Forbes Aboriginal and Community Working Party held their last meeting on 12 October at Forbes Services Memorial Club. They moved to adjust their meeting times to 6pm-7:30pm and Draft Terms of Reference were tabled. David Acheson was also nominated for Chairperson. The next meeting will be held on Monday 9 November. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Congratulations to the major award winners at Forbes High School: Cameron Herbert won the Blue and Gold Citizenship Award; Megan Morrison and Melanie Cowhan won the Citizenship Awards; Reuben F Scarf went to Megan Morrison; Cameron Herbert won the Carmel Hodges Humanitarian Award; Isaac Stewart won the Vocational
Education & Training Student of the Year; Outstanding Academic Award went to Daniel Stevenson; the Principal’s Award went to Brittany Morrison; Merrin Isbester received Dux of Year 12.

1500 volunteer mentors are needed by Christmas to deliver The Smith Family’s 2016 iTrack online mentoring program, an initiative providing guidance to high school students on their post school options. The program will commence in two busts in May and July next year. The mentoring relationship will run for 18 weeks. Register now at
www.thesmithfamily.com.au

Water Park is ready to use! Get out and enjoy the warm weather at Forbes Water Park with a custom-made dragonfly shower and spraying bulrush pole feature. After an increase in dog hair and detergents in the filters last summer, Council want to remind residents that the facility isn’t a place to wash dogs.

Don’t forget we’ve moved! Our new office space can be found at 19 Templar Street. Feel free to drop in and say hello!

Join the world’s biggest garage sale! Households, schools, local organisations, charities and community groups are encouraged to host a garage sale on Saturday 24 October as part of the fifth annual Garage Sale Trail. Mayor Phyllis Miller OAM said being involved in this event was a unique opportunity to promote reuse and community building in a fun and creative way. Registration is free and includes a seller webpage. Visit www.garagesaletrail.com.au for more information.

Congratulations to Esme’s Coffee Shop who have won an amazing $600 advertising package as part of the Destination Forbes promotion, given by The Forbes Phoenix.

The Sky Muster NBN satellite was launched last Thursday in South America. When operational, the satellite broadband service will cover more than 400,000 homes and businesses across Australia. The second NBN satellite is scheduled for launch in early 2016 and users will be able to connect broadband and voice services following beam commissioning and product testing. “The wait for access to the National Broadband Network is almost over for many remote communities,” Federal Member for Calare John Cobb said.

Real Men Move is a government initiative designed to get men who are over 40 years of age off the couch. Member for Orange Andrew Gee says the program was created to inspire men to increase their participation in physical activity, and that it provides exercise options for all interests and fitness levels. The Real Men Move website offers ideas on how older men can start exercising immediately in the comfort of their own home, the social and health benefits of exercising in a group and resources for community groups such as Men’s Sheds to get their members
moving. Check it out at www.realmenmove.org.au.

Friends of the Hospital held their meeting on Friday 2 October at the Forbes Services Memorial Club. They excitedly discussed the opening of the newly refurbished hospital and looked forward to continuing to provide
much needed medical equipment with the support of our generous community. Friends of the Hospital will be at the Opening Day and a collection tin will be inside the foyer to take donations.

Australia Post will honour international humanitarians, all who have been officially honoured by Australia for their acts of courage, compassion and leadership: Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela and Raoul Wallenberg.

Congratulations to the winners of the Destination Forbes promotion. The lucky people were Genevieve Howard winning first place, Kaye Griffiths taking second and Leanne Lewis winning third prize.

1500 volunteer mentors are needed by Christmas to deliver The Smith Family’s 2016 iTrack online mentoring program, an initiative providing guidance to high school students on their post school options. Anyone considering becoming a volunteer mentor is urged to sign up to make a positive difference in a student’s future. The program
will commence in two bursts in May and July next year. The mentoring relationship will run for 18 weeks. Register now at www.thesmithfamily.com.au

Check out our new location! Our new office space can be found at 19 Templar Street. Feel free to drop in your stories, photos, say hello and pick up the next issue of the Forbes Phoenix. It’s local and it’s free!

Congratulations to the winners of our school holiday competition! Penny Newell (Forbes) has won the family pass to Taronga Western Plains Zoo and Amy Carpenter (Canowindra), Amparo Gomez (Canowindra), Natalie Pace (Canowindra) and Jodie Straney (Forbes) have all won double passes to Odeon 5 Cinema in Orange to watch either Pixels, Pan or Blinky Bill! Thank you to everyone who entered.

