Discovering the World… Forbes High School students took part in the G’Day USA 20 day school program during the summer holidays. The students who visited the United States were Tyrone Clothier, Jessica Ashcroft, Georgia Palazzi, Montana Palazzi, Ethan Markwort, Wally Campbell, Jade Carpenter, Gabrielle Boland Kelly, Fiona Howarth, Kristian Markwort, Tyler Murphy and Konnor Ryan.

Awards For Bringing History To Life: Making history come alive in Forbes is an exciting way of sharing and learning the rich heritage of our town. The people charged with the responsibility of sharing this knowledge are often volunteers who started out from a personal interest or while researching family history. It is those people who know and celebrate the exciting past, that Forbes Shire Council will be recognising and rewarding with the presentation of the Forbes Heritage Medal and Volunteer awards. Nominations are now open for two significant heritage awards. The Heritage Medal and the Heritage Volunteer Award. Nomination forms and judging criteria are available at Forbes Shire Council’s Administration office or can be downloaded from Council’s website. Nominations will close at 5pm on Friday, 23rd March. The awards will be presented as part of the Heritage Week celebrations in May.

Red Cross Calling This March: This month Forbes locals will join a wave of action across Australia to raise money for Red Cross. The Red Cross calling campaign is taking place in show of support for people in Australia and overseas who have fallen on tough times. If you have spare time, we would like you to doorknock just the street you live in. Please call Wilma Hepburn on 6852 2736 if you would like to help. There are many ways to get involved with Red Cross.

Catch of the Week Winners: We have been receiving some great fishing photographs! Thank you for sending them in and please keep it coming! Jim Carty (February) was our lucky winner. If you are a winner and have not yet done so, please collect your $25 voucher prize for Loomzy’s Fish ‘n’ Fix in Forbes, from Kate Small at the Ian Simpson office and enjoy!

PopUp Op Shop With A Purpose: Go and shop at the Parkes Christian School hall tomorrow (Saturday) from 3 to 5.30pm to help women in developing countries through Compassion Australia. Get your friends, daughters, grans and aunts together for a fun afternoon of shopping of pre-loved fashion, and learn about Compassion Australia and how they assist mums and babies is the developing world. There will be a short information session about Compassion at 3.30pm, plus a parade and auction of some donated items. Contact Katrina Harris on 0408 601 774 or k.harris@parkescs.nsw.edu.au. Visit https://www.compassion.com.au

 

Team Spirit… St Laurence’s School had a sensational day of swimming at their annual swimming carnival held last week. Congratulations to the Farrand and Dalton teams who share the carnival champion win.

Bringing fitness to Eugowra farmers and community: Active Farmers will be arriving in Eugowra, led by local fitness instructor, Haylee Redfern. To celebrate the arrival, Eugowra farmers and surrounding community members are invited to attend a free launch event on Sunday, 11th March at 8.30am at the Eugowra Sports and Recreational Ground. The free event will include an Active Farmers group fitness class, followed by breakfast and an information session. For more information, go to the Eugowra page on the Active Farmers website http://www.activefarmers.com.au/eugowra/. To RSVP please go to the ‘Active Farmers at Eugowra Launch Event’ page on Facebook.

E-cigarettes in smoke-free areas: The Heart Foundation NSW and 22 prominent health organisations are renewing their call for the NSW Parliament to ban the use of e-cigarettes in smoke-free areas. NSW remains one of the last states in Australia to prohibit the use of e-cigarettes in smokefree public spaces. A new report prepared for the Unites States’ Food and Drug Administration on Public Health Consequences of e-cigarettes has assessed that there is conclusive evidence that e-cigarette use increases airborne concentrations of particulate matter in indoor environments and puts children, pregnant women, the elderly and people with cardio respiratory diseases at particular risk.

Churchill Fellowship: Applications for the 2018 Churchill Fellowship are open. This prestigious award offers Australian citizens the opportunity to travel overseas to investigate a topic or an issue they are passionate about. No prescribed qualifications are required. The Trust’s National Roadshow of information sessions is visiting 24 locations this year commencing on Thursday,8th February in Mildura. Register to attend a session to gain helpful advice on how to apply and discuss your project ideas at www.churchilltrust.com.au/events. Find out more on how you can travel the world to benefit Australia by visiting www.churchillfellowships.com.au. Applications close Friday, 27th April 2018.

