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Parkes Phoenix

Maggi Barnard

Maggi Barnard has been with the Parkes Phoenix since it was established in March 2016 and loves writing about her community.

Multifocal Contact Lenses – The Final Frontier!

October 21, 2022 By Maggi Barnard

Many people who wear multifocal glasses or only require glasses for reading, often don’t realise that they could be wearing contact lenses.

Just like multifocal glasses, multifocal contact lenses are designed to give you clear vision at all distances. If you find your multifocal glasses annoying or hard to adjust to, if you work in a job where you need to see clearly but your glasses get knocked around and scratched, or perhaps sometimes you would just like to take a little break from your multifocal or reading glasses while you socialise or play sport, then you may want to consider trying multifocal contact lenses.

There are various designs of multifocal contact lenses to suit your lifestyle and vision needs. While some emphasise near vision with a boost for distance, others emphasise distance vision with a boost for near. There is no distortion or motion sickness feeling that you might experience with multifocal glasses, particular early on.

In terms of getting used to multifocal contact lenses, your relationship with your contact lenses is a little like a burgeoning friendship. You might not initially love them, but with time as you adapt to them and understand how they work you will start to build trust with the multifocal contact lenses, enjoy their company with clear vision at most distances, and likely develop a good friendship over time. This can sometimes take several weeks so don’t give up and quit the game too early! Maybe you have been unsuccessful with contact lenses in the past because they were uncomfortable, however like most things, the technology of contact lenses is always improving, and today’s lenses are much more comfortable than in the past.

You are never too old to wear or try contact lenses. Patients have become happy multifocal contact lens wearers in their 70s. There is no cost involved in trialling contact lenses at Hansen Optometrists Parkes. If you would like to give it a try, book in today and become part of the growing number of happy multifocal contact lens wearers.

Parkes Swimmer Competes For Australia

October 21, 2022 By Maggi Barnard

Year 9 Parkes student Blake Price will be swimming for Australia at an international event in Brisbane next month.

A Year 9 Parkes High School student will be swimming for Australia at an international event in Brisbane next month.

Blake Price will be competing at the Virtus Oceania Asia Games from 5th to 11th November in what he hopes is only the first of many opportunities to represent Australia. 

Blake’s parents, Sharon and Chris Scott will be attending the games and supporting him at the huge event with about 1,000 athletes and officials from Asia, the Pacific and New Zealand.

Participants will be competing in athletics, badminton, basketball, cycling, judo, rowing, sailing, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis and triathlon.

The swimming has a jam-packed schedule of events with competition sanctioned by World Para Swimming for freestyle, breaststroke, butterfly and backstroke and medleys.

Blake has been selected as an II3/S19 swimmer due to his diagnosis of Autism. This is the first time that S19 swimmers have been given the opportunity to be included as a full member of the Australian team and this event is the highest level of swimming that a S19 swimmer can presently achieve.

Blake has qualified to swim in eight individual events and team relay events. He had to achieve qualifying times for his events to be selected for the team. 

Blake has put in many hours to prepare for the event. He has been training with Jason Montgomery of Parkes Athletic with up to eight sessions per week, and he travelled to Orange on weekends for swim training during the Winter season. 

With the Parkes Pool opening last week, Blake is grateful to resume training with the Parkes Sharks Swimming club under the guidance of Coach Barbara Weaver. 

Blake will join the Australian team in Brisbane on the 5th of November which is the day of the opening ceremony. Swimming events will be held from 7th to 9th November and the closing ceremony will be on 11th November. For the duration of the event Blake stays with the Australian team at their hotel.

The Virtus Oceania Asia Games 2022 is an international multi-sport competition in the Oceania Asia region for elite athletes with an intellectual impairment.

This will be the first time a Virtus Regional Games will be held for the Oceania Asia region, with hundreds of athletes and officials from Asia, the Pacific and New Zealand coming to Australia. 

Prime Minister And Premier Visit Flooded Forbes

October 21, 2022 By Maggi Barnard

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese meets the Principal of Forbes Public School Meg Staples.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited Forbes on Monday a mere 11 months after his predecessor was in town to once again see first-hand the effects of the fifth flood in 12 years for this region. 

He was accompanied by NSW Premier Dom Perrottet and other senior politicians meeting with the SES, flood affected residents, farmers, principals, community organisation representatives and councillors. 

