Maggi Barnard

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

Just a Short Drive to Orange…

September 21, 2017 By Maggi Barnard

HANDMADE QUALITY JEWELLERY
Your natural beauty can be complimented with the right choice of precious metals and gemstones. At Second Chance Collectables in Orange you can select from a range of quality rings and jewellery handmade in Australia from quality gold and natural gemstones: rubies, emeralds, sapphires, aquamarine and of course diamonds.

All handcrafted by one of Australia’s longest established manufacturers of quality jewellery! Engagement rings, dress rings, bangles, bracelets, neck chains and earrings. Visit Second Chance Collectables at 149 Peisley Street Orange, phone 6369 1513 or email second.chance@bigpond.com

FAIR TRADE ETHNIC CLOTHES AND GIFTS
If you shop with your conscious, Cinnabar in Orange is the place to go to find well sourced ethnic clothing and gifts. “We always try and source fair trade products, and if possible from the same ladies if not village,” says Nyasa from Cinnabar. “We keep a wide variety of mixed price items so there is hopefully something for every budget including locally made items.” To round off an enjoyable shopping trip, why not enjoy tea or coffee and a slice in the courtyard?

YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU MIGHT FIND
Eclectic Orange has a mix of new and second-hand furniture, home decor, clothing and accessories. If you’re into funky, retro, vintage or industrial, Eclectic is the place to go. Maybe you’d like to find a one-off piece, or you’re intrigued by unusual items. Everyone likes to find a unique piece, whether it be for the home or yourself. Eclectic Orange is a store where you never know what you might find.

BE TEMPTED BY WORLDLY TREASURES
At Wordly Treasures you will discover a treasure trove of beautiful crystals, fossils, giftware and unique jewellery sourced from around the world. You will find semi-precious stones of every colour, unusual silver pieces and quality statues.

HYPNOTHERAPY CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE
At Transform Clinical Hypnotherapy you will be assisted to change your life. “Our desire has always been to successfully guide our clients into thought changing processes using hypnosis,” says the owner. “We have 10 years combined hypnotherapy experience and a wealth of knowledge for our clients to draw on for change.”

Winners Of NetWaste BYO Cup And A Free Onnies Coffee!

September 21, 2017 By Maggi Barnard

It looks like there is still a lot of confusion about which bin a disposable coffee cup should go into. The correct answer is the red bin. Disposable coffee cups cannot be recycled because of a plastic coating on the inside of the cup. That is why it is very important to make use of a reusable cup to help reduce the ONE BILLION cups going to landfill in Australia every year!

Congratulations to the following winners! Donna Stone, Liz MacRaild, Dale Allen, Bridget Lee, Julie Fisher, Janine
Hando, Michael Craft, Jo Tye, Joe Kinsela, Valerie Chisholm, Katie Hetherington, Nicole Tolhurst, Belinda McCorkell, Claire Barber, Christie Crowe, Oscar Hendry, Daniel Greef, Carla Greef and Tony Sansome.

Onnie Coffee shows the way! The lucky winners can pick up their cups at Onnies Coffee in Parkes filled with a coffee kindly sponsored by Onnies! And if you go back to Onnies with your BYO cup you will get a discount on your coffee! Let’s all support the drive to reduce the use of disposable coffee cups! Remember to keep your reusable cup in the car, with your reusable shopping bags!

If you did not win this time around, we have more cups to give away and will run another competition in October!

WHAT’S ON @ The Library

September 21, 2017 By Maggi Barnard

PARKES FUN PALACE
Saturday, 23rd September – 9am to 3pm
Join the Parkes Library team tomorrow for a family day of art, science, play and games! Activities include: scavenger hunt, fidget spinner art, racing cars, straw rockets, drawing shadows, citizen science and special guests from the Central West Astronomy Society for day time sky gazing. And… science, robotics and coding!

Fizzics Education is coming to Fun Palace!
9:30am Big Science Big Fun Show family event – See gigantic bubbles, flying toilet paper, hair-raising electricity experiments, fire balls, coloured shadows, a flame equalizer and much more!
11.00am Beebots – Beginner robotics (Kinder, Year 1 and 2)*
12.30pm Lego Robotics – Lego robots “Mindstorms” (year 3-6)*
1.45pm Lego Robotics – Programming robots (year 7-10)*
*Limited places. Cost $2. Bookings in person at Parkes Library.