Forbes Clean Up: Clean Up Australia Day will be held on Sunday, 4th March. Get your friends and family to come down, pull on some gloves and help to keep Forbes beautiful! Registration for the Forbes Shire Council clean-up will begin at Victoria Park from 8.30am, with the official clean up from 9.00am to 12.00pm at various points around the shire. A free lunchtime barbecue will be held afterwards at Victoria Park to thank you for your hard work.

Special guest appearance… Australian League Tag player, Alana Andrews (left) will be the special guest at this year’s Annual Presentation Dinner for the Forbes Sportsperson of the Year Awards held on Saturday, 24th February at the Forbes Golf & Sportsman’s Hotel commencing at 6.30pm.

Free Loose-Fill Asbestos Testing: The NSW Government is offering free tests for loose-fill asbestos insulation in the Forbes Shire Council area after a property in the area was confirmed to contain the product. Parliamentary Secretary for Western NSW, Rick Colless urged homeowners to sign up before 12th March for the free sample testing. “If you are the owner of a pre-1980’s residential property in the Forbes Council area, you are eligible to register for the free testing,” said Rick. “Once the testing has been completed, the outcome of those tests will inform any further action that needs to be considered.”

If your home is found to contain loosefill asbestos insulation there are options available, including having your home purchased at market value – as if it didn’t contain loose-fill asbestos. You can register for free testing online at www.loosefillasbestos. nsw.gov.au or call Service NSW on 13 77 88.

You can also speak to a NSW Fair Trading representative about the free testing on Tuesday, 20th February (11am – 4pm) outside Bernardi’s IGA; Wednesday, 21st February (9am – 2pm) at Bunnings; Wednesday, 28th February (9am – 2pm) outside Bernardi’s IGA and Thursday, 1st March (9am – 2pm) outside Woolworths.

Catch of the Week Winners: We have been receiving some great fishing photographs! Thank you for sending them in and please keep it coming! Jack Cole (December) and Colette Middleton (January) were our lucky winners. If you are a winner and have not yet done so, please collect your $25 voucher prize for Loomzy’s Fish ‘n’ Fix in Forbes, from Kate Small at the Ian Simpson office and enjoy!

Wirrinya Farewell: The Wirrinya community held a farewell luncheon for Jeff and Ann Moon, Trevor and Sandra Toole and Angus and Kim Maslin at the Wirrinya ski dam on Saturday, 10th February with just over 90 people attending. It was a great send off for them all; in appreciation for all the commitment and dedication they had given the community over the many years living in the district. The Toole and Moon Family have been in the district for two generations and the Maslins bought the farm from Fred Anderson 25 years ago. The Wirrinya Progress gave them all a cheese board with the name of their property on it. All three families have moved into Forbes.

 

 

 

MORE AWARDS FOR NEV… Nev Molloy (right) has just arrived back from the Australian Traditional Awards at Bungendore and he’s bringing home another award! Nev, alongside Bob Gregory (left) was awarded runner-up in the comedy section with a song that Nev wrote and Bob put the tune to called, I’ve Been Married Mate. Well done Nev!

Forbes Lions Car Boot Sale: The next Forbes and District Lions Club Car Boot Sale will be held on Saturday, 17th February in the Lions Park beside Lake Forbes from 8am until 1pm. This will be the first sale for 2018. Members of the community are welcome to set up stalls to sell their wares. Stalls of second hand goods as well as craft and produce stalls are catered for. Sites may be booked by phoning Peter on 0468 819 659 or Robyn on 6851 2209. The cost is $10. There is no charge to wander through the market. The Lions will be cooking up a storm with sausage sandwiches, bacon and egg sandwiches and the famous Lions sandwich for sale. There will also be tickets for a Hyundai car raffle. If you have thought of joining the Lions, give them a call to arrange for you to come along to one of their meetings or functions where you can see what they do. Phone Ray on 02 6852 2143 or email lionsclubs@ hotmail.com.

Catch of the Week winners: We have been receiving some great fishing photographs! Thank you for sending them in and please keep it coming! Che Che Bilog (September), Jeordy Carty (October) and Benjamin Legg (November) were our lucky winners. If you are a winner and have not yet done so, please collect your $25 voucher prize for Loomzy’s Fish ‘n’ Fix in Forbes, from Kate Small at the Ian Simpson office and enjoy!

Apology: From the Publisher in relation to last week’s Our Bloke column that may have offended some readers.