With warmer weather predicted this weekend Forbes Olympic Pool is the place to be when it officially opens for the season on Saturday. Opening hours are 10am to 7pm every day in October. Entry is $3.80 for adults, $2.60 for children and concessions and $2.50 for guardians. Season tickets and monthly passes are also available.

If you’re looking for work make sure you check out Jobs in the Central West on Facebook. There are currently some great jobs going in the area!

Entries for the 2016 Parkes Elvis Festival Photography Competition are open and if you’ve snapped a great photo at the Parkes Elvis Festival over the years, you could win a cash prize! Entry is free and open to all ages. There are two categories: photos taken on iPhones and photos taken on digital cameras. Entries close 5pm Friday 16 October.

October is Australia’s Breast Cancer Awareness month. Take the time to find out what you need to know about breast awareness and share this important information with your family, friends and colleagues. Breast cancer remains the most common cancer among Australian women. Did you know that 15,600 women and 145 men will
be diagnosed with breast cancer this year? Celebrate female friendship and support Pink Ribbon by hosting a Girl’s Night In or selling merchandise. Call 1300 656 585 or visit www.pinkribbon.com.au to get started.

The only public diamond mine in the world is in Arkansas, USA. People can search for diamonds and keep what they find. Since it opened in 1972, tens of thousands of diamonds have been found there.

The Bedgerabong School Spring Fair and Market Day will be held at the school and hosted by the Bedgerabong Public School P&C on Saturday 10 October between 10am and 2pm, coinciding with the Country Music
Campout. A jumping castle, petting zoo, pony rides, face painting, haunted house, market stalls and much more will be there, as well as a cake stall and a great raffle. This will be a great family day out so make sure you get out there for a look!

Strengthen your body and relax your mind with Tai Chi, an empowering but gentle form of low impact exercise. From 22 September to 17 November, free Tai Chi lessons will be running at the Forbes Town Hall for
all ages from 16 years and up. Classes run between 10-11am with morning tea provided after class. Dress in comfy clothes, flat shoes and bring a water bottle. Phone 6851 2099 or 6852 2772 for more information.

Office space wanted! The Forbes Phoenix now requires a small office space to be taken on by the end of September. If you can help, please contact Cheryl Newsom on 0411 211 065.

In Britain a study suggested that only 1 in 10 British men say they would take a male contraceptive pill, strongly believing that is a “woman’s responsibility”.

Still got Show Fever? The Eugowra Show will be held this weekend from 18-19 September. Gates open from 7pm so prepare yourself for a big day with tractor pull, yard dog trials, fireworks, harness racing, Showgirl competition, demolition derby, a special ANZAC presentation and heaps more!

Year 12 students are busily preparing for their HSC exams at the end of their high school days. To assist students in deciding on what to do next, a School Leavers Guide has been put together to offer information about education and training programs, finding employment, scholarships, financial support, enrolling to vote and getting a tax file number.

Barcodes have passed their use-by-date now basic barcodes are out and “data bars” are in!

Forbes Horticultural Society and Garden Club will be holding their 9th Open Gardens event on Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 October between 10am and 4pm, rain, hail or shine. The event is a non-competitive festival of gardens generously shared with you by their owners. A $15 ticket covers all gardens with individual gardens at $5 a ticket.

It’s NSW Bike Week and a new booklet for bike riders has been launched by Roads and Maritime Services covering bike safety, choosing the right bike for you, bike maintenance and road rules. “A Handbook for Bicycle Riders” gives you everything you need to know to safely bicycle anywhere in NSW. Find your copy at www.transport.nsw.gov.au

Back in 1971 there were 202 Australians aged 100 years or over. In 2015 there are 4252!

A new sculpture will be unveiled at the Albion “art park” in conjunction with the Sculpture Forbes 2015 Acquisition Prize at 6pm on Thursday 1 October. Enjoy music, food and wine. Bring your family and tell your friends!

Jemalong Wool weekly market update: A small rise in the market tended to mask a reasonably turbulent week which initially rose strongly before losing ground by the close. Despite Wednesday’s overwhelming positive tone, Thursday followed up with a sharp reversal in direction for the medium and broader microns, while the finer microns were less effected and even displayed a firming tendency for the more stylish 40nkt types. Merino skirtings followed a similar pattern, opening with moderate rises before easing back on the final day. Crossbreds were driven higher on both days on the back of a small offering. The limited 25/26-micron range recorded strong growth, mainly on the last day when they jumped 30 cents. The Merino Carding Indicators posted another steady result, continuing their climb back to the 1100-cent level. 40,755 bales are expected next week nationally, including a three day Melbourne sale.