SCHOOL HOLIDAY ACTIVITIES
MAD SCIENCE- Shake, Freeze, Sprinkle?
Have fun exploring science with items from the kitchen with hands on experiments, stories and finish the morning making your very own ice cream from scratch! For Kinder to Year 2 on Tuesday, 26th September & Tuesday, 3rd October, 10:30am -12pm

INSIDE YOUR INSIDES!
How many times does your heart pump a day? How long are your intestines? Answers to these questions and more plus make a 3D model of your insides. For Year 3 to 6 on Thursday, 28th September & 5th October, 10:30am -12pm. Bookings required for above sessions in person at Parkes Library. Cost $2. Wear old clothes, bring your drink bottle & library card.

‘QUIZZ-ITCH’ Harry Potter Quiz Show!
Come and join the wizard of quiz, master of mirth, magic and all things Potter – Andy Jones – the official Wizard of Quiz and the ‘Quizz-itch’ quiz master of all things Hogwarts and Potter. Dress to impress as your favourite Hogwarts character. For families & Harry Potter lovers. Tuesday, 3rd October, 2pm. Let us know you are coming – 6861 2309 or library@parkes.nsw.gov.au

Big Really Is Beautiful

September 21, 2017 By Maggi Barnard

I am very lucky to live in a home endowed with generous measurements. An inaccurate drawing of our dream home was one of the best mistakes ever made as a large home has so many benefits. When you have a spacious home you can easily fall into the trap of spreading yourself out – by collecting a myriad of items because you have the space. But a true aficionado of the large home will keep the feeling of spaciousness intact and a thing of beauty.

Our large empty shell of a home needed extra care when it came to decorating to make sure it looked amazing and not cavernous. If money is available or calculated into the budget from the start, you have to be very clever how you are going to spend your hard-earned dollars to make sure your purchases will work the best.

Firstly, it is really important to select items that are in scale to the room’s proportions. Custom made furniture does not necessarily mean expensive. You need to find an Australian manufacturer that will do made to measure alterations. Remember to consider incorporating modular lounges into your design rather than continually adding extra single chairs as this can add clutter rather than style.

Secondly, the best way to fully take advantage of a large open plan space is to divide it into different zones and purposes. This will give atmosphere and individuality to each area. It will also give you cosiness and intimacy that may otherwise be hard to achieve.

Thirdly when selecting artworks, rugs, urns or other fluffing pieces these need to be oversized to look sensational and really give your home the WOW factor. A classic mistake is selecting smaller pieces and placing them on larger walls. Your mantra needs to be big is best. Place large arrangements or urns in corners or on surfaces where they can work their magic but do not need to be moved on a daily basis.

Be comfortable in your home and embrace the beauty of big open spaces by having the confidence to place one large
amazing object in key locations and resist the urge to add more and more elements into the look. And remember, large objects and more streamlined surfaces, is a housekeeping dream when it comes to cleaning.

Select a colour palette that will enhance your home’s dimensions. Larger spaces can take more colour and still look spacious, but I like to have an overall colour scheme to give cohesion to the overall design.

A big, generously proportioned home can be a thing of true beauty and an absolute pleasure to live in.

By Karen Creith

Station Motel Soars For 10th Anniversary

September 21, 2017 By Maggi Barnard

The Station Motel in Parkes has a lot to celebrate for its 10th anniversary this weekend. Opened on 24 September 2007 by Cr Robert Wilson OAM the Station was one of a kind with its steel, glass and stone features. Going back to what the ethos of the Station’s design was, the property has undergone a few changes with the addition of the new outdoor barbeque area, orchard and vegetable gardens. What hasn’t changed is the rural outlook, warm country welcome and superb food and wine.

With the experience of recently appointed chef Peter Wilkinson, the new menu focus is on rustic food, sourced locally as much as possible. Peter loves creating classic dishes, and this is exactly what invited guests can look forward to at the 10th anniversary four course degustation dinner.

Each course will be matched with selected wines chosen by vintrepreneur Jo Bennet from Treasury Wines. The Station Motel has maintained its Certificate of Excellence from Trip Advisor for the past seven years and is currently ranked number one in the Parkes region. The management, staff and invited guests of the Station are looking forward to celebrating these milestones on Sunday night.

Footy Tipping Results

September 20, 2017 By Maggi Barnard

Our Gal – Deanne Freeman 2017 Parkes Showgirl

September 14, 2017 By Maggi Barnard

How long have you lived in Parkes and why do you like living here? I’ve lived here all my life. I like the laid-back country lifestyle and being close to family.

Where do you work and what do you enjoy about your work? I work at Roads and Maritime Services and I enjoy getting out on the road, meeting new people and improving the safety of the road for all users.

What do you do to unwind after work or on weekends? After work I like taking my dog for a walk and enjoying the fresh air. On weekends I like to get out and experience new places.