Eugowra Pony Club News: The club registration and first rally day for the year was held on Sunday, 4th February with five new children joining. Club Captain Bec, dedicated the day to superb instructing and activities for the children, with some of the new members quickly taking to being off the lead, which was very exciting for all involved.

The club is looking forward to holding the first gymkhana in Zone 11 for the year on Sunday, 18th March. Stay tuned to the Facebook page for a program and event updates. If you are interested in having your child join an active pony club, the next rally day is Sunday, 4th March and all are welcome to attend. For more information visit www.eugowraponyclub.com

Eugowra Pony Club was proud to have Liv Holland represent the club at the recent PCANSW State Show Riding & Dressage Championships held at Clarendon from 28th to 31st January. Liv placed 5th in the Best Educated Hack and 9th in the Preliminary 1.2 Dressage Test. (Photo: Rodney’s Photography)

 

 

Rising Star… Kate Small won 1st place in the senior category at the Narromine USMC Summer 2017/2018 Karaoke & Talent Quest Grand Final that was held at the club on Australia Day.

Aussie Kids At A Standstill: Too many Australian children are not doing enough physical activity to maintain good health, a new report reveals. Leading health experts are urging parents and schools to help children become more physically active. Over 70% of Australia’s children and 91% of young people are not meeting sixty minutes physical activity every day. Lack of sufficient physical activity places children and young people at significant risk of developing diseases such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease. It also contributes to higher body weight. To read The Active Travel: pathways to a healthy future reportgo to https://www.vu.edu.au/australianhealth-policy-collaboration/publications.

Important Golf News: There is a golf interest development programme being started for kids, titled “Get into Golf”. It is aimed at children between the ages of 5 and 12 years old. It commences on 6th February and runs for 8 weeks, with sessions being held at 4:30pm to 5:30pm. Contact Simon at the Pro Shop on 6851 1554 or 0403 871 700.

Forbes Junior Cricket: Junior Cricket starts again this weekend. There is also still the opportunity to sign up for the mid season registration for any child interested in taking part in the Stage 1 or T20 Blast competition. The competition resumes Saturday, 3rd February and runs for 8 weeks. Registration is available for the following groups: T20 Blast; 7 to 8 age group and Stage 1; 9 to 12 age group. T20 cost $99, includes T20 Blast kit. Stage 1 Sportspower T20 Super league cost $40, includes club Shirt. For more information contact Anthony Gordon on 0458 561 156 or Andrew Glasson on 0428 542 972.

Debutants Fundraiser for Ronald Mc- Donald House: Eight young ladies from Forbes High School are making their debut on the 24th March 2018. These ladies have decided to raise funds towards the Ronald McDonald House. A fundraiser event will be held on the 17th February at the Forbes Golf Club Hotel upstairs. It will be a fun night of games and dancing. The theme is sporting, so come dressed up as a football, softball, cricket player etc. You could even dress up as a Disney character, anything you like. Book a table of 10 people with your friends. Tickets are only $25 and bring your own nibbles. Contact Tami Stewart on 0427 552 243 to RSVP.

 

Generosity… Karen Betland from Betlands Orchard and Sally Duff and Jade McGovern from Forbes Shire Council handing over a cheque of $585.35 to Maureen and Murray Field from CanAssist Forbes. This being the proceeds from Forbes Shire Council’s promotion at the Christmas markets of Peaches from Forbes. Betlands Orchard donated the peaches and asked that the proceeds be given to CanAssist.

Celebrate Australia Day: Enjoy the many Australia Day activities and welcome the town’s inspiring ambassador James Pittar. There will be a free Rotary breakfast at Apex Park from 7am to 9am. The Diggers Family Swim will again be held at the Forbes Pool. There is free pool entry between 11am – 2pm and also a free barbecue lunch. The Party in the Park at Lions Park will be the formal event where the 2018 Australia Day awards will be announced. The Party in the Park begins at 5.30pm. There will be water activities such as the pedal boats on the lake and Forbes dragon boat teams rowing by. Another highlight is the live entertainment by acclaimed central west singer Gabe Middleton as well as artist Cameron Sharp from Forbes. There will be amusement rides, demonstrations by the SES and the Fire Brigade as well as the CWA traditional damper cooking. The event will finish with a fireworks display. Bring a picnic blanket or chairs. There will be food stalls at the event. Parking will be available in Spooner Oval and pet owners are advised fireworks will be around 9pm.

