Maggi Barnard

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

Snippets…

June 23, 2016 By Maggi Barnard

Forbes Eisteddfod Fun: More than 2 000 children and adults graced the stage for the five days of the Eisteddfod. Every session had a packed Town Hall to capacity with about 200 parents in attendance. Participants not only came from Forbes but from all over the Central West and even further afield, including Grenfell, Parkes, Bathurst, Griffith and Leeton. The individual categories were open to participants of all ages. The competition started on Saturday with piano, and vocal on Sunday. On Monday the first school groups on stage in the instrumental category, while the speech and drama section was on Tuesday. The most popular category this year, school dance groups, had its turn on Wednesday. Many schools entered for this competition. Other categories for groups were for bands and school choirs. The idea for an Eisteddfod dates back to the 12th century in Wales when it was a Welsh festival of literature, music and performance. The current format comes from an 18th century revival of the Eisteddfod.

Nice Weather for Ducks: The rain has shown no sign of relenting over the past few weeks and now the ground is showing the strain, with rivers and roads flooding throughout the area. The Lachlan and Belubula rivers along with the Mandagery creek have all experienced a significant rise in levels over the week. However, at this stage both Nanami and Forbes are expected to remain below the minor flood levels. The SES would like to remind locals never to drive, ride or walk through floodwater and to keep an eye on the updates. For emergency help in floods and storms, call the NSW SES on 132 500.

OAM Honour For Scientist Living His Dream

June 23, 2016 By Maggi Barnard

A picture of the Parkes Radio Telescope on the cover of his maths textbook in Year 9 often had John Sarkissian daydreaming in class of working there one day. “At age six I was fascinated with Neil Armstrong’s landing on the moon, and by age ten I wanted to do astronomy.”

One thing John, who is today Operations Scientist at the Parkes Radio Telescope, never gave any thought to was being awarded an Order of Australia Medal (OAM). “It came as a complete surprise!” So much so that when he received the email to inform him he was recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list, he immediately thought it was a prank.

“I had to give it time to sink in and after a few days I felt it was an honour and would be very happy to accept it” he said. John feels strongly that he cannot lay claim to this honour in isolation but recognises the contribution of friends and colleagues over the years to his work.

For John his work is his passion and joining the Parkes Radio Telescope in 1996 was a highlight. “The telescope was the first really big science project in Australia. We have made big discoveries here, and 55 years later it is still considered to be one of the best radio telescopes in the world.” Another highlight for John was the making of the movie The Dish. “Originally we thought they were coming to make a documentary, but soon realised it was going to be a movie, in fact a comedy.” John feels the movie managed to reintroduce the Parkes Radio Telescope to a new generation and made The Dish the iconic symbol it has become. He said before the movie visitor numbers were 50,000 per year. After the movie it reached a peak of 130,000 in 2003, and has averaged out to 100,000 per year.

“It has given us a platform to stand on and talk about what we do.” While the movie has focused on the moon landing, and “so many of us have dreamed about being an astronaut”, John said he soon realised that problem solving behind the scenes was much more rewarding. “It is like a hunter and his prey. Once you have caught your prey (solved a problem), it is a really good feeling.” John has met many astronauts, including his childhood hero, Neil Armstrong. He said Neil stood out from the rest. A prize possession of John is a framed copy of an email from Neil in recognition of his work to recover the tapes of the Apollo 11 mission. For the Year 5 student who had to search the library to find out what NASA stood for, and today has an office with a beautiful view of the Parkes Radio Telescope, his dream for the future is to keep the telescope going and use it as a productive instrument as “you never know what you might find”.

Netball News…

June 23, 2016 By Maggi Barnard

Let’s all wish for sunny skies this weekend so all of the junior players can get onto the court and play some netball. This week will see the last game before a break for the school holidays. Parkes Netball would like to wish everyone a safe and happy holidays and junior netball will be back on Saturday 23rd July. Good luck to all the junior representative players who will be heading to Illawarra for the State Age Championships next weekend.

DRAW ROUND 7
Division 1 – 9:30 AM
Court 2: Avenyers v Dynamites (Umpires: Jack McGrath, Jordyn Chapple)
Court 4: Vipers v Super Stars (Umpires: Mikeely Birmingham, Amelia Green)
Bye: U12s Rep Team

Division 2 – 10:45AM
Court 2: U11s Rep Team v Sparkles (Umpires: Angel Pearce, Kasey Macdonald)
Court 4: Rockettes v Diamontes (Umpires: Brooke Norman, Jolie Norman)

Super 8s – 9:30AM
Court 5: Lady Beatles v Butterflys (Umpires: Jen Ryan, Samantha Riley)
Court 6: Twinkles v Glitter Bugs (Umpires: Larni Ryan, Amelia Green)

Net-Set-Go – 10:30AM
Fingers and toes are crossed for clear skies so everyone can play some net-setgo drills. Vanessa and Reece look forward to seeing all their players on Saturday.

