Pool opens tomorrow: The opening of the Forbes Town Pool had to be delayed by a week due to flooding in the Shire last week. Access to the pool was difficult because of the floodwater, and the delay was necessary to give Council time to complete the clean-up before the opening.

Floodwater health hazards: Forbes Shire Council is warning residents to be alert to potential health hazards associated with floodwater. Floodwater can be affected due to overflows of sewage and chemical contaminates
that can cause illness or infection. Residents should avoid any unnecessary contact with floodwater or mud. Mayor
Graeme Miller said it was especially important that children did not play in floodwater. Always wear gloves when handling flood affected items and wash hands thoroughly after participating in clean-up activities. Any cut or abrasion should be treated with antiseptic and covered immediately. If a wound develops any redness, swelling
or discharge, seek immediate medical assistance. If you develop severe diarrhoea or vomiting, seek immediate medical assistance. Mosquitoes could also present a risk. “Residents should cover up as much as possible and apply repellent every couple of hours if outdoors,” the Mayor said.

Waste collection: Forbes Shire Council has organised special waste collection arrangements until floodwaters recede. For flood affected residents, the service will resume as soon as trucks can access properties. Some delays in garbage collection are being experienced due to road closures. Residents are asked to leave their bins on the kerb until they can be collected. Individual collections for severely flood effected properties may be organised with Council on a case by case basis. The annual Bulk Waste Clean-Up started on Monday, and another pick-up has been scheduled for the week beginning Monday, 24th October. This will give residents the opportunity to dispose of any items damaged during the flood. For more information or questions, please call the Environmental Services and Planning Department on 6850 2344.

Softball season: Registration day and social game on 13th October 6 – 7:30pm at Forbes Golf Club fields. Games to be played at same time every week. Fees are $80 for adults and $60 for juniors. Register as team or as an individual. Contact Isabel Haley on 0428 139 360, or forbessoftball@yahoo.com.au

Forbes Community Safety Art Competition: The competition is open to students from Forbes and Bedgerabong. K-6 theme is community safety in your neighbourhood and 7-12 theme is raising awareness about
domestic violence/ positive relationships. Artworks can be digital, painting, drawing or other medium. Competition closes 21st October.

Award Finalist: Local Rural and Lifestyle Sales Specialist Ned Hamilton, from Ian Simpson & Co is a finalist in the NSW Real Estate Industry of NSW Rural Marketer of the Year. This is an Award for Excellence which recognises outstanding achievements by individuals in rural property marketing. The Gala Dinner where the winners will be announced will be held in Sydney on Thursday, 13th October. Good luck to Ned from everybody at Ian Simpson & Co.

Free Cuppa for the Driver: Organisers of the award-winning ‘Free Cuppa for the Driver’ scheme are inviting local businesses to register for phase 7 of the successful driver fatigue awareness campaign which will operate from lst March to 31st May 2017. The scheme encourages visiting drivers to stop at participating businesses for a free cup of tea or coffee so that they can take a break from driving long distances. Call Logan Dolbel on 02 6861 2364 if
you are interested in participating.

Holiday activities cancelled: Forbes Shire Council has decided to cancel its planned school holiday activities due to this week’s flooding. The spectacular screenings movie night tonight will not take place. “We apologise for the inconvenience, but we will be planning a range of activities for the Christmas holidays,” Mayor Miller said.

Catastrophe Event Insurance Hotline: Phone this 24-hour day hotline on 1800 734 621. The line is run by the Insurance Council of Australia and is open to all residents with insurance questions.

Double Demerits October Long Weekend: Don’t forget that double demerits points will be in force again over the October long weekend. They come into place from Friday, 30th September and finish on Monday, 3rd October (inclusive). School holidays, football finals and all of the recent wet weather conditions will mean increased
traffic on our roads, however drivers need to be warned they are at risk of losing their licence during this period if they do not obey the road rules.