Major Electricity Network Upgrade: Essential Energy crews last week commenced a major upgrade of the electricity network in the Forbes area, along a section of Lachlan Valley Way, from Parkside Way to Jemalong Weir, to ensure a safe, secure and reliable power supply for homes and businesses in that area and the wider Forbes community.

The upgrade will increase the capacity of the electricity network and replace network assets which have reached end of life. The project includes the replacement of 47 power poles, 30 pole cross-arms and 10 kilometres of high voltage powerlines. A series of planned power outages will be required during the project. Affected homes and businesses will receive advanced notification. The project will be completed in stages between January and March.

Four Days Of Double Demerits: As we get ready to celebrate Australia Day, and school holidays are coming to an end for thousands of local students, drivers are being reminded that double demerit points will be in force for four days for this long weekend for all speeding, seatbelt, motorcycle helmet and mobile phone offences. Drivers should be warned that they are at greatest risk of losing their licence during this four day period.

Rosaline Coffee from Forbes was the winner of this year’s Parkes Shop + WIN competition! She has won a $5,000 travel package to a destination of her choice through TravelManagers – Louise Gillogly! Rosaline entered the draw at Adele’s Salon & Skin Clinic in Parkes.

Healthy Lunch Box website: The task of creating a healthy school lunch is now easier for parents with Cancer Council NSW’s newly launched Healthy Lunch Box website. The website includes recipes, ideas and tips. The Healthy Lunch Box shows parents how easy it can be to add more fruit and veg and pack a lunch box that kids will love to eat while encouraging behaviour that has lifelong cancer prevention benefits. The website has been launched as part of Cancer Council NSW’s Eat It To Beat It program which runs free sessions and workshops across the region. Visit healthylunchbox.com.au

Ready To Respond: In the event of severe thunderstorm activity such as that which has swept across NSW in recent weeks, Essential Energy works closely with local emergency services to keep communities safe and restore power. Regional Manager Northern, Mark Summers said when storms, lightning, heavy rain and wind gusts damage Essential Energy’s network and disrupt power supplies, crews are ready to respond. Essential Energy reminds people to report fallen powerlines or damaged infrastructure and keep at least eight metres away. If you notice fallen trees, deceased animals, smoke, fire, or scorched areas around electrical equipment, call Essential Energy immediately on 13 20 80. For more information on electrical safety during storms, visit essentialenergy.com.au/safety.

More Focus On Bullies: Australian parents have called for firmer action against schoolyard bullies rather than focusing on making vulnerable children more resilient. Just over 50 per cent of parents who responded to a recent UniSA study said their child had been bullied at school and were highly critical of how teachers addressed the problem. The study, by UniSA bullying expert Professor Ken Rigby, tracked parental attitudes towards bullying and the actions they believe are needed. Schools should focus more on changing bullies’ behaviour, rather than encouraging victims to become more resilient, many parents suggested. The full report is available online in the latest issue of Educational Review.

Eugowra Pony Club: Eugowra Pony Club is holding its registration and first rally day on Sunday, 4th February starting at 8:30am at the Eugowra Showgrounds. Centrally located with knowledgeable instructors and dedicated parents, Eugowra Pony Club welcomes new and existing members to sign up and get their children involved in learning about horsemanship, riding and making new friends. For more information visit www.eugowraponyclub.com.

Eugowra Pony Club Members (L-R) Liv Holland, Stacey McMaster and Makaylah McMaster.

Red Bend Catholic College student, India Draper has been selected as part of the Australian Schoolgirls Hockey Team. India has been playing for the NSW All Schools team in Adelaide over the last week, where she was the leading goal scorer for NSW scoring 14 goals over 9 games. The touring team will be representing School Sports Australia at the international hockey test match series in South Africa from 29th June to 14th July 2018.

Australia Day Nominations Open: Forbes Shire Council is calling for nominations for the Citizen and Young Citizen of the Year to be presented at the 2018 Australia Day celebrations. The awards recognise and reward community members who have achieved excellence or made a significant contribution to our community. Nominations are open for the Forbes Shire Citizen of the Year (26 years and over) and Forbes Shire Young Citizen of the Year (25 years and younger). Nominations close at 5pm on 19th January.