Nominations are open to recognise rural women in the 2016 Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation Rural Women’s Awards. These awards provide financial assistance to the recipients, allowing them to further their contributions to rural communities. Women committed to making a difference to the community are encouraged to apply. Applications can be found online at www.rirdc.gov.au/rural-women’s-award and nominations close on Saturday 31 October.

Don’t forget the second Relay for Life Expo Night will be held on Wednesday 16 September at Forbes Services Memorial Club. Register or join a team, browse the stands, meet the committee, ask those burning questions, choose a campsite, purchase merchandise and collect kits and shirts. Stay for a little or a long while and find out
all about Relay for Life.

145 million people used Facebook in 2008 but seven years later, 1.5 billion people are using Facebook in 2015.

Want to honour that special grandparent in your life? Nominations for Grandparent of the Year Awards are open until Sunday 20 September with three categories: Grandparent Carer of the Year, Community Grandparent
of the Year and Grandfriend of the Year. To nominate, go to www.grandparentsday.org.au. The award winners will be announced on Grandparents Day, Sunday 25 October.

An innovative radiotherapy technique that has the potential to revolutionise the treatment of early breast cancer became available at the start of the month and is affordable for all eligible women under Medicare.

51% of Australians are expected to be available to work outside their official hours according to research by global recruitment firm Randstad. The global average is 57%.

A new sculpture will be unveiled at the Albion ‘art park’ in conjunction with the Sculpture Forbes 2015 Acquisition Prize at 6pm on Thursday 1 October. Enjoy music, food and wine. Bring your family and tell your friends!

It’s show time! The Forbes Show is on but if you just can’t get enough show culture, don’t forget the Eugowra Show will be held 18-19 September with yard dog trials, demolition derby, fireworks and plenty more.

The Stronger Communities Grant Program expressions of interest are still open. There is $150,000 of funding available in Calare to be allocated on a competitive basis to worthy community-based projects. A number of strong applications have been received so go to investment.infrastructure.gov.au/funding/ for more information.

40.45kg is the weight of wool shorn from a sheep found wandering on the outskirts of Canberra last Thursday. The wool was estimated to be five years’ growth and weighed over 10kg more than the heaviest fleece on record.

 

Grandparents of the Year Awards recognise outstanding grandparents and older Australians for their contributions to the individuals in their lives and the community. Nominations close Sunday 20 September.
Nominate at www.grandparentsday.org.au

22 eateries in Forbes have received 5 stars and were presented with a certificate of excellence under the Scores on Doors program through the NSW Food Authority. A five-star rating means the business has achieved the highest expected level of compliance with hygiene and food safety standards. “To have 22 food retailers receiving
excellent is really pleasing as it’s not easy to receive such a high rating,” said Mayor Phyllis Miller. “The challenge now is for them to maintain that rating and other food premises to rise to this benchmark next year.”

This week we are celebrating our 10th issue of the Forbes Phoenix! Don’t forget to send your photos, news, stories, letters, compliments and irks to editor@forbesphoenix.com.au and help us embrace the wonderful
community of Forbes!

Recognise that amazing rural woman in your life by nominating her for the 2016 Rural Industries Rural Women’s Awards. Women committed to making a difference to the community are encouraged to apply at www.
rirdc.gov.au/rural-women’s-award. Nominations close Saturday 31 October.

Meet Forbes Council’s new Director of Engineering and Technical Services! John Zannes is a manager and chartered professional engineer with more than 22 years of experience in both the private sector and local government. John has moved to Forbes to enjoy the benefits of living in a rural community and to be close to family. “I am really enjoying my time here so far and have even had the chance to get a couple of golf games in,” John said.

Good Luck to Brendan Turner who will run a 42km marathon on Sunday 6 September for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Best of luck from the Phoenix!

Getting parents involved in homework will change with the launch of an innovative new mobile app that encourages parents to get more involved in their children’s education.

The Learning Potential App is made up of articles and videos that offer advice for parents. The Learning Potential website also contains the content from the app. Find out more at www.australia.gov.au/learningpotential.