Indigenous Groups Merge: Forbes & Parkes Reconciliation groups have recently merged to form Lachlan Reconciliation Group. The Reconciliation group comes under the umbrella of the NSW Reconciliation Council and has been established to capture the goodwill in the community at this historic time. Lachlan Reconciliation
group is interested in working with other groups in the area to foster these aims so they would like you to keep us in mind if they can be of assistance to you.

Champion Chook Girl: Seven-year-old April Bermingham has a great love for all animals, but she is making a name for herself and her chooks at shows in the Central West. She has more than 40 chickens and started to enter them at shows this year. She has won more than ten first prizes and seven second prizes at three shows so far for her Polish chickens, Silkies and Aconas. She clinched a best in class and a second prize at the Forbes Show, had four
winners and three seconds at the Bedgerabong Show and six winners and three seconds in Parkes. April also has three ducks, and won reserve champion with her duck at Bedgerabong. According to April’s dad, Shannon, his daughter spends all her time with the animals on their seven-acre property.

Forbes Neighbourhood Watch (FNW) art competition: FNW is working with other service providers in the community to increase awareness on the importance of safety and security by running an art competition for children in the Forbes community. The themes are: K – 6 Community Safety; 7 – 12 Raising awareness of domestic violence/positive relationships. Artworks need to be on A3 or A4 and can be digital, paintings, drawings or other medium. The competition closes on 21st October and winners will be announced on 28th October. Prizes will be paid in Find it in Forbes vouchers. For more information contact Maree Yapp on 6852 3008; Senior Constable Daniel Greef on 6862 9977, or Maria Peterson on 6851 2716.

The Boscars 2016 Gala Dinner: As we enter spring, excitement for The Boscars 2016 Gala Dinner is building. Tickets are on sale until Wednesday, 12th October unless sold out prior. So get in early and plan your table now. With a combination of experience and fresh ideas the 2016 event committee will deliver a fun and memorable evening. People’s Choice voting is currently underway so don’t forget to head to www.forbesboscars.com.au to place your vote. This special award category will recognise Forbes’ most popular tradie and most popular business. Have you worked with a tradie who’s gone above and beyond and done an amazing job? Make sure you get them in the running!

Wellness Hub Logo winner: The Forbes High School Wellness Hub is being developed by the Forbes High School leadership team to provide community and welfare services to students to ensure they are holistically supported at the school. The initiative is still in its implementation phase with an official opening to be held early next year. To help promote the Wellness Hub, a competition was held to design an appropriate logo for the hub. The school had a fantastic response from the students with Year 9 student Tessa Pymont winning the major prize. Montana Palazzi and Jake Ellison received runner-up awards. Tessa won an iPad, and her design will be used on all signage in the school and the wider community.

Forbes and District Historical Society: At the recent AGM of the Forbes and District Historical Society the following main office bearers were elected: President: Bruce Adams, Secretary: Susan Stewart and Treasurer: David Palmer. A display case is being built for the Ivel Tractor. We hope to have it back in the museum by December.

SMS Service: Forbes Shire Council is currently updating its SMS Notification Service database as another means of communicating with the community. Text messages sent will include notifications such as closure of sporting fields, road closures and upcoming events, as well as important information during flooding or other emergency situations. If you would like to be included on the SMS Notification Service database, please email your mobile number to Communications Officer Amy Millerd at amy.millerd@forbes.nsw.gov.au or call 6850 2361.

Boscars public voting is on: After a busy submission period, entries for The Boscars 2016 business awards have now closed. As our independent judges get to work, it’s time to launch public voting for the People’s Choice awards. The two People’s Choice awards recognise Forbes’ favourite Tradie and the town’s most popular business as voted by the customers! It’s up to you Forbes, so head to The Boscars webpage www.forbesbusinesschamber.com.au/boscars to access the online voting form. It’s quick and anonymous, simply nominate your favourite tradie and/ or business currently operating within the Forbes Shire Council area. Voting closes at 5pm Monday, 26th September 2016.

