Maggi Barnard

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

Snippets…

August 24, 2017 By Maggi Barnard

Bush Tucker Day: Head to the 31st annual Bush Tucker Day (BTD) at the Trundle Showground on Saturday, 3rd September to see the Australian country music sweetheart, Beccy Cole in action. Beccy has delighted Australians for more than 20 years. The iconic BTD is the only camp oven/bush cooking festival in the region. The day includes the ever popular bush tucker cooking competition, camp oven cooking demos, junior bush chef cooking competition,
free bush tucker taste testing, live entertainment throughout, as well as a free activities for kids. Whip cracking and
sheep shearing demos are a favourite too, as are the dog jumping competition, bushman’s relay and billy boiling race. For more information visit www.trundlebushtuckerday.com.

Saturday Storytime: Make sure to head to the library at 10:30am on 2nd, 9th and 16th September for special storytime sessions: Escape to Everywhere. According to Parkes Branch Librarian, Andrea Lovell reading enables the reader to travel to other worlds without using their feet. Library Officers Debbie and Sandie will “escape to countries”, “escape to your own special place” and “escape to fantasy land” at the special sessions. On Saturday, 16th September picture book author Nancy Watson and Flossie the Fairy will be special guests. Nancy was raised in the Yass and Young districts. Her interest in writing remained constant throughout her early career, but did not take off until she had a travel article published in 2013. In 2015, she joined a creative writing group and had an unexpected inspiration to write about Flossie the fairy … perhaps in memory of a little moss fairy garden she had as a child.

World premiere in Parkes: The Parkes Services Club will host the world premiere of Patrick Lindsay’s latest documentary Kokoda – The Spirit Lives On on Friday, 1st September in the Starlight Lounge at 6:30pm. The feature-length documentary commemorates the 75th anniversary of the WWII Kokoda campaign and explores the spirit of Kokoda, then and now. It is the third of Lindsay’s Kokoda films. It takes viewers on a fascinating journey of discovery, walking in the footsteps of those, who in 1942 against all odds, withstood Japan’s previously unstoppable Pacific invasion force to preserve Australia and Papua New Guinea’s liberty. The entry fee of $10 will go to the Kokoda Track Foundation.

Let’s All Read, Sing, Talk And Rhyme

August 24, 2017 By Maggi Barnard

The warmth of friendship and books can turn a freezing day into a memorable one. This is what about 500 pre-school and primary school children experienced last Friday at the annual reading day with the theme Paint Parkes REad with Friends.

“It was a fantastic day with a very good turnout,” said co-ordinator Pietta Bridge of Neighbourhood Central. “We had nine schools attending that includes all the primary and pre-schools in Parkes.” The Reading Bug invited his friends and was joined by Ruby Roo from Penrith and Billy Booksie from the Blue Mountains. Billy jumped out of the big parcel he arrived in much to the delight and surprise of the children.

The release of pigeons with nine of them carrying messages written by the Reading Bug for each of the participating schools, was another highlight and a first for the event. “This is how messages were sent before the arrival of mobile phones,” said one of the organisers.

The main message of Paint the Town REad, which was developed in Parkes in the 1990s and has since spread to more than 50 locations across Australia, is the importance of reading, singing and talking to your baby from birth.
“This day is always so exciting,” said Sherree Rosser, committee member and one of the original instigators of the event. “The message is getting through, as we now get high school students who remember the reading days and take time to read to their nieces and nephews.”

By Maggi Barnard

Question of the Week?

August 24, 2017 By Maggi Barnard

What do you like about reading books?

Lyla Miller – Parkes East Public School: It is fun and you can learn new words when reading. My favourite book is The Cat Wants Custard.

Jackson Westcott – Parkes Christian School: I like to read so I can learn about different animals. I like Green Eggs and Ham by Dr Seuss – it is fun to read!

Arabella McCutcheon, Parkes Christian School: It is fun and you get to learn lots of new words and you learn new things. I like the book Despicable Me 3.

