Maggi Barnard

Three new Australian citizens were welcomed by Mayor Ken Keith at the Council meeting on Tuesday. Marius Barnard and his two sons Marnus (10) and Marno (8) received their citizenship certificates after taking the oath. The
family moved to Parkes in September 2012 from South Africa. Marius is a mechanic, and his sons go to Parkes East Public School.

The Mayor congratulated them on becoming citizens saying: “When you make the decision to become Australian, you are deciding to become part of a nation which is not your homeland, but which you have decided to adopt as your own. When you become Australian it is important you don’t forget the language, customs or culture of your country of birth. They can add to the cultural riches of 21st century Australia.”

The Mayor also read a letter from the Minister for Immigration Peter Dutton. “Thank you for taking this important
step today. Australian citizenship confers on you great benefits, but equally rights and obligations. Congratulations
and best wishes.”

After the ceremony Marius said it was a wonderful feeling to be a citizen. It has taken a while, but it will give my life stability and I can start making a real contribution to Australia.”

Both sons were very excited and said it was a good feeling, and that they were proud to be South African and Australian. According to the 2016 census statistics more than 20% of Parkes residents have been born overseas, and ten languages other than English are spoken by them.

By Maggi Barnard

Sometimes the thought of starting a project can literally stop people in their tracks. Here are my five top tips to get you inspired.
1. Never be afraid to ask for help! Asking a professional will give you confidence to achieve the result you want.
2. Always have an idea before you start shopping or making decisions. Create a style file from magazine or internet pictures.
3. An inspiration piece can be the perfect starting point. There is usually one key element that stands out and this can be used to select all the other pieces to keep cohesion to the final look.
4. Know your budget to avoid the end result getting blown out of control. You can achieve a great look at any price.
5. Have a clear idea of what you want to do in the completed room. Function must meet form to give you a sense of accomplishment at the end.

Decorating and making our dreams reality in our homes should be a fun experience. I hope with these ideas you will feel more empowered to take that initial step and confident that you are not alone.

By Karen Creith

Studies have shown that one in four women over the age of 50 suffer from pain on the outside of the hip, and this is particularly true for active women. Gluteal tendinopathy or more specifically, gluteus medius tendinopathy is a common cause of lateral hip pain.

Your gluteal tendons are the tough fibres that attach your gluteal muscles to the hip bone. It is thought that gluteal tendinopathy is more common in women over 50, due to the shape of the female pelvis and hip bones, along with the hormones that influence the female body during menopause. Tendinopathies develop when load to the tendon is increased too quickly such as an increase in exercise particularly in sports like running or hiking.

When tendons become stressed small micro tears form, which encourage inflammatory chemicals and swelling. These will quickly heal if managed appropriately. However, if the loading continues (working through the pain), the formation of these micro tears can exceed the rate of repair. The result is a tendinopathy, causing pain and dysfunction.

Unfortunately, many gluteal tendinopathies are misdiagnosed and incorrectly treated as a bursitis with corticosteroid injections. Whilst this may provide some temporary pain relief, it is only useful if the pain free time is used to exercise and strengthen the tendon appropriately. If injections are not combined with strengthening exercises for the gluteal muscles the tendinosis is likely to continue with return to activity.

A gradual loading programme aimed at strengthening the gluteal muscles and improving the biomechanics of the female hip is the most effective treatment for long term relief of lateral hip pain.

For the fitness of you.
Linda Reilly