School on Tour. To cap off Education week, Creative and Performing Arts students from Forbes High School travelled to both Forbes and Forbes North Public Schools to display dance, drama, and musical items. It was a
great opportunity for our students to showcase their skills, and for our primary schools to see what they can do when they themselves attend high school. The performances were all engaging, encouraging the primary students to sing along, clap their hands, and even get up on stage!

Nominations are open to recognise rural women in the 2016 Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation Rural Women’s Awards. The awards provide financial assistance to the recipients, allowing
them to further their contributions to primary industries and rural communities. Women committed to making a difference to the community are encouraged to apply. Applications can be found online at www.rirdc.gov.au/rural-women’s-award and nominations close Saturday 31 October. In Italy a group of elderly women from a village
in the north have raised enough money from donations to crowd fund their first ever trip to the sea.

Did you know you have a better chance of getting a good night’s sleep on a Wednesday night? A study by users of the app Sleep Cycle revealted that 58% of people say they sleep more soundly on a Wednesday night. Perhaps by mid-week we are flagging and are in need of shut-eye. In terms of sleep quality, China and Slovakia do the best.

Forbes Riverside Community Garden is open 9am to 11am Monday to Saturday and is the place to go if you want to join the garden or become a ‘friend’, make a donation to support the community garden or learn more
about community gardening. Located within the former State Forest Nursery at Reymond Street Forbes, all green thumbs are invited to check it out!

Relay for Life Expo Night was a success with team captains and participants alike turning up to collect team shirts, fundraising tips and chat with the Volunteer Organising Committee. The next Team Expo Night will be
on Wednesday 16 September at Forbes Services Memorial Club from 6-7pm. The special early bird rate of $15 to register has been extended to 16 September.

Essential Energy is reminding green thumbs to be aware of overhead power lines and other electrical equipment when working in the garden. If you do accidentally contact power lines, contact Essential Energy immediately on 13 20 80. If you are planning a garden or landscaping project, it is important to consider the types of plants you are placing around electrical infrastructure. Stay at least 8 metres away from fallen power lines or anything touching them and treat them as live.

We have a winner! Congratulations to Elvy Quirk who is the winner of our Winter Soup Competition thanks to her delicious recipe for Cauliflower, Leek and Potato Soup. Elvy wins a $50 voucher for Mezzanine.

Forbes Shire Council have reached a milestone with the design of the Third More Project finalised and construction soon to begin. Mayor Phyllis said improving water supply security was a top priority. The project will provide increased water security, safeguarding it against future drought or any issues with the water supply from the Lachlan River. The project is due to be completed by the end of June 2016.

Did you know 86% of parents play computer games with their kids.

Friends of the Hospital held their annual AGM on Friday 6 August at the Forbes Services Memorial Club. Three life members were reinstated and Sister Pat gave an inspiring account of her work as a missionary in refugee camps around the world including Kuala Lumpar, Thailand and Malaysia where she was a social worker, teacher and untrained medic in primitive and traumatic conditions. Their next meeting will be held Friday 4 September
at the Forbes Services Memorial Club from 2pm.

Don a daffodil! Friday 28 August is Daffodil Day and stalls will be selling daffodils, soccer balls, brooches and pens to raise money for cancer research, developing cancer prevention programs and providing patient support. You can get involved by making a donation, purchasing merchandise or signing up as a Daffodil Day volunteer. For more information go to www.daffodilday.com.au

Life in Pictures Exhibition will close on Sunday 23 August so if you haven’t checked it out yet, visit Forbes Town Hall to see photographs by a range of photographers and skill levels. There are many amazing categories like Travel, Adventure, Food, People and many more.

127 minutes is the time an average Aussie spends preparing a lamb roast. Australians eat an average of 627kg of lamb in their lifetime.

The Big Cake Bake is back this month! Get together with friends, families, colleagues and neighbours to take part in a fun and rewarding way to support Red Cross. Bake your favourite savoury or sweet for a good cause with a baking event like cake sales, baking competitions and afternoon or morning teas. You can register as an individual or a team by calling 1800 652 635. Are you taking part in The Big Cake Bake this year? Let us know about it!

New drug testing vehicles have hit Central West roads. Two new purpose-built four-wheel-drives equipped to conduct random drug and breath tests are now operating in Western NSW. Worth a combined total of $450,000, Deputy Premier and Minister for Police Tony Grant said “we are cracking down on drug driving right across our state.” Roads Minister Duncan Gay said “we’re tripling roadside drug testing to 97,000 tests by 2017 and are working closely with the community.”

