Maggi Barnard

Community members across the Parkes region are invited to come together for the sixth Parkes & District Relay For Life event on 22nd and 23rd October to remember loved ones, celebrate survival and fight back against cancer. Participants will walk or run continuous laps of a track as part of a relay team of 10 to 15 people. Cancer doesn’t sleep, and in recognition of that simple fact, teams camp out around the relay track for the overnight experience, with one member from each team encouraged to be on the track at all times. For those not busy walking there will be food, games and activities to provide entertainment and build camaraderie.

From this year it is predicted that more than 1,800 people in the Western region alone will be diagnosed with cancer in a single year, with over 582 deaths expected. Relay For Life gives the opportunity for close-knit communities to come together, walk for hope and give back in honour of all those in their area affected by cancer. Since the inaugural event in 2006, Parkes has raised a massive $240,685. The aim this year is to raise $60,000.

Relay For Life fundraising helps Cancer Council NSW fund vital cancer research that will improve treatment and diagnosis for cancer patients in Parkes and across Australia.

Relay For Life is the world’s largest movement in the fight against cancer with around 200 relays held annually across Australia. To register a team for your local Relay For Life event, or to donate, visit: www.relayforlife.com.au

The 2016 Parkes Show features an action packed entertainment program rarely seen in a regional area. Whether you have a hunger for heart stopping, adrenaline pumping excitement, seeing locals in novelty events, Westlime’s spectacular fireworks display or taking in all the amazing free stuff the Northparkes Kidzone has to offer, there is something for everyone this year.

The program is headlined by Showtime FMX, one of the nation’s leading and most spectacular freestyle motorcycle teams. They are looking forward to dazzling the crowds with their tricks, thanks to McPhersons. Don’t forget to try your luck on the free mechanical bull in the machinery area on Tuesday in what is a practice day for the Langlands Longhorn Bullride Championship to be held on the trotting track on Wednesday evening.

The Young Farmer Challenge returns with a new set of tasks for participants. CMOCNorthparkes Mine’s Kidzone will have free activities like kite making, face painting, nest box painting and balloon sculpting. Wednesday sees the return of the famous dog jumping event, as well as the first ever game of Parkes Toyota quad bike soccer, the celebrity barrel race and the crowning of the districts Bullriding Champions in men’s, women’s and junior classes.

Wednesday finishes with an old crowd favourite, the demolition derby. Throw in the animal nursery and all the fun of sideshow alley, the Parkes Show is a must do for all.

Raen Fraser has joined The Parkes Phoenix team as our Reporter. She moved to Parkes with her husband and children from the Blue Mountains earlier this year. Raen is a freelance writer and has done work for television, including Channel 7, and national newspapers, before moving to Parkes.

Although she planned on reinventing her self as a novelist, she is looking forward to getting out and about reporting for us and getting to know the region and its people better. She wants to make the most of what country life has to offer. Raen takes over from Maggi Barnard, who became Editor a month ago after the departure of the Parkes Phoenix’s first editor, Rhi Quinn. Maggi joined The Parkes Phoenix shortly after it was launched in March this year. She mostly has newspaper experience having worked for daily newspapers, a weekly newsletter and as a freelance writer.

If you have a great story to tell us or event you would like us to cover, please contact Raen on her email address, raenfraser@gmail.com or 0404 464 106, or Maggi at editor@parkesphoenix.com.au or 0403 080 085.

This year Leading Edge Computers Parkes (LECP) celebrates 20 years in business, servicing the Central West and beyond. In July 1996, Greg and Marisa Liebich started Parkes Computer Scene. It was a small shop in Clarinda Street, selling computers and servicing businesses. After a year of being independent, they decided to join the Leading Edge group as one of the first members of Leading Edge Computers. Today the group has more than 130 independently owned stores nation wide.

The group provided a space where Greg and Marisa could share their ideas and pull from the wealth of support that the group offered. In May 2003, the store could no longer fit in their small shopfront, and they decided to relocate across the road into a larger premises. With a new workshop, the team grew and the business flourished.

In November 2006, Greg tragically died in a light aeroplane accident. This was a difficult chapter in the life of LECP, however the team rallied with the support of the local community. The business continued, with Marisa taking up the role of sole owner and becoming the face of LECP. Today she is supported by Luke Williams, John England and Jason Murchie.

As Greg had always been a proactive member of the Leading Edge Group, and following his loss, an award was named after him. The Local Hero Award celebrates the group member that has been voted most willing to lend a hand to the rest. The award is presented after a vote from all the stores as to who they best think fits this role, and is presented at the yearly Leading Edge Computers conference.

With the combined total of over 50 years of experience in the industry, the Parkes team is always striving to be on the Leading Edge of technology and provide the right solution for our customers.

Times have changed in the last 20 years, and technology has changed dramatically. Twenty years ago the internet was still only being introduced to the world through dialup at a speed of 56kbit/second. Since then we’ve watched it grow into ISDN, ADSL, ADSL2, 3G, 4G, and now Leading Edge Computers have partnered with a local Internet company, BitWave Networks to provide high speed fixed wireless broadband to households and businesses all around Parkes. This network has speeds up to 100Mbit/second, which is nearly 2, 000 times faster than the older dial up network.

Another development is our new managed services allowing us to remotely manage sites via the internet. From powering on a server, to installing a program, it can now all happen remotely without even leaving the shop. Twenty years ago, Intel had just released their new processor: The Intel Pentium Processor, which had a 200MHz single core. These days we have the new core processor range with the newest i7 processor featuring 10 cores and 20 threads that can all run at 3.5GHz, which is around 350 times faster.

Laptops have gone from being expensive and heavy, to sleek, lightweight and powerful. Where in 1996 laptops were few and far between, these days they rival the desktop in power and price and far out sell the bigger desktop personal computers (PCs). Times have changed, but Leading Edge Computers Parkes always strives to be the leader in new technology. We are always there to provide the latest advice on all that is new to the market, and can quote on anything that your home or business needs. The last 20 years have had many highlights for the team at Leading Edge Computers.
• In 2003, the shop was able to move out of their smaller premises, and buy the shopfront where the shop is now.
• In 2011, through meeting sales and service goals with our suppliers, the store was awarded a brand new car.
• Through our new partnership with BitWave Networks, we are now able to provide highspeed fixed wireless broadband to businesses and homes in Parkes, Forbes and surrounds.

• Always being on the cutting edge of new technology, and providing solutions to any home or business system.

Leading Edge Computers Parkes would like to thank the community for getting us to where we are today. Without the support of the Parkes, Forbes and surrounding communities, LECP would not be where we are today. And to the support team at the Leading Edge Group and all of our suppliers, who have created a community in the group that is always ready to lend a hand with information on new technology, support queries, and just about anything that you need to know to run a store.

Here’s to the last 20 years, and many more to come!