Special Day Cherry On The Cake For Guild

August 24, 2017 By Maggi Barnard

The Parkes/Forbes Cake Decorators Guild (CDG) hosted a state rostered day recently at the Parkes Baptist Church with demonstrators from the CDG of NSW state body. Attendees came from Newcastle, Wagga Wagga, Bathurst, Cabonne, Orange, Dubbo, Peak Hill, Forbes, Sydney, Camden and Mudgee. Parkes Shire councillors Patricia Smith and Bill Jayet also attended.

The first expert cake decorators to give a demonstration was Elizabeth Ivory. She did a cake topper made out of modelling paste to the exact proportions of the flower cosmos in various colours. Cathy Rice taught attendees how to create a zygotes cactus, while Connie McCartney showed guests how to decorate elaborate chocolate cupcakes in a cool cat design with the latest chocolate modelling paste.

Renee Mutton intrigued with her sassie giraffe that could be used as a child’s birthday cake and puppet. She made a story from her creations which were built upon with each demonstration group starting with a page boy giraffe, a bridesmaid giraffe, a best man giraffe, a groom and lastly the bridal giraffe made out of fondant.

The final demonstration was a combined demonstration from the members of the state body of NSW CDG. It was a checkerboard cake by state president Helen Robinson with Elizabeth Ivory and Narelle Wardle. The cake consisted of two ordinary cream and jam sponges combined with two mud cakes.

The event was made possible through a cultural grant from the Parkes Shire and a Northparkes Mines community grant.

Central West Stud Sales

August 24, 2017 By Maggi Barnard

RIDGEHAVEN BREEDING EXCELLENCE
Ridgehaven Poll Dorsets is a family run stud at Cudal aiming to breed rams that sire profitable prime lambs. With a focus on combining visual traits, such as structure and muscle shape, with performance recording systems, Ridgehaven rams are consistent and balanced throughout the whole drop.

This year’s sale offer an outstanding lineup of rams, showing early growth and maturity, depth of carcass and structural soundness. Inspection of the rams can be arranged prior to sale day on Thursday, 14th September.

BULLS AT SOUTHERN STAR
Southern Star Rural (SSR), a Senepol stud based in Canowindra, have on offer a number of Senepol, Senepol x Angus and Senepol x Charolais bulls for sale on farm. This year a number of SSR bulls will be sold through the 5 Star Senepol Sale at the Gracemere Saleyards near Rockhampton, Queensland on Monday, 18th September at 11am.

Clayton and Sarah Maynard started the stud in Canowindra in 2010 and decided to run Senepol’s as their family in Jambin, Queensland have the largest Senepol herd in Australia. Clayton saw the opportunity to introduce the Angus and Charolais breeds from NSW and cross them with the Senepol, predominatly from Northern Australia, to come up with a cross-bred Senepol x Angus (Senegus) and Senepol x Charolais (Senelais).

COOTA PARK SALE
The Coota Park Blue-E 2017 annual on property production sale is on Tuesday, 5th September at 2pm in Woodstock, near Cowra. On offer are 50 bulls and 20 cows and calves. Coota Park Blue-E cattle are known for their hybrid vigour, efficient conversion of grass to meat, low methane and growth yield marbling efficiency. Blue-E’s are a line of Angus x Shorthorn cattle developed by Jon, Harvey and Barbara Wright of Coota Park, Woodstock. The Blue-E
concept was initially conceived by Jon after many years working as cattle manager at the Trangie Research Centre in NSW. The research considered the value of feed conversion to the beef industry.

My House My Home

August 24, 2017 By Maggi Barnard

Webinar A Resounding Success

I held my very first online webinar on Wednesday night focusing on sharing my design tips and tricks for home decorating. The event was actually sold out with over 35 women watching and interacting. I had a live audience in-store as well, which created a very happy and positive vibe to start with and then combined with the women online it proved to be a fabulous night.

Online attendees were from all over the country from as far afield as Queensland and Melbourne, Port Macquarie, Sydney and even Bourke! So many women gathered together and had a glass of wine while sitting around and watching the screen and it made for a very relaxed and fun night out.

The webinar focused on just how easy it can be to create an amazing difference to how your home feels and from the feedback I have received there will be more events in the future.