It’s show time! The Bedgerebong Show is on Saturday 22 August at the Bedgerebong Showground. Tickets are $12 for adults and $5 for children. Pensioners are half-price with their card and kids under 5 are free!

The 2015 National Disability Awards give locals the chance to acknowledge the hard work of people having a positive impact on the lives of people living with a disability. You can nominate someone you believe deserves recognition from the community by calling 1800 672 682 or by visiting www.idpwd.com.au before Friday 4 September.

Get out to the Forbes District Lions Club Car Boot Sale at the Lions Park this Saturday 15 August between 8am and 1pm for a variety of stalls, a Lions BBQ and country music.

The average Aussie has 10.5 standard drinks each week, which equals to 4143 calories according to research from Dry July.

Don a daffodil! Friday 28 August is Daffodil Day and stalls will be selling daffodils, soccer balls, brooches and pens to raise money for cancer research, developing cancer prevention programs and providing patient support. You can get involved by making a donation, purchasing merchandise or signing up as a Daffodil Day volunteer. For more info go to www.daffodilday.com.au

The Rotary Globe was put together back in the 1950s by a past Rotarian, the late Eric Leaney. Eric joined the Rotary Club of Forbes back in 1949 only a year after the Club was first formed. He held every Board position apart from Club President, was Club Secretary for ten consecutive years and was a great gentleman through and through. The Globe is used to collect the smallest coins and started off eating pennies and now devours 5 cent pieces.

A big thank you from the Men’s Shed to Woolworths and Bernardis for helping to sell raffle tickets for the 100 Club. The Men’s Shed sold 10 sheets of 100 squares totalling 1000 tickets which is a massive success! “We are so lucky to be a part of such a generous community.” Congratulations to all the lucky winners; Fay Dwyer was the Woolworths winner, Grahame West won second place and donated his voucher back to the Men’s Shed. Guy Findey was the Bernardis Winner and Julie Kopp won second place.

Forbes District Lions Club Car Boot Sale will be held on Saturday 15 August at the Lions Park between 8am and 1pm. A wide variety of stallholders and manufacturers will be there as well as a Lions BBQ and performances
from the Country Music Club. Stalls are $10, call Peter on 0468 819 659.

Forbes Shire Council’s July meeting: Council resolved to support the Forbes Flatlands Hang Gliding events, become a participating Council of Garage Sale Trail and participate in the Live Life Get Active Program. Council also noted that 62 food premises were inspected during June resulting in 22 of them being awarded 5 stars in the Scores
on Doors program, an increase from the 17 premises to receive the stars last year.

The Inaugural Central Shorthorn Sale will be held on Thursday 13 August at 1pm at the Central West Livestock Exchange. Contact John for more information on 0408 297 368.

National Suicide Prevention Tour is coming to Forbes! Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to discuss the realities and experiences of depression and suicide. The bus will be at Mezzanine on Monday 10 August at 10am. Get out there and show your support for a fantastic cause. The amazing people behind it might just change your life.

Forbes Shire Council hosted a networking evening at the Forbes Services Memorial Club on Tuesday 28 July with about 50 people attending. “It’s all about working together when major events are on and increasing visitors
to our town,” Mayor Miller said. If you want to find out more info or register your interest, email your details to tourism@forbes.nsw.gov.au

Did you know research from the University of NSW and Miami University into how men treated women while playing video games showed males were hostile to women who beat them at playing!

Every year more than 35,000 people are reported missing in Australia with around 12,500 in NSW. This equates to one person disappearing every 15 minutes and research indicates for every person who goes missing, on average at least 12 people are affected in some way. “If you have fears for the welfare of a loved one I urge you to come forward so the Police Force can assist as soon as possible,” Police Minister Tony Grant said, stressing there is no minimum time frame to wait before making a missing persons report.

Forbes Preschool Kindergarten will receive $150,000 under the Indigenous Advancement Strategy to help improve education outcomes for Aboriginal children aged 3 to 5 years in the community of Forbes.

Relay for Life are holding Information Nights for Forbes locals to find out everything they need to know about the event. Browse the stands, join a team, meet the committee, ask those burning questions, sign up for games,
choose a campsite, purchase merchandise and collect your kits and shirts. Check it out at Forbes Services Memorial Club on Wednesday 12 August from 6-7pm.

The Forbes Magpies Old Boys Day will be held on Sunday 9 August at Spooners Oval. All MOB members will receive tickets entitling them to free food and beverages which can be redeemed at the canteen, bar, sponsors
tent and Coffee Man.