Maggi Barnard

Sam Vail is a trumpet player and recently moved to Parkes to complete his university thesis with the Parkes Shire Council.

“With my thesis being quite intensive, I knew I would need to get my head away from it at times, and there is no better way of doing that than playing the trumpet.”

He heard that Parkes had a shire band and within his first week in town, he reached out and went to a rehearsal.

“It has been great fun to find other musicians in town to play with – they are very welcoming to new people rocking up. I’m looking forward to playing with the band at events.”

The Parkes Shire Concert Band is planning a community concert in July in collaboration with other regional bands. A few band members are playing in the Parkes M&D musical Wicked, starting today and promising to be a fantastic show!

The Forbes branch of Riding for the Disabled (RDA) is ready to get back into the saddle at a new venue.

The COVID recess is over and RDA Secretary Kylie Ryan encouraged new volunteers and committee members to join up to get this important service in support of the disabled up and running again.

RDA (NSW) is a volunteer organisation providing equine assisted activities for people with disabilities to develop and enhance abilities. Kylie said the community had been very supportive of them in the past few years contributing time and donations.

The Forbes branch, open to participants and volunteers from the whole region, will be hosting an information evening on Wednesday, 5th May at Club Forbes at 6pm.

The information evening will be followed by the annual general meeting at 6:30pm with all seven committee positions open. The Forbes branch would not be able to go forward without a committee, and Kylie urged people to step forward.

She also encouraged anyone who had experience working with horses to come along and help out. “The kids just love the experience of riding a horse. They not only benefit from it, but get so much enjoyment out of it too.”

Kylie said Parkes High School had shown great interest in bringing their students over for sessions. The Forbes branch will run sessions once per week according to interest and demand.

RDA offers children with a range of disabilities the opportunity to learn to ride and work with horses. The Forbes steering committee was first formed in 2013, and had since collected enough money to purchase a wheel chair accessible four-wheel buggy to extend its range of services.

If you would like to get involved or find out more information about the Forbes RDA branch contact Kylie Ryan on 0459 960 376. Also visit the Forbes branch facebook page and RDA NSW website at rdansw.org.au.

The 11th annual Anzac writing competition organised by Riverina MP Michael McCormack, received more than 900 entries from 47 schools across the electorate. Three of the four winners in the North division are from the Parkes Shire:

 

 

With a commercial kitchen and accommodation for 32 people, Eddy’s of Canowindra is the perfect spot for a cheese making workshop.

Cowra Cheesemaker Sallieann O’Leary will be presenting a Cheese Making Workshop on 15th and 16th May at Eddy’s.

It will be an interactive retreat with personal tuition by Sallieann. You will learn to make and take home your own feta cheese, Greek yoghurt and a decadent cheesecake as a treat. All materials are provided on the day. No previous experience is necessary, and the workshop will be rounded off with a wine tasting on the Sunday.

The cost of $330 per person includes one night’s accommodation at Eddy’s and all meals from Saturday morning tea to Sunday lunch. Check in on Saturday morning and check out 4pm on Sunday

To book contact Cathy on 0498 729 947 or email info@eddysofcanowindra.com.au by Friday, 7th May.

Eddy’s is a historically restored convent in the heart of Canowindra. Eddy’s often hosts workshops, but this will be the first cheese making retreat. Make sure to book your spot.

You might hear them before you see them, but they seem to appear as if out of nowhere and fill the sky instantaneously!

Parkes Shire is currently playing host to colonies of Little Red Flying Foxes. This species of fruit bat periodically visits the Parkes region as they travel across Australia in search of food.

Parkes Shire Council said in a press release this week while flying foxes generally cause little disturbance in urban areas, Council appreciated that they could have a significant impact on the day to day lives of residents, and that their current abundance has caused concern among locals.

“As native blossom specialists, they follow eucalyptus flowering events around the eastern states of Australia to find food, and they generally move on to new places when food becomes unavailable, or when temperatures get too hot or cold,” said Michael Chambers, Parkes Shire Council’s Environmental and Sustainability Coordinator.

“It is important to note that all species of flying foxes are protected under State and Federal laws, making it illegal to capture, harm, or otherwise interfere with any individual or group.”

Council’s Director Infrastructure Andrew Francis said attempts to disburse the Fly-ing Foxes, such as startling them with loud noises, guns, or fireworks were ineffective. “Dispersal actions (aside from potentially breaching the law) are often counterproductive because bats rarely respond well, they tend to squawk, urinate, and defecate in response to stress. This results in increased commotion and unpleasant smells, exacerbating an already uncomfortable situation for the residents living in close proximity to them,” said Andrew.

“After seeking expert advice from several NSW Government agencies, Council has been told that they should start to see a drop in numbers soon, as temperatures decrease, food resources become depleted, and large colonies begin to disperse into smaller maternity camps for females to give birth and care for their young,” Andrew added.

Major environmental events, including the severe drought, continued deforestation, and the 2019-2020 bushfires in recent years, have resulted in large-scale habitat loss, and have likely contributed to the high number of flying foxes in Parkes.

“Their increased abundance in Parkes is likely because we experienced such a mild summer and winter in 2020, and recent rain has caused local eucalyptus species to flower profusely,” said Michael.

Council reassured residents that the spread of viruses from flying foxes to humans was extremely rare. There is virtually no risk of infection unless physical contact is made with a flying fox.

However, to minimise any potential risks, Council recommends residents keep their distance as much as possible and avoid interacting with the flying foxes in any way.

If a resident encounters a sick or injured animal, they should avoid handling, and contact a licensed wildlife rescue and rehabilitation provider such as WIRES.

Michael said during the past 30 years populations of flying foxes had seen a dramatic decline in numbers across Australia. “Flying foxes perform important ecosystem services as they feed by pollinating native vegetation and spreading seeds across large distances. Their role in our environment is vital to the ongoing health and regeneration of our native woodlands and forests. Many of our native plants and animals rely on their pollination and seed dispersal efforts for survival.”

Parkes Shire Council said they would continue to liaise with the affected residents and State agencies about the increased presence of flying foxes in the Parkes area.

Now that you’ve learned you generally need 13 points to open the bidding at your bridge table, we can start bidding. Bidding is like a conversation, but without words. No table talk please! We don’t want the opposition frowning at us or, worse still, calling the director. Partners try to find an eight-card fit or longer, preferably in majors. Majors? I hear you ask. To put it simply, the suits in order of ranking from highest are spades then hearts, which are known as the major suits; followed by diamonds then clubs, which are the minors. If the contract is won by a suit, then every card in that suit is a trump, giving it a special winning quality. When a partnership holds eight or more cards of a particular suit between them, their chance of making a contract in that suit is greater. Correct bidding conveys that information.

Making the best contracts this week were: Tuesday, 20th April Greig Ball and Helen Beth Symington; Thursday, 22nd April north/south Louise Payne and Peter Quin, east/west Barbara Hughes and Jenny Freeman; Monday, 26th April Robyn Sheridan and Jennifer Calvert.

By Beth Thomas