The raising of the Wyangala dam wall took prominence during question time with Member for Riverina Michael McCormack issuing a statement afterwards to reaffirm his support for the raising of the wall. 

In his response, the PM said commitments and funding in the budget could only be made once the business case for the project was completed. He gave his assurance that infrastructure investments would continue under his government in NSW and the regions. 

The PM acknowledged the impact of the flood on the community “as well as the ongoing impact it will have on infrastructure, including local roads, and the farming community who were expecting bumper crops and many have now been devastated and ruined. We are living in very dangerous times with more events forecast for the coming days and weeks. 

“The work that will continue is beyond politics, and all levels of government will work together to get resources to people in need,” the PM said. 

As for the loss of up to 60% of crops in some parts of the Forbes Shire, Agriculture and Emergency Management Minister Murray Watt said he was in discussion with the state governments about extra support for farmers. 

The PM said all levels of government would work together to get resources to people in need. 

You can find out more here if you’re eligible for a disaster relief payment and how you can claim it: https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/natural-disaster-events 

Parkes East Hockey Team Brings Home Silver

October 21, 2022 By Maggi Barnard

The Parkes East Primary School hockey team played in the state finals of the PSSA knockout in Newcastle on Tuesday. The team won the semi-final against Robertson Public School 1 – 0 to play Tamworth Public School in the finals. They ended second in the state with the final score 1 – 3 earning them a silver medal for the team members.

Croquet Continues Despite Flood Waters

October 21, 2022 By Pegging Out

With flood waters rising we had 29 players for Aussie Croquet on Saturday. Three players had three wins – John Cole, Kevin Rubie and Alex Todd.

BIG WINS

• 14—8 John Farah and Harley Stewart,Alex Todd and Kevin Rubie, LorraineTodd and John Farah

• 14—9 Geoff Coles and Alex Todd, JillRubie and John Cole, Fay Picker andKevin Rubie

CLOSE GAMES

Carolyn Neilsen and Fay Picker 14 Bill Scott and Marie Spry 13; Cheryle Toohey and Neville Spry 14 Wayne Smith and Ray Burridge 13; Jill Rubie and Robin Pols 14 Jeff Liebich and Marie Spry 13; Doreen Rogers and Allan Jones 14 Lorraine Todd and Robin Pols 12; Cheryle Toohey and Bill Scott 14 Carolyn Neilsen and Neville Spry 12; Carolyn Neilsen and Neville Spry 14 Fay Picker and Peter West 12; Wayne Smith and Ray Burridge 14 Carolyn Neilsen and Marie Spry 11; Bob Murray and John Cole 14 Lorraine Todd and Jill Rubie 11; Doreen Rogers and Robin Pols 14 Dorelle Scott and May Jones 11; Wayne Smith and Ray Burridge 14 Tony Thomson and May Jones 11; Kevin Rubie 14 John Job10; Geoff Coles and John Farah 14 Colleen Liebich and John Job 10; Harley Stewart and Dorelle Scott 14 May Jones and Tony Thomson 10

With flood waters receding on Tuesday, we had 31 players for Golf Croquet. A big total of seven players had three wins – John Browne, Merv Langfield, Robin Pols, Neville Spry, John Farah, Colleen Liebich and Sally Perry.

BIG WINS

• 10—3 Colleen Liebich and Tony Thomson, Robin Pols and Bruce Field

• 9—4 Colleen Liebich, Neville Spry andLorraine Todd, John Browne and SallyPerry

CLOSE GAMES

Neville Spry and Rex Toole 7 Elvy Quirk and Lorraine Todd 6; John Farah and Geoff Coles 7 Peter West and Sandy Hepburn 6; Kevin Rubie and Iren Ford 7 Alex Todd and Ray Martin 6; John Browne and Merv Langfield 7 Jill Rubie and Vince Roberts 6; John Farah and Tony Thomson 7 Sandy Hepburn and Fay Picker 6; Elvy Quirk and Merv Langfield 7 Alex Todd and Marie Spry 6; May Jones and John Farah 7 Geoff Coles and Ray Martin 6; Colleen Liebich and Lorraine Todd 7 Carolyn Neilsen and Alex Todd 6; Sandy Hepburn and Fay Picker 7 John Job 6; Neville Spry and Jill Rubie 7 Bill Scott and Tony Thomson 6; Bruce Field and Merv Langfield 7 Elvy Qoirk and Rex Toole 6; John Browne and Robin Pols 7 Dorelle Scott and Lyal Strudwick 6; Bill Scott 8 Lyal Strudwick and John Job 5; Dorelle Scott and Sally Perry 8 Jeff Liebich and Joan Littlejoh 5; Jeff Liebich and Bill Scott 8 Jill Rubie and Bruce Field 5; Peter West and Lyal Strudwick 8 Vince Roberts and Kevin Rubie 5; Ray Martin and Robin Pols 8 Dorelle Scott and Carolyn Neilsen 5; Kevin Rubie 8 Marie Spry 5.