Forbes Widows Support Group: Thirteen ladies enjoyed a paper craft creations afternoon at the Forbes Services Memorial Club on 17th August. Sandra and Grace Hosking from the Trundle Craft Shop hosted the event with the ladies sharing ideas and laughter as they glued together paper, doilies, cardboard and flowers to make Christmas decorations and a variety of
cards for special occasions. Mayor Phyllis Miller presented the group with a cheque, which came from the proceeds of the Orange Male Voice Choir Concert, and will be used for future outings.

Movie winners: The first winner of our Forbes Services Club Cinema competition is Neil Lambert, and the second fortnight’s winner is Allan Wright. Congratulations – you both won a family pass! A winner will be drawn every fortnight until the end of October.

Correction: The Electoral Commission advertisement on page 2 in last week’s issue, wrongly stated ten councillors would be elected. There are only nine councillor positions.

Forbes Show on 9th and 10th September:
It is only a fortnight until the 2016 Show! Make sure to pay your annual membership of $40, which covers entry for you, one guest and school-aged children on both days of the Show. Single membership is $30 and covers one adult and three school-aged children. Also get some earlybird ride tickets, at $25 per sheet for $30 worth of rides! Entries are still open for the Miss Showgirl award with fantastic prizes to be won. Entry forms are available at the Show Office. There are many other events you can enter, including Photography, Fine Arts, Cooking, Lego, Handicrafts and Needlework. Every entry makes the Show bigger and better! More information on the Forbes Show Facebook page or call Julie Hurkett on 6852 1311.

Boscar Awards: As tension is building for the Boscar Awards, it is good to note that this competition is open to all businesses in Forbes and not only to Business Chamber members. So get your entries ready before the closing date on 29th August by logging in and register your entry!

Forbes Public School Raffle: Forbes Small Engine Specialists donated a Polaris Outlaw 50 as the major prize for the Forbes Public School P&C raffle! Support the local school and win the Polaris 50 in your choice of pink or blue. The winner will be drawn at the Family Fun Market Day on 26th November at the school’s Lakeside oval. Tickets are selling for $2 each or 3 for $5. Raffle tickets will be on sale at Bernardi’s IGA on 3rd, 23rd and 30th September; 13th, 20th and 27th October and 10th, 17th and 25th November.

Forbes Neighbourhood Watch News: We would like to thank Senior Constable Daniel Greef, the Crime Prevention Officer in the Lachlan Local Area Command for keeping us informed about crime. Contact 6862 9936 if you want a free home security assessment done by Daniel. The BBQ at Bernardi’s IGA on 23rd July was a great day to inform the community about our work. On Saturday, 30th July we took part in National Tree Day. Committee members are preparing for the Forbes Home Security and Safety Expo on 16th Oct. Our community information trailer will be parked in the Woolworths car park tomorrow to answer questions or listen to concerns. We will also be at the Forbes Show on 9th and 10th September, so please look out for our new flags. Our next meeting is on 5th September at the Forbes Service Memorial Club at 7.30pm.

Friends of the Forbes Hospital: The AGM of Friends of the Forbes Hospital was held on 5th August and the following office bearers were elected: President – Ann Williams; 1st Vice President – Norm Haley; 2nd Vice President – Wilma Hepburn, Secretary/Treasurer – Gloria Haley; Assistant Secretary/Treasurer – Jean Hodges; Publicity Officer – Lee Reynolds and Patrons – Val Price and Gladys Brenner. Two new members joined – Christine Pout and Fiona Stevenson – pushing membership up to 13. More members are always welcome. The community’s generous support has helped to swell the funds of the organisation to help the hospital acquire much needed equipment.

Physiotherapy at Forbes Medical Centre: The Forbes Medical Centre (FMC) has recently added physiotherapy to the range of specialist and allied health services provided at the practice. Alyssa Crowe, who previously worked at the Forbes Hospital, has returned to Forbes to commence weekly sessions at FMC. The service will increase subject to demand. Alyssa will be available every Friday from late August. For an appointment phone 6851 1300.