What are you really good at? Losing my phone and finding it in random places.

If you could have a super power what would it be? The ability to predict the future. It would be good to know what’s going to happen next.

What is your pet hate? Bad drivers.

Tell us about your best holiday ever. My first overseas trip was to Christchurch in New Zealand. I went a few years after the earthquake and to see half a city in ruins was an eye opening experience but they found some creative ways to fill in the empty spaces.

Deanne Freeman 2017 Parkes Showgirl

Plug In For ‘68 Comeback Special

September 14, 2017 By Maggi Barnard

Black leather at the height of summer would normally not be recommended, except when it is January and you are in Parkes for the 2018 Elvis Festival! Celebrating 50 years since the ’68 Comeback Special, the Parkes Elvis Festival promises to be even bigger and better with black leather, white suits and lots of pomade set to take centre stage from 10th to 14th January.

To add more glamour to the festival that has put Parkes on the international map, will be Australian rock legends Phil and Tommy Emmanuel, who went to school in Parkes. “We still have wonderful friends here, Parkes is a very important part of our lives,” said Tommy at the launch of the festival at Hotel Gracelands on Monday.

The two brothers, who have more than 50 albums to their name and plenty of other accolades, will be inducted to the Wall of Fame on 10th January – a very fitting honour as Tommy said he believed Elvis’ Jailhouse Rock was one of the greatest recordings ever.

The 2018 festival promises to be a fitting 50th celebration according to Festival Director Cathy Treasure with lots of new and exciting additions to the five-day program including a midnight show, dancing in the Coles car park, performances in the Little Theatre and more 5pm shows. A second train, the Blue Suede Express will arrive shortly after the Elvis Express, while a special Priscilla Plane will also be in operation for the first time.

By Maggi Barnard

Peak Hill Tourist Site A ‘Gold Mine’

September 14, 2017 By Maggi Barnard

The Peak Hill Gold Mine has an extra sparkle with the official opening this week of new work and additions. NSW Minister for Tourism and Major Events Adam Marshall was in Peak Hill on Monday to open the works including the
new gold mining themed entry shelter and associated revitalisation works that was supported by the NSW Government.

“The Peak Hill Gold Mine is a key driver of the Peak Hill visitor economy and we’re proud to be supporting Parkes Shire Council’s efforts in revitalising the visitor experience at the mine through our Regional Visitor Economy Fund,” said the Minister.

Parkes Shire Council’s Destination Development Manager Kelly Hendry said the mine was “popular among travellers, particularly caravaners, wanderers and family groups”. “These improvements are designed to encourage
visitors to stay and explore longer, which is anticipated to have flow-on benefits to Peak Hill businesses”.

Major works undertaken include: design and construction of a bespoke Peak Hill Gold Mine entry shelter that looks like an old mining relic (poppet head); development of interpretive sculptures and soundpost to tell the mining story; revamped walking trails/track works, seating, signage and bollards; and a drinking water refill station.

A majority of the works have been carried out by local suppliers such as local Peak Hill fabrication company Zaidan Pty. Ltd. The Peak Hill Gold Mine lies on a current mining lease, and is one of only a handful of sites to have been granted a tourist mine permit. Tourist mines are workplaces previously used for mining operations that are now used only for tourism purposes.

Visitors can take self-guided tours of the site from 9am-4pm daily.

Mayoral Notes…

September 14, 2017 By Maggi Barnard

I was delighted to welcome the Minister for Tourism and Major Events, The Hon Adam Marshall to Parkes this week for the launch of the 2018 Parkes Elvis Festival and the official opening of the revitalisation works at the Peak Hill Gold Mine.

Residents and visitors are invited to the official unveiling of the new Peak Hill Community Wall art installation on 19th September at 12:30pm in the Commercial Gardens. The Community Wall is an extension to the Parkes Shire public art series to celebrate cultural and artistic diversity within the community. Current artworks are by Wiradjuri artist and Peak Hill resident, Scott “Sauce” Towney. The unveiling will coincide with the Ordinary Meeting of
Council at the Peak Hill RSL at 2pm.

Council have partnered with the Parkes and District Netball Association to resurface the eight netball courts at McGlynn Park to meet the needs of the current users and to attract larger competitions to the region. Council will contribute $64,490 under the Parkes Town Improvement Vote.

Council is taking enrolments for the Parkes Learn to Swim program for the 2017/18 swim season. Information and enrolment forms are available at www.parkes.nsw.gov.au. The Parkes Aquatic Centre will open on Saturday, 30th September at 10am.

Yours Faithfully,
Cr Ken Keith OAM
Mayor of Parkes Shire

Maggi Barnard

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