Maggi Barnard

Sylvie Everingham-Potts

My pregnancy has been an exciting and challenging time. I have encountered many physical and emotional changes some expected and some not.

I have often heard “it changes your life, nothing will ever be the same”. I have never been afraid of a challenge and am interested as to how we will grow as a family.

I have also experienced things which I did not see coming. Firstly, the limitations on our local maternity ward, meaning I opted to see a specialist in Orange.

And then something I never expected to deal with – COVID-19. It feels like I’ve lost control of aspects of my life, as all of us had.

Although there are horrific factors associated with the pandemic, it has also given us a window of time to review many aspects of our lives which many will never get the opportunity to do till retirement.

We have realised what is truly important, begun supporting each other and become more grateful for the simple things.

I am a firm believer in perspective. I am only allowed one support person during giving birth when I always thought my mum would be there with my husband plus others.

I thought my maternity leave would be full of celebrating with my friends my journey into motherhood, instead I have been confronted with a cancelled baby shower and isolation. I have watched as so many around me have had their lives change horrendously and mourned not only my losses but the ones of my friends and family.

Kyal Sauer is very excited to be combining his passion with work landing a job at Wallace Bulk Haulage in Forbes

April is Autism Awareness month and for one Currajong Disability Services client it is indeed a time for celebration.

For as long as he can remember, Kyal Sauer always wanted to work with trucks.

It is not just a hobby, trucks are Kyal’s passion and he managed to achieve his goal off his own plate, a major achievement for someone living with autism.

Kyal just landed his dream job at Wallace’s in Forbes and he couldn’t be happier! “I have always wanted to get into the truck industry and be around heavy machinery,” said Kyal.

“I love everything about trucks. I am so happy I got this job so I can learn more,” Kyal said.

For Kyal, who also lives in Forbes, it is an added bonus to be working so close to home.

“It’s a short drive to work at Wallace Bulk Haulage, which is good. Everyone there is great and very supportive,” he said.

Kyal goes to work twice a week on Wednesdays and Fridays, and he is in part responsible for the upkeep and cleaning of the trucks.

“I get to make sure the trucks are roadworthy and in good nick,” Kyal said.

“It’s an important job and someone has to do it.

“I’d do it all day every day if I could!”

The Parkes Shire Concert Band will really miss playing at the Anzac Day ceremonies tomorrow, so we are featuring some members

Annette and Lila Gascoigne: Lila plays trumpet and is also in the Parkes Public School band. Annette plays piano for her church, and wanted to learn to play saxophone. She joined before Christmas last year, and loved playing in the Elvis parade!

Dear readers,

I would like to write to you personally and on behalf of the entire Phoenix Group of Newspapers to thank you for your continued support of our publications over the last few weeks during the Coronavirus crisis.

This is a stressful period for many, and will no doubt continue to be over the next few weeks, at least. While we have done it tough here at the Phoenix, there are many other local businesses doing it much tougher, and I would like to let them all know that our thoughts and best wishes are with them. We will continue to support our local community as best as we can by providing all the up to date local news, as well as continuing to offer our publishing space to all our advertisers, past, present, and future.

With that said, I would like to take this opportunity to confirm to our readers and advertisers that we will continue to publish our weekly newspaper as we normally would. I understand that there is currently much uncertainty around community media, but we are here to stay. We have plans in place to ensure our future viability, and while our staff are all working remotely from home at the moment, they are all still contactable by phone, email and social media, and are still responding to all enquiries that come their way.

While there are challenges, we will still be the local voice of our community, as we have been over the last few years. Our newspapers will continue to be free of charge, and while there are some outlets that we cannot distribute from at the moment, our newspapers will still be available from all others, and we will still be distributing our rural copies through Australia Post.

Please let it be known that we are with everyone through this tough time and will always be available to support our community wherever we can.

Kind regards,
Joshua Matic,
Publisher
The Phoenix Group of Newspapers

Farmer Ana with her trays filled with delicious slices.

After the successful Farmer Ana cake drive to help drought stricken farmers, Ana has turned her sights on frontline workers combatting the Coronavirus.

“I care for the community and these people face trauma and tragedy every day. The slices are a way of saying thank you,” said Ana.

“I will be baking trays of delicious slices for the frontline workers that can accept them.” Ana has already delivered trays to the Parkes and Forbes hospitals, and plans to make contact with other workers such as paramedics, police, fire service and other community workers soon.

To keep the project going, Ana welcomes donations of flour and cooking additives to help her continue baking. Contact Ana on 0423 150 949.

Donna Apps with some of the designs.

The Currajong Disability Services Sewing Group continues to come up with creative and innovative ways of staying afloat and keeping up with the times.

With the rain of recent times, the group added umbrella bags to their range of items, and following on from a world-wide trend during the Corona crisis they’ve started making teddy bears too.

“We’ve gone from drought to rain and with rain comes umbrellas and umbrella bags,” said Deitre Jackson of Currajong Disability Services Sewing Group. “When enough have been made we will make a decision on what will be done with them,” said Deitre.

She said the teddies would be popular too. “Whenever we have branched into that area before it has always been well received.”

In one of the more positive outcomes of the Corona pandemic – people from all around the world are coming together in fun and creative ways. Parkes residents have joined the bear hunt by putting teddy bears and other stuffed animals in their windows for families to take their kids on a bear hunt.