Parkes Karate Members Pass Grading With Flying Colours

June 23, 2016 By Maggi Barnard

Central West Kyokushin Karate Club painted the Parkes Dojo Red earlier this month when they held their first ever grading for the club. 26 students (21 juniors and 5 seniors) completed the grading on Thursday 2nd June. Tested in the presence of family and friends everyone was trying their best with all students performing outstandingly to successfully pass their grading.

Most students who begin karate are nervous to start; am I fit enough? Will I get hurt? Will I embarrass myself? However, these students pushed past their doubts to discover that Karate is not only an opportunity to get fit and learn to defend yourself but it is also an opportunity to develop a wide range of life skills in a fun and safe environment that will be useful throughout their entire life.

The students that participated in the grading have worked hard and put in many hours of practice to qualify to be tested for their belt and Sensei Michelle Kable was proud to see all students pushing themselves during their test; “A great effort and attitude was demonstrated by all students throughout their grading, it’s fantastic to see how much they have achieved so far this year, and I would like to congratulate each and every one of them on their commitment to Karate and their determination to do their very best throughout this semester, everyone did exceptionally well” she said.

Kyokushin Karate is a fun and challenging martial art that gives children a jumpstart in life by providing them with practical and usable life skills from a very early age. Some of the benefits for anyone participating in karate include self-discipline; martial arts help instil mental focus– by learning how to develop concentration and complete tasks, the discipline taught in the dojo in regards to uniforms, customs, and techniques often transfers into other areas of life including school, work and home.

Karate is also all about respect; punching, kicking and sparring are all secondary to the respect that is established from the moment a student walks into a dojo. Children learn to treat themselves, their parents, family, instructors and teachers and their fellow students with respect – to treat each other as they would like to be treated themselves.

The red belt is of special significance as these students are beginning to work through the ranking system of karate, it signifies their confidence, courage and commitment that they have shown in trying something new and sticking to it; working through a belt ranking system gives the student measurable goals to follow that are realistic to attain and increases their own self-belief and confidence. The sense of self-confidence and accomplishment the student feels when mastering a new technique or graduating to a new belt will follow them wherever they go.

Our Bloke – Peter Magill

June 23, 2016 By Maggi Barnard

Peter Magill

How long have you lived in Parkes? I was born in Parkes and have lived in the Parkes region for 53 years.

Where do you work? At Griffins Leading Edge for the past 37 years. I became owner in 1996.

What do you enjoy most about your job? New technologies and the challenges they bring. I particularly enjoy anything to do with digital technology, such as digital two-way radios and digital security cameras.

What do you do in your spare time? I like spending time with my family going camping and water skiing. I also like playing golf.

How do you like your coffee? Milk and two sugars.

What makes your day? When there are people around me who are positive and enjoy what they are doing.

If you could go on holiday anywhere, where would you go? Explore more of Australia, especially Western Australia around Broome, and the Top End.

Air of Grandeur in New Terminal

June 23, 2016 By Maggi Barnard

With a roof like the wing of an airplane and a spectacular view over the runway, the newly refurbished gateway to Parkes was officially named the Robert Wilson Terminal last Friday. It was an auspicious day with more than 100 guests and family members of the late Robert Wilson OAM filling the new terminal.

“Council believes it is fitting to dedicate the Parkes Regional Airport terminal to our former Mayor Robert Wilson OAM,” said Parkes Shire Mayor Ken Keith OAM; “With 43 years of service in local government, 23 of which were as Mayor, he was a great mentor to many. He was the Donald Bradman of local government.”

Ben Wilson, son of Robert, said the family was greatly honoured and proud to have the new terminal dedicated to their father. “Dad did not do what he did with the hope that one day he would have something named after him. But to have something that recognizes his many years of service to the community is a wonderful gesture, and will stand as testament of his commitment.”

Michael McCormack, Member of Parliament for Riverina, who opened the $3 million terminal with the Parkes Mayor, said Robert Wilson was a fighter and a truly great campaigner. Parkes Shire Councillor and Chair of the Airport Committee Alan Ward said passenger demand for services from Parkes Airport has grown from 8,000 to over 30,000 passengers a year in a ten-year period.