BYO Cup Winners Still To Collect Their Prizes: The Forbes Phoenix ran a competition in September to win a BYO cup. Most of the winners have not yet picked up their cups from The Pantry Café & Catering at 8 Templar Street. The following winners can pick up their prize cups until Thursday, 21st December: Jack McKinley, Karen Wright, Steven Cook, Aileen Hansen, Vanessa Rose, Michael Daaboul, Sahejin Siddiqui, Laura Power, Natalie Walker, Tom Roose, Allan Morrison, Johnson Page, Chris Sindermann, Garry Smith, Jessica Bennett, Tyson, O’Rourke-Halls, Andrew Khotsimeuang, Vinson Peng, Laura Torry, Cathi Nicol, Renee Ballantyne, Luke Day, Melissa Westcott, Robyn Stephens, Steve Lewis, Belinda Suttor, Monica Hubele, Danielle Woods, Dinesh Peethamparam, Stuart Blakeley, Morgan Blysouth, Michael Simpson, Vivianne Vandenberg, Leda Nguyen, Jane Gardam, Damian Jensen, Lauren McClure, Robert Coel, Christian Hill, Amy Ward, Lucy Kliem, Daniel Lawrence, Cassandra Watts, Brian Butler, Brian Wong, Kylie, Walmsley, Stephanie Koufalas, Ros McFarlane, Tom Lockett, Conor Cadden.

A Little Extra Special: Clients and supporters have been waiting and asking for it… Little Extras Lifestyle has gone the extra mile and launched its online store! If you cannot make it to the store, just go online and browse. Everything is there from clothing, shoes and handbags to accessories. If you are still looking for Christmas presents, there are vouchers too. If shopping with all your senses is still your therapy, Little Extras will be open seven days a week until Christmas: Monday to Friday from 9am to 5:30pm; Saturday from 9am to 2pm and Sunday 10am to 1pm.

Dancers Captivate Audience: Kristen’s Dance School hosted their Concert Day at Red Bend last Saturday. Countless students graciously danced across the stage leaving their audience in awe of their splendorous talents.

Congratulations… Major award winners of Kristen’s Dance Studio is Olivia Beasley – CWA Dancer’s Dancer, Lil Hodges – Most Outstanding Overall (donated by Wayne Jones), Abby Hunt – Sportspower Most Improved and 2017 Scholarship winner, Jenna Redfern. (Photo:Anita Redfern)

 

Great Work… The Goodstart Early Learning Preschool children have documented their learning in a book they wrote based on experiences they participated in throughout the year. Several of the Preschool children proudly presented a copy of their finished book “Larry the Rooster” to Bronwyn at the Forbes Library.

Australia Day Nominations Open: Forbes Shire Council is calling for nominations for the Citizen and Young Citizen of the Year to be presented at the 2018 Australia Day celebrations. The awards recognise and reward community members who have achieved excellence or made a significant contribution to our community. Nominations are open for the Forbes Shire Citizen of the Year (26 years and over) and Forbes Shire Young Citizen of the Year (25 years and younger). Nominations close at 5pm on 19th January. Forms can be collected from Council’s Administration Office or downloaded from the website.

St John’s Anglican Church: The Anglican Parish of Forbes will have a double celebration in St John’s Anglican Church on Sunday, 10th December. The Right Reverend Ian Palmer, Anglican Bishop of Bathurst, will commission Reverend Crystal Spindler as Priest-In-Charge of the Anglican Parish of Forbes. Reverend Crystal was previously the Vicar of the Parish of Parkes.

The congregation will also celebrate the 140th anniversary of the completion of the Nave of St John’s Anglican Church. Mayor Graeme Miller will attend on behalf of the Forbes Shire Council.

New Policing Model For Central West: NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller outlined a new policing model for the Central West. The model provides that the current 34 Local Area Commands in regional NSW will be replaced by 26 Police Districts. Canobolas and Lachlan Local Area Commands will be reformed as the Central West Police District. Police Districts will have a District Superintendent with varying spans of control, while each Police Station will have an Officer-in-Charge model. Parliamentary Secretary for Western NSW Rick Colless said the new structure was designed to put more boots on the ground. “It is important to note that under this restructure no Police Stations will be closed. Police will also have the capability and flexibility needed to respond to crime, major events, and emergency management.”

Landcare Wins Award: Central West Lachlan Landcare (CWLL) won the Environmental Partnership of the Year Award at the glittering 35th awards gala of Skillset held in Bathurst recently. CWLL has hosted three very successful Green Army Projects over the past 18 months in partnership with Skillset. CWLL Co-ordinator Marg Applebee said they were thrilled to be recognised with this award.

Marg Applebee (middle) received the award for Central West Lachlan Landcare. She is with Graham Stirling and Thomas Staff, both from Skillset.