Fashion with a Conscience: Salvos Stores will be supporting National Op Shop Week from Sunday. Fashion with a Conscience encourages customers to reuse, recycle and reinvent fashion by shopping at Salvos Stores. Salvos Stores not only divert 15,000 tonnes of clothing and household items per year from landfill, but if every Australian recycled one T-shirt per year, we would recover billions of litres of water!

Stork News: Eliza Jane Ryan was born at the Forbes District Hospital on Monday, 1st August at 6:46pm. She is being snuggled by her big brother Harrison. Her proud parents are Nick Ryan and Katrina Ferguson, and grandparents Fiona Ferguson, John Ryan, John Ferguson and Vicki Purcell.

Welcoming Danny Green: Local Councillors, including Mayor Phyllis Miller, and Forbes residents turned up at the Forbes Services Memorial Club last Wednesday to welcome the Council’s new General Manager, Danny Green. Mayor Phyllis welcomed him on behalf of the Council and the town of Forbes. Danny said he was enjoying his time in Forbes and that he had an open door policy. So if you want to discuss anything with him just call in for a cup of coffee.

Vietnam Veterans Day: This will be held at the Cenotaph in Victoria Park on Thursday, 18th August at 11am to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan on this day. The bravery, tenacity and sacrifice of the Australian and New Zealand soldiers in this battle, and the support provided to them by the RAAF and artillerymen from the two countries and the US are
remembered as one of the Vietnam War’s defining moments. There were 18 Australian casualties and 24 wounded.

Local Government Election: Nominations for candidates in the Local Government election to be held on 10th September had to be lodged at Council on Wednesday. The Returning Officer for the election is Geoff Lark, who is covering Forbes, Parkes and Lachlan Councils. Voting is compulsory for all residents in the Forbes Shire who are registered on the electoral roll. There is no absentee voting in Local Government elections. If you are unable to vote on election day, you can vote either by pre-poll or postal vote. Pre-poll voting will be open from 29th August to 9th September in the Council Chambers. Postal vote application forms are on the votensw website. The election on 10th September will be at the Forbes Town Hall from 8am to 6pm.

Riding for the Disabled (RDA): The Forbes Branch is raising funds to purchase a buggy specifically suited for the use of wheelchair bound RDA participants. There is a raffle with two great prizes: 3 days and 2 nights at Sahara Park Riding School for two children fully accommodated, and $500 Forbes shopping dollars. They are also selling tickets in 100 clubs. The winners of the first 100 club are 1st Marg Biddle; 2nd Marion Hales; 3rd Barry Jelbar, and the second 100 club winners are 1st Alan Pritchard; 2nd Len Piestch; 3rd Paddy Molloy.

Christmas in July a great success: Jemalong Residential Village (JRV) Volunteers group hosted a very successful Christmas in July last Saturday night. Catering for the three-course Christmas dinner was catered by JRV chef, Peter Ashcroft. A profit of $5,000 was made. Winner of the $500 Forbes Gift Voucher was Greg Prow. Thank you to everyone involved in making this night a huge success. Our next fundraising event will be on 1st October when we host the catering for the Forbes Open Gardens. There will be cake, plant and
craft stalls, morning and afternoon tea and a BBQ lunch.

Do you want to join the Australian Red Cross in Forbes?: After celebrating the 2014 centenary of Australian Red Cross, the Forbes Club is looking for new members to help address the humanitarian needs of vulnerable people in the community. If you are interested to join, you are
welcome to attend the AGM on 11th August at 2pm at Forbes HACC Centre. For enquiries call 6852 2736.

Run Against Violence: The journey of one woman became the journey of many. The Forbes Domestic Violence Committee invites the community to a screening of Iceberg at 7pm at the Forbes Town Hall tonight. Iceberg follows the journey of Kirrily Dear, who ran 860km from Walgett to Forbes in 2014. Her sole purpose was to break the silence surrounding domestic violence.