Monstrously Good!

June 23, 2016 By Maggi Barnard

Get ready for world class monster trucks roaring their way into Parkes on 2nd July for some ultimate monster action. Parkes Showgrounds is the place as one of Australia’s most successful recording artists, Adam Brand, hosts this massive family entertainment spectacular featuring USA Monster Trucks, FMX, Jet Car, fireworks and lots of other crazy high octane stunts. No stranger to the world of Monster Trucks, Adam is excited to be heading to Parkes for this family entertainment event. Gates will open at 1.30pm with feature acts including USA Monster Trucks performing from 4.30pm concluding with a massive fireworks finale around 6.45pm.

Cutting Edge Design

June 23, 2016 By Maggi Barnard

To me when I think of cutting edge design it conjures up images of a sleek and so-phisticated look that pushes the boundaries of design and style to a new level. It sets you apart from the rest and perhaps creates a space that has you featuring in your home the latest trends and choices available in the marketplace that may have not been fully adopted by the majority of the general public yet due to their newness in the world of design.

It is a constantly changing world with advances in products, building materials and styling finishes happening so often that it takes a keen student to stay in touch with these changes and to embrace them within their own home. I like to think of this approach to design and to including advancements into my work to make my life and my client’s life easier throughout our design process.

Make a style file or Moodboard when you start the process of beginning to style your home and at that point collect all the information about what products are available and how you would like to incorporate them into your design. This allows you to do all your research and evaluation early in the project and you will save valuable time in the long run as when the contractors need speedy decisions you will be ready to go.

So here are my favourite ways to incorporate great design into your world:
• Adopting a minimalistic approach to your design will always give you an amazing result that has cutting edge design all over it.
• Introducing different building materials into your mix will give a designer edge to your final style.
• Metallic finishes scream designer chic at the moment.
• Incorporating a true eco friendly element to your home’s design is a must in making your home cutting edge in design and proactive in saving the impact we have on the environment.
• Embrace the theory that true cutting edge design allows us to incorporate old with new seamlessly.

Decorating and styling your home can really give you an opportunity to express your own inner style in a really tactile way. And I think true cutting edge design is discovering and combining the things that you treasure into a home that you absolutely love.

Mayoral Notes…

June 23, 2016 By Maggi Barnard

Our Shire has certainly needed gumboots and winter woollies with the significant drop in temperature and wet weather this past week. Let’s hope all this lovely rain is setting our farming community up for a bumper spring.
Parkes polling for the 2016 Federal Election will commence from the 27th June at the Parkes Business Enterprise Centre. Opening hours are outlined on Council’s website or you can visit the Australian Electoral Commission website aec.gov.au for more detailed information.

Parkes Shire Council is currently upgrading the Parkes Waste Facility to make it more user friendly for customers as well as to allow for increased diversion of materials from landfill. Construction is underway to improve the efficiency, safety and environmental aspects of the facility. A comprehensive tree planting program is also planned for the perimeter of the facility to screen the operations from roads and nearby residences. The construction phase is scheduled for completion at the end of August 2016. As part of the upgrade of the facility, Council will also be implementing fees and charges at the site. The fees and charges that will be applied once the new facility is operational will not be significantly different from current fees and charges. Many of the waste fees and charges have
been reduced to encourage greater diversion of waste from landfill.

Enjoy a happy and safe weekend.
Yours Faithfully, Cr Ken Keith OAM

Question of the Week?

June 23, 2016 By Maggi Barnard

What’s been your most memorable (good or bad) flight experience?

Adele Hawke, Adele’s Salon and Skin Clinic: “I love flying and had a flying lesson once, but just don’t have time to do more. I had a bad experience was once on a flight to Los Angeles and it was really rough. The pilot announced that in his 30 years of flying he’d never experienced it that bad. The meal trolley went ‘flying’ down the aisle!”

Marcia Scally, Parkes GP: “I had a nightmare experience when my twin boys were 23 months old. Our Air France flight from Lisbon to Paris was delayed by weather and then we missed our Emirates flight to Sydney. We were left stranded and had to upgrade to business class to get a flight in three days or wait six weeks for economy seats.
To make matters worse, just before the flight home Ashton accidentally slammed a door on Tomas’ thumb, severing it.”

Blake Godwin, EWS Electrical: “In 2014 I had a very memorable flight to Papua New Guinea to walk the Kokoda Trail. We managed to not only do the standard 95km trail, but did all the scenic detours and walked 135km. I went on nine different flights to get there and back!”

Maggi Barnard

Subscribe