Congratulations to Neville Spry on his 80th!

Our annual general meeting is on Saturday, 29th October.

By Pegging Out

Rural Aid For Livestock, Crops Lost To Floods

October 21, 2022 By Maggi Barnard

Australia’s trusted rural charity, Rural Aid, has stepped up to help farmers across NSW, Victoria and Tasmania as they face devastating, widespread flooding. 

The team of counsellors are also conducting welfare checks on Rural Aid’s registered farmers and has counsellors on the ground in Forbes. 

Rural Aid CEO John Warlters said farmers with crops nearing harvest were increasingly anxious as flood water and continuing rain caused costly downgrading. 

“Months of hard work and investment has now been written off, alongside people’s homes, fences, sheds and machinery,” he said. 

Registered primary producers are also being offered financial assistance as they deal with the devastating effects of the flood. 

More than 70 local government areas (LGAs) across the three states are directly affected, impacting thousands of families. 

Rural Aid counsellors are expecting an increase in calls to its new, dedicated 1300 175 594 counselling line, as the extent of the current flooding situation becomes more apparent. 

Farmers registered with Rural Aid can access counselling support and request financial assistance and fodder for livestock. 

Producers that aren’t registered are encouraged to do so immediately via www.ruralaid.org.au or by calling 1300 327 624.

Treasures At Parkes Vinnies To Celebrate 100 Years!

October 21, 2022 By Maggi Barnard

The volunteers at Parkes Vinnies are excited about the golden tagged treasures to be discovered in the shop from Mon-day. They are (L-R) Gary Hussey, Jan Hussey, Debbie Nelson, Trish Davies, Greg Cregan, Liz Jones, Tanya Godden (Vinnies NSW Regional Retail Manager), Elaine Charlton, Sue Hennessy and Betty Ackroyd.

There will be ten rare golden tagged treasures hidden in the Parkes Vinnies shop from Monday to be discovered by clients as part of St Vincent de Paul Society’s 100th anniversary celebrations.

As Vinnies shops across NSW have been the home of treasure for 100 years and raise vital funds to support people in need, 100 feature items will be placed in select Vinnies shops.

Parkes is one of the select shops and the treasures include clothing, accessories, and homewares from famous brands including Bassike, Blanca, Double Rainbouu, Dylan Kain, Ellery, Furla, Henne, Jac + Jack, Jets, Kathmandu and more.

There are also extra special prizes to be won, and every transaction made at Vinnies during the campaign, running from 24th October to 6th November, will be eligible to go into the draw to win. Simply scan the QR code at the point of sale once you’ve made a purchase.

“Vinnies Shops are an institution in Australia where people can discover a treasure and give it a second life,” said Jack de Groot, St Vincent de Paul Society NSW CEO.

“Our shops play an important role in making our services sustainable, along with reducing the amount of waste that ends up in landfill.

“We have Vinnies Shops in 225 locations in NSW which rely strongly on the generosity and goodwill of volunteers who give of their time to support the community.

“A lot has changed over the past 100 years but the core of Vinnies Shops remains the same in giving items a second life and using the sales to help people who fall on hard times.”

Sales from items sold in Vinnies shops are used to enable services run by the St Vincent de Paul Society which supports people experiencing hardship with food, clothing, household bills, crisis accommodation, healthcare, educational programs and much more.

Helen Smith from Vinnies in Forbes said the need in the community had become acute over the past three months with homelessness a real concern. She said the cost of living and high rental rates were the main contributors to the increased need for assistance.

St Vincent de Paul Society NSW President Paul Burton echoed this concern saying: “We’re seeing a real demand for assistance at the moment due to the high cost of living, so it’s very important that our shops remain viable in order to continue meeting the needs of people who reach out in times of hardship.”