Free printmaking workshop: Places are open to participate in a free printmaking workshop in Forbes. The ‘In Print Forbes’ workshops, to be held in August, are a chance for people to learn from expert printmaker Victoria Tuscon Brew, who will lead participants through the printmaking process and help them produce a complete artwork of their own. The workshops will be held over two Thursday’s (11th August and 18th August from 11am to 2pm), and two Saturday’s (20th August and 27th August from 11am to 2pm) at the Northside Chapel Hall in Forbes. Participants will need to be able to attend two workshops – either both Thursday or both Saturday workshops. The workshops are open to all adults or senior high school students. Participants
will generate new artworks for the Forbes Hospital’s art collection and will be asked to donate a print to the Hospital. Bathurstbased Victoria Tuscon Brew is an editioning printmaker – she works with artists to make prints of their works. A graduate of UNSW’s College of Fine Arts, Victoria has over 17 years’ experience. The workshops are free and all materials are provided. Places are limited. To book call Arts OutWest on 6338 4657 or email artsoutwest@csu.edu.au

Western NSW schools on board with a healthy lunch: Primary schools in western NSW are helping the next generation of parents pack healthy lunches for their children to provide students with lifelong cancer prevention benefits. Cancer Council NSW nutrition program Eat It To Beat It delivered 75 Healthy Lunch Box sessions during the Western NSW kindergarten orientation period last year.

Schools are encouraged to get on board for this year’s kindergarten orientation period. The free 25-minute sessions show parents how easy it can be to pack a healthy lunch box every day. Each family gets a free show bag filled with great resources, including a hands-on Healthy Lunch Box Kit. Western NSW Community Programs Coordinator, Fiona Markwick said including fruit and vegetables in the lunch box was an easy step towards eating the recommended two serves of fruit and five serves of vegetables every day.

“Schools tell us that many lunch boxes still contain a lot of packaged foods,” Fiona said. To find out more or to register interest for a Healthy Lunch Box session, go to eatittobeatit.com.au or contact Fiona Markwick on 02 6392 0803 or email fionam@nswcc.org.au

Stork News: Austin Liam Breen was born at 5:30am on 17th June weighing 8lb 1oz, 52cm long in Parkes. He is the second son for Clynt and Kristi Breen and baby brother for Clifford. He is the grandson of the late Cliff Bradley and Jan Bradley of Forbes and Ian and Mary Breen of Canowindra.

Forbes Women’s Sewing Group: If you would like to learn how to sew, the Forbes Youth and Community Centre is now home to the Forbes Women’s Sewing Group once a week. The group meets from 10am to 3pm each Wednesday and is led by Cherylin Cole. Each session is a gold coin donation and Cherylin teaches each person individually. So far women involved have learnt to make quilts, handbags, pillow cushions, wheat bags, library bags and
curtains. Participants can sell their creations at the Forbes Lions Club Car Boot Sale each month. For more information about the Forbes Women’s Sewing Group, contact Cherylin Cole on 6857 3346.

Forbes Neighbourhood Watch: The Neighbourhood Watch BBQ will be on 23rd July at IGA from 10am to 2pm. National Tree Planting Day is on 30th July from 10am to 1pm followed by a BBQ at the Central West Livestock Exchange. The Neighbourhood Watch Information trailer will be at both venues. Volunteers will answer any queries about community involvement. We need more volunteers, please come to our next meeting on 1st August at 7.30pm at the Forbes Services Memorial Club. For further information contact Lyn Ward on 0417 536 619.

Eisteddfod concludes with Grand Concert: After nine days of competition the dance group sections finalised the 2016 Eisteddfod. Eisteddfod Committee Treasurer, Karyn Glennan was very pleased with the dance sections. More than 100 dancers performed in about 850 routines. The
Forbes Eisteddfod attracts competitors from throughout New South Wales bringing financial benefits to our local business and community. The Committee are now preparing for the Grand Concert tomorrow at 7pm at the Forbes Town Hall. The concert will feature approximately 30 acts that will give the audience a fantastic overview of the eisteddfod. Tickets are still available at $15 for Adults, $10 for Pensioners and $5 for children aged 5 to17years. For bookings contact Jan Facey on 0438 461 867 or Marian Barrass on 0427 729 254.