The main point that was mentioned at the conclusion of the night was a disbelief at how easy it can be to change the way you feel about your home. The other main fact was how easy it was to join and participate in the actual webinar process. A fact which may have caused some ladies nervous tension prior to the event.

I was very touched to think so many people took time out of their busy lives to be a part of the night!

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend
Love Karen x

Sort Out Father’s Day Early At Hay’s
Hay’s Gift & Gardenware in Clarinda Street, Parkes has a wide range of Father’s Day gifts to choose from. There are barbeque sets, leather wallets or a range of hats to mention a few. Get in early to be ready and organised to make Father’s Day on Sunday, 3rd September a special day for the family.

It is a day for people to show appreciation for fathers and father figures, whether it is your father, stepfather, father-in-law, guardian or a family friend. It is a day to celebrate the contribution that fathers and father figures make to children’s lives.

Mayoral Notes…

August 24, 2017 By Maggi Barnard

Council will join members of Parkes Hockey Incorporated tomorrow to officially open the ClubGRANTS funded synthetic hockey pitch, the Mariah Williams Field. Special guests include the field’s namesake, Parkes’ Australian Hockey representatives Mariah Williams, as well as Minister for Racing Hon. Paul Toole MP, and PHI Life Members.

I encourage everyone to attend with a spectacular program planned. The full program can be viewed on www.parkes.
nsw.gov.au Congratulations to participants of this year’s mock crash demonstration as part of the NOT A STATISTIC! Youth Driver Education Program. Over 500 students from nine local high schools attended the demonstration which aims to improve the attitudes and behaviours of young drivers and passengers. Trundle Bush Tucker Day is next weekend with a stellar line up of activities planned including country music sensation Beccy
Cole. To purchase tickets, visit www.trundlebushtuckerday.com

Residents are reminded to stop by the Council stand at the Parkes Show next week, with staff on hand to chat about our works, services, events and initiatives. In light of Council’s recent pledge to the Cities Power Partnership, the annual show pavilion display will feature a topical theme. The impressive CAT RM500B Road Reclaimer will be on site too. The state-of-the-art piece of roadworks equipment will provide a cost effective and environmentally friendly means of resurfacing and maintaining road pavement.

For all the details about the Show, head to www.visitparkes.com.au.

Enjoy your weekend.
Yours Faithfully,
Cr Ken Keith OAM
Mayor of Parkes Shire

Library Staff Get Into Character

August 24, 2017 By Maggi Barnard

The first special storytime event at the Parkes Library on Tuesday saw 23 children attending with many dressed up for Book Week. They participated in song, reading and rhyme activities around the theme “Escape to Everywhere”. The Library staff entered into the spirit of dressing up as book characters for the week. They are (L-R) and back to front Gillian Hunt as a Gandalf the wizard, Sandie Ward as Snow White, Claire Cassell as Cat in the Hat, Andrea Lovell as Maid Marion and Dan Fredericks as the Cow who jumped over the moon. (See Library column on this page for more special story time events.)

History In The Making At Henry Parkes Museum

August 24, 2017 By Maggi Barnard

The Parkes and Districts Historical Society (PDHS) signed a new three-year lease for the occupation of the Henry Parkes Museum last week to continue its work of preserving the history of the shire. PDHS President Yvonne Hutton said the new lease gave the society a window of opportunity to plan for the next three years.

“The Henry Parkes Museum and Antique Machinery Exhibit combine to form a wonderful tourism precinct where locals and visitors can come to learn about the area and why it all adds up to a positive place to live, work, and visit,” said Mayor Ken Keith.

The Henry Parkes Museum and Antique Machinery Exhibit depicts early life in Parkes through objects, photos, historical information, maps, cemetery records, clothing and embroidery, assembled by the PDHS since 1953.

The Henry Parkes Museum celebrated its 50th anniversary last week.

Remember Vietnam

August 24, 2017 By Maggi Barnard

Vietnam Veterans Day was held at the Vietnam War Memorial in Parkes last Friday to commemorate the Battle of Long Tan on 18th August 1966. The day also pays tribute to all of the 59,520 Get Back To Basics With Dating
Hart Bar is bringing its first speed dating event to Parkes on Saturday, 7th October.

Maggi Barnard

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