If you would like to donate to Vinnies, remember if it’s good enough to give to a friend, it’s good enough to give to Vinnies. Only 4% of all donations received at Vinnies are sellable. The more money Vinnies raise, the more people they are able to help.

So don’t miss the Parkes Vinnies golden window display and an opportunity to discover a golden tagged treasure! 

By Maggi Barnard

2022 Forbes Challenge Cup

October 21, 2022 By Maggi Barnard

If you are an ardent women’s soccer supporter, you have to be in Forbes on Saturday, 29th October to see Western Sydney Wanderers FC Women play Canberra United FC at the Botanical Gardens at 5:30pm.

There will also be a Development Session and Meet the Players with International Coach Tom Sermanni and the teams from 10:30-11.30am.

Other games will be starting at 12:15pm with U/10 Girls Forbes/Lachlan v Griffith DFA, followed by U/12 Girls Southern Tablelands v Griffith DFA; U/14 Girls Lachlan Utd v Griffith DFA; U/18 Girls NSW Country v Canberra Utd.

Snippets…

October 21, 2022 By Maggi Barnard

Congratulations to Poppy Starr from Cowra on winning the junior (under 18 years) category of the 2022 Central West is Best Photography Competition with her entry ‘Into the light’. Poppy is the daughter of the graphic designer of the Phoenix Group of Newspapers, Lisa Brien.

Return And Earn To Expand: The NSW Government’s wildly popular Return and Earn scheme is set to expand to include glass wine and spirits bottles and larger containers. The scheme has already seen more than eight billion containers returned. The planned expansion would see up to an additional 400 million eligible bottles recycled each year, including 233 million glass bottles. The discussion paper is available at https://yoursay.epa.nsw.gov.au/ and is open for consultation until 2nd December. More information about Return and Earn at www.returnandearn.org.au

Plastic Ban: Remember the NSW Government is banning single-use plastics from 1st November. This includes: single-use plastic straws and cutlery; single-use plastic plates and bowls; and expanded polystyrene foodware. For more information visit: bit.ly/plastics-ban

Regional Health Plan: People in rural, regional and remote communities across NSW are encouraged to have their say on a new plan for the future of regional health. Minister for Regional Health Bronnie Taylor said the community’s feedback would be absolutely critical in developing the Regional Health Plan 2022-2032. So far there has been 68 consultation sessions with 1,600 people across NSW as well as more than 2,000 surveys completed.To have your say, visit https://www.haveyoursay.nsw.gov.au/nsw-regional-health-plan. The survey closes at 11.59pm on Sunday, 23rd October.

Central West Regional Weed Plan: Central West landholders and community members are encouraged to have their say on the new draft Central West Regional Strategic Weed Management Plan. It is one of 11 draft Regional Strategic Weed Management Plans that is open for consultation across NSW. The plans are used to explain how each region will work together to identify, minimise, respond to and manage priority weeds over the next five years. To view, read and submit feedback visit www.haveyoursay.nsw.gov.au/weed-plans. Submissions close on Sunday, 6th November.

Counselling For Farmers: A new, dedicated phone line will allow to quickly and easily connect with the Rural Aid counselling team. The direct line will ensure farmers are provided a faster and more trauma-informed response with access to a trained counsellor who can support them with referrals for immediate needs, while getting a sense of their story and matching them with the most appropriate support. To get in touch with a Rural Aid counsellor, phone 1300 175 594 between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday.

Bedgerabong Public School thanked Nedd Brockmann for inspiring their students, and the rest of the world, by spell-ing out ‘Go Nedd’ on the school grounds this week.

Our Bloke – Chris Sweeney

October 21, 2022 By Maggi Barnard

Chris Sweeney

Where were you born? Forbes Mater Hospital. 

Were you named after anyone? No, but I did adopt a nickname 45 years ago that has stuck. 

Which of your accomplishments are you most proud of? Being married for 36 years, my four children and still refereeing rugby at 61. 

What historical moment stands out most in your memory? The Bali bombing. It had a huge effect on the whole community. 

What’s the single best piece of advice you’ve ever received? Don’t die wondering what you can achieve. 

What’s the greatest risk you’ve ever taken? Jumping off the big board at the Forbes pool as a nine year old. 

What are the three things you would take to a deserted island? My wife, a rum still, and a solar panel. 

If you had to spend $10,000 today, how would you spend it? At a party with my friends and family. I love parties! 

When are you happiest? At rugby or dragon boating with my mates. 

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