Maggi Barnard

Enrolments are now open for the popular Parkes Learn To Swim program, with lessons commencing on Monday, 28th October 2019.

The program caters for children as young as six months old right up to adults, with group and private lessons available.

The swim season is broken up into two sessions, with intensive lessons offered in the January school holiday period:

• Session 1 28 October 2019 – 14 December 2019 (7 weeks) $77

• Session 2 3 February 2020 – 7 March 2020 (5 weeks) $55

• Intensive 1 6 January 2020 – 10 January 2020 (5 days) $55

• Intensive 2 13 January 2020 – 17 January 2020 (5 days) $55

• Intensive 3 20 January 2020 – 24 January 2020 (5 days) $55

• Private Lessons Available in Sessions 1 & 2 $33 per lesson

Parkes Shire Aquatic Coordinator, Nikki Thornhill said “The program aims to not only provide swimming instruction, but also to ensure students gain the knowledge, skill and understanding of water safety for all aquatic environments.

“Our program instructors are all accredited with AUSTSWIM/ASCTA and have been screened according to legislative requirements.

They have been chosen based on a combination of their technical knowledge, enthusiasm and the ability to build rapport with their students.”

For the first time, Parkes Aquatic Centre will hold a Learn To Swim enrolment day on Saturday, 19th October from 11am until 2pm.

“The enrolment day is a great opportunity for participants to meet our instructors, sign up to the program, familiarise themselves with the pool facilities, and enjoy a barbeque lunch to raise funds for drought relief,” Nikki added.

For those unable to attend the enrolment day, forms can be downloaded from Council’s website and returned to parkeslearntoswim@parkes.nsw.gov.au.

A confirmation email will be sent out mid- October with lesson details.

The high energy air show at the three-day AirVenture Australia event at the Parkes Regional Airport last weekend was a thrilling day for hundreds of visitors.

The show was closed by the 2019 Red Bull Air Race World Champion, Matt Hall for his first public appearance since becoming world champion. Matt flew his unique race plane at 450km/h down the runway, did 12-G turns, hovered the plane, made tumbles and made it go backwards.

On Friday Matt took time out to meet fans and also the 25 high school students who set a new world record building a BushCat aircraft in less than a week. “You’ve done something I’ve never done – build a plane!” he told them.

Answering questions from the group that included many trainee pilots, he told them about his exciting life because of aviation, and how hard work has brought him to the top of his game.

Matt said winning the world champion title was more of a relief than elation as he had been so close to getting it for 11 years.

He did his first solo flight 33 years ago, and was first an air force pilot for 18 years before turning to air racing. “I don’t do air racing because I’m an adrenaline junkie.

I never get an adrenaline rush, if I do it means I’m beyond my capability. I remain dead calm and could be whistling while doing it.”

By Maggi Barnard

 

Certain people continually issue more than a usual number of statements of claim summons, writs or other court documents, usually against those in close proximity to them. These actions are sometimes started either in bad faith, or deliberately designed to settle an old score or to annoy or embarrass a neighbour.

Someone who habitually drags defendants to court with frivolous claims, which are more of a nuisance to the defendants than of benefit to themselves, is referred to as a “vexatious litigant.” Such a person is a nuisance to society.

The court will not listen to a person who makes trivial or scandalous claims. If someone is declared a “vexatious litigant”, he or she may not continue with the claim or start a new court action, without getting permission from the court beforehand. This may well be refused.

The medical profession has recently become aware of a particular character trait in people who display this uncontrollable urge to fight in court. The phrase is “querulous paranoia” and it is used to describe such types of people.

It is sometimes difficult for a person receiving a summons from, say, an unfriendly neighbour, to know whether the claim is frivolous or vexatious. A solicitor will be able to advise you of this.

If we at Matthews Williams can help you on any legal matter, feel free to call us.

A dream has come true for a budding artist of Parkes when he donated a very special painting to the CSIRO Parkes Radio Telescope where it will be displayed in the visitors centre.

In a bid to raise awareness about autism and to acknowledge the outstanding contribution CSIRO Parkes Observatory makes towards Autism Awareness Month every April, Sebastian Sadgrove created an artwork entitled ‘The Blue Dish’ for display at The Dish.

“As someone who has autism it is important to me and others who also have it and their families. It is another way of keeping the light shone on autism and keeping people talking about it,” said Sebastian.

“The support shown to me and autism in the Parkes and Central West by the CSIRO Parkes Radio Telescope has been phenomenal.”

“I am hoping it inspires people everywhere to give a shining example that anyone can do anything they want if they put their mind to it,” he said.

CSIRO Operations Scientist John Sarkissian could not be more pleased by the initiative shown by Sebastian and CDS. “We try to do our bit for the local community, especially when it comes to the support of important local charities like Currajong”.

Site Leader at the CSIRO Parkes Radio Telescope Mal Smith said: “We love supporting local groups. This is a unique painting and we love it!”

The third ANBC Peak Hill Busking Championships were a huge success last weekend with two Parkes students qualifying for the grand finals in Cooma in November. Hannah Dunn and Annabelle van Wyk won the secondary and primary categories respectively to see them go forward to the big event on 16th November. Hannah also won the Peoples Choice Award and Jazz Music Award.

More Parkes talent was rewarded with Gracey Denham-Jones getting second place in the secondary category, and Gemma Ellis placed second in the primary category.

“It was an excellent event and the standard was exceptional this year,” said Peak Hill organiser Betty Zdan. She made special mention of the open category winner Alex Eldred from Tuross on the NSW South Coast, who also received the Rising Star trophy. “He is a very talented young man who writes a lot of his own material.”

Participants came from all over including Queanbeyan, Maitland, Berry and Mudgee bringing a great cross section of styles and instruments with them.

Many primary students in Parkes got to meet a real tennis hero last Friday when the world’s record holder for the fastest serve came to town.

Sam Groth, whose 2012 record for the fastest serve ever of 263km/h still stands, visited Parkes as Tennis Country Ambassador for NSW Tennis.

He had a quick stop at Parkes Christian School before heading to Parkes Public and Holy Family.

Sam said growing up in country NSW he really enjoyed coming to Parkes. “It is great getting out and meeting the kids. Hopefully it will inspire the next generation of tennis players, but also just to give the kids a role model to look up to and give them something to aspire to.”

At Parkes Public he handed over racquets to all the Kindergarten students. He said it was great handing out the racquets to get more kids to play tennis. “You never know the next super star might be out there.”

In return the students handed him letters they had written. “I did not know that you were the fastest server in the whole world,” wrote six-year-old Lachlan Orr. “What does it feel like to be famous?”

Sam also had a hit with some of the older students with some powerful shots leaving the students overwhelmed at times. He also met the school’s tennis teams who are the Regional PSSA champions and took second place in the Hot Shots Day.

At Holy Family Sam received a warm welcome and played tennis with the school’s champion team in front of the whole school.

Everyone moved into the hall for a Q&A with Sam. He also presented medals to the Todd Woodbridge Cup Regional Champion Team, who will be going to Sydney in November for the State finals, and left them with some inspiration to practise hard and play well.

By Maggi Barnard