been across the west and the south of the state.” While above average temperatures are expected to persist through March, the current El Nino weather pattern is expected to subside come April, and this means rain could return.

There is about a 30 per cent chance of a La Nina [wetter than normal conditions] forming later this year, but with long term forecasts currently suggesting El Nino [drier than normal conditions] is unlikely to reform,
the BOM stated no bad news is good news for local farmers.

“For the next six months there is no prediction of dryness for much of the South East going through for the next three months,” seasonal risk agronomist Dale Grey said.

Catherine and John Ilchef of Forbes are proud to announce the birth of their first child, Charlotte who was born on 12 February 2016 at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney.

Relieving Forbes North Public School Principal, Michele Morley, was extremely happy with the attendance at the annual school fete held last Friday afternoon. “It was a great Fete,” she said. “It was one of the biggest crowd’s I have ever seen”. The fete had a wide variety of stalls with something to please everyone’s tastes. The Haunted House was a popular attraction and there was an endless stream of people daring to enter.

Easter is upon us once again and this Christian holiday is recognised by religious and non-religious alike as a celebration of new life, which is symbolised by the Easter egg.

Easter’s one of the most popular driving holidays of the year, The boys at Tyreright know what’s best for your vehicle and it’s important before you take any major trip that you conduct a few simple safety checks to make sure your vehicle’s ready for the road.

• Check your fluids – Oil, Transmission, Brakes, Power Steering, Coolant, and
Wiper fluids all should be checked and topped up.
• Tyre pressure – Check the placard inside the driver’s side door to find the
recommended pressure for your vehicle and adjust your tyres accordingly (make sure to do this early in the day, while your tyres are cool and the air in them hasn’t expanded)
• Lights and indicators – Make sure your headlights, high-beams, brake lights,
and indicators are all working correctly
• Breakdown kit – Have emergency numbers ready if you need them and some
water in case you are stuck on the side of the road for a while

Call into Tyreright before heading off on your holiday and receive a free safety
check, have your tyres, breaks and suspension checked, they do all mechanical
and service work too! Give them a call on 6851 6868.

Remember to drive safely, take regular rest breaks and enjoy your holiday.

Easter Fact: Did you know that the Christian practice of abstaining from meat on Friday was the reason for the creation of the McDonalds Filet-o-Fish burger? Fish has traditionally been eaten on Good Friday by Christians since around the 2nd century. Christians abstained from eating meat on this day as a reminder of the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross, which is commemorated every year by people of this faith.

Everyone loves to get a new pair of pyjamas on Easter, that’s why Undercover
Sleepwear and Lingerie are offering a ‘shop and win this Easter’ promotion. If you buy any pair of kids sleepwear this Easter you will go into the draw to win a $50 gift voucher and special gift. Go in-store to browse the collection of Gingerlilly and Marquise children’s pj’s to spoil your little one this Easter.

Above all, Easter is a holiday to enjoy spending quality time with family and
friends and eating until every button and zip must be undone.

Happy Easter everyone!

A small but very enthusiastic crowd attended the recent Helping Learner Drivers Become Safer Drivers workshop conducted at Red Bend Catholic College. The workshop offered parents and supervisors hands-on advice on how to provide the most effective driving practice for learner drivers. It covered topics such as; the current licensing system, how to use the Learner Driver Logbook and how to plan on-road driving sessions.

Forbes Shire Council’s Road Safety and Injury Prevention Officer, Melanie Suitor, who conducted the workshop, said it was very productive. “When the population of Forbes is considered, the attendance at this workshop is a strong testament to the support local parents are prepared to offer their learner
drivers,” Ms Suitor said.

“The feedback from participants following the workshop was all very positive. Parent’s reported that they came along to learn about the licensing system, the licence conditions for young drivers and to get tips on how to handle the learning to drive experience.”

“Participants felt more confident under supervision, planning practice sessions, using the logbook, dealing with difficulties during practice driving sessions and had a better understanding of the new licensing system and licence conditions.”

“Parents and supervisors of learner drivers have a crucial role to play in making our roads safer, that is why Forbes Shire Council have teamed up with RMS to conduct these Helping Learner Drivers Become Safer Drivers workshops to better support supervising drivers.”.

It’s hard to believe that this time last year Darcie Morrison had never played a game of Rugby 7’s but dedication and determination has earned her a spot in the Australian University Team to compete at the 2016 Rugby Sevens World University Championships in Swansea, UK from 7-9 July.

Darcie began her journey with Rugby 7’s after being identified by the Australian Institute of Sport through the Sports Draft Program in October 2014. She attended weekly training in Sydney with the NSW Rugby 7’s Development Program and her skills have improved dramatically during
the past 12 months. As a novice in the sport, Darcie is grateful to have had the
support of Charles Dwyer and Jarrod Morrison in the early stages of her development, who helped her grasp an understanding of the game and assisted her develop specific skills necessary for success.

Darcie, along with four of her NSW teammates, was notified last week of her selection and is excited at the opportunity to represent her country and pending UK tour later in the year. The selection of 5 NSW players in an Australian squad of 12 is testament to the strength of the NSW Rugby
7’s program.

The World University Championships alternate with the Summer and Winter Universiades and are organised every evennumbered year. Rugby Sevens entered the program in 2004 and since then, the number of participants and participating countries has constantly grown.

By Anita Morrison

All Forbes Shire residents should now have three new bins as part of the new kerbside waste, recycling and food and organics collection services.

The last rubbish collection from old bins will be the week of March 28 to April 1 and the new bins will be collected from the week commencing April 4.

The frequency of collection will be weekly for the green lidded bin and alternate fortnights for both the red and yellow lidded bins.

JR Richards and Sons will collect the old bins following the commencement of the new service and this will take place on April 26, and Council asks for all old bins to be left upside down on the kerb for collection from the evening of April 25. Bins will not be collected the day of normal service.

Forbes Mayor Phyllis Miller said she encouraged any residents who had any
questions about the new bin service to call Council. “As like any new process, it can take a little while to adjust to but we are here to help you if you have any questions,” Mayor Miller said. “By using the recycling and food and garden waste collection services correctly, you are reducing the amount of garbage going to landfill.”

Residents are asked to contact Council’s Environmental Services and Planning Department on 6850 2344 if they have not received their new bins yet.