Maggi Barnard

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

Thriving Not Just Surviving

May 19, 2016 By Maggi Barnard

Parkes and Forbes residents are encouraged to sign up for a free Living Well After Cancer session this June. Cancer Council NSW Western is inviting Forbes, Parkes and surrounding community residents who have completed cancer treatment to attend their free, face-to-face Living Well After Cancer program.

Cancer and its treatment can bring a host of challenges. Survivors can face changes in their appearance and body function, and struggle to manage the emotional impact of the disease. Over 45,000 people in NSW are predicted to be diagnosed with cancer this year. The latest data shows that around two in three people diagnosed with cancer in NSW are alive five years later, with many becoming long term survivors. Fiona Marwick, Community Programme Co-ordinator at Cancer Council NSW Western said that Living Well After Cancer offers practical information and open discussion on the possible changes, challenges and opportunities that cancer survivors can experience. “There is often an expectation for cancer survivors to ‘get back to normal’ after treatment, but we know that for many this is far from reality. Living Well After Cancer gives participants the opportunity to connect with others on a similar journey, all within a supportive space. They can share tips, ideas and advice on managing life moving forward, with the aim to thrive, not just survive” she said.

Through Living Well After Cancer you can learn practical skills and information from the presenters and participants. It can be reassuring to know other people may be experiencing similar side effects, fears and anxieties but also gaining positivity from their cancer journey. Living Well After Cancer is open to cancer survivors, their carers, family, friends and work colleagues and is delivered by trained facilitators who have experienced the changes of cancer first-hand. The next Living Well After Cancer program session will be held at Parkes on Saturday 18th June 2016. To register to participate, or for more information call 1300 200 558.

Big Changes To Brows At La Bella

May 19, 2016 By Maggi Barnard

La Bella Medispa are now a Brow Artist International trainee clinic! The clinic has been hand-selected out of a group of beauty pros worldwide to participate in Brow Artists International’s one-of-a-kind program. The dedicated team are currently working hard to learn this amazing craft of the Natural Brow Restoration and Design System™.

Over the course of the next 6 months, you will see a change in our brow services at La Bella as we grow and offer the Natural Brow Restoration and Design System™ to perfection. Our new brow service is no longer a brow wax, as our goal is not merely to remove hair, but to create soft, flowing, beautiful brows, enhancing your beauty instantaneously. Brow Artists International™ Artists work meticulously with the brow to reveal its natural true potential through soft, flowing lines. Every woman can be restored naturally to a gorgeous set of brows regardless of what, or who, has unwittingly ravaged them before.

We are offering a limited time introductory price of $49 for your first design using Brow Artists International Natural Brow Restoration and Design System™. That’s almost half off the regular price for what the beauty industry is raving about – a soft brow naturally restored to its original potential. So beautiful. So you.

Mayor’s Column…20th May

May 19, 2016 By Maggi Barnard

It’s time to pull out the winter woollies. The month of May is racing by and the colder weather is settling in across the Shire.

The public art installations were officially launched last week and Council is encouraging community members to take the time to view the creative imagery placed throughout our Parkes CBD. Congratulations to local artist Jac Clarke who created the public art installations, they look fantastic and capture Parkes history, culture and future direction very cleverly.

Council is encouraging community members to complete the Parkes Shire Council Communication Survey. The survey is designed to decipher how the community likes to have their news and information delivered to them. We would appreciate your feedback, further information and links to the survey are on Council’s website or you can complete the survey at Council’s Cecile Street Office.

We are counting down to the Parkes Picnic Races. This year’s event will be held on the Saturday of the long weekend (11 June). The committee have an actioned packed day planned with 5 races, fashion of the fields and live entertainment. You can purchase entry tickets at the Visitor Information Centre, 141 on Main or the Railway and Cambridge Hotels.

We encourage everyone to get active this weekend and enjoy the Northparkes Mines Rotary Fun Run this Sunday 22 May. There is a division to suit everyone from 10km, 5km or 2km.

Enjoy your weekend.

Yours Faithfully,

Cr Ken Keith OAM

Mayor of Parkes Shire

Do You Have Heritage Near You?

May 19, 2016 By Maggi Barnard

Parkes Shire Council is calling for expressions of interest from community members and businesses to partner in the Heritage Near Me Grants Program.

Heritage Near Me is a government initiative to implement transformational change to protect, share and celebrate heritage in NSW at the local level by working closely with local government and communities

Director of Planning and Environment Steven Campbell says the Heritage Near Me program is a great initiative for Parkes. “The Parkes region boasts a number of significant heritage buildings and locations. Council would like to explore opportunities to partner with interested community members and businesses who own heritage buildings or places, that can fit within the Heritage Near Me Grants,” Steven said.

NSW Office of Environment and Heritage have identified the major priorities of the Heritage Near Me Program to be:

Revitalising heritage spaces by addressing existing gaps within funding streams and providing increased funding for strategic local heritage management projects.
Building heritage capacity so that it is locally identified, managed, and supported with minimal state government intervention, allowing local governments to work more closely with communities on heritage matters and sharing lessons learnt.
Providing accessible heritage information that is accurate and reliable, offering more efficient data entry, and new mechanisms for processing and monitoring data

To register your expressions of interest please submit an application in writing to Parkes Shire Council via post or email outlining your project or initiative and how it would meet the criteria of the Heritage Near Me Program. For further information, contact Council’s Planner Michael Carter on 02 6861 2377.

ABBA-Solutely Fabulous

May 12, 2016 By Maggi Barnard

Let the music take you there…where you can have the time of your life with people clad in glitter and lycra singing, dancing, strutting and swaggering to anthems like Dancing Queen, Fernando and Gimme, Gimme, Gimme.

In what could possibly be the highest concentration of white boots ever seen within a 2km radius, Trundle’s population increased 10 times on Saturday as ABBA fans descended for the fifth and biggest ABBA festival to date.

The 60m wide main street and famous Trundle Pub overflowed as a massive crowd of over 5,000 gathered for the world record attempt for most number of people dancing on Trundle’s streets. Cheered on by Parkes band, Amity, the crowd took to the beat of Dancing Queen with their arms swaying in the air as a photographer tried to capture it for the history books.

“It was one of the highlights of the festival for me. Amity was wonderful,” said an exhausted but very happy Gary Crowley on Monday. As co-ordinator of the ABBA Festival, he said the record attempt was a way of getting the crowd together. “We try and do something new every year. Compared to a total 1,500 people last year, it was a very pleasing crowd,” said Gary. He attributed the tripling in numbers this year to a phenomenal advertising campaign.

The good news for fans is that the most successful ABBA tribute band of all time, Bjorn Again, will be back next year. “They absolutely love it here, especially the Rock ‘n Roll set-up of the concert. It is so different to most of their shows which are mostly corporate events,”

Another crowd pleaser were Dancing With The Stars regular dancers, Alana Patience and Carmelo Pizzino with their professional dancing exhibition. Missed out? Don’t worry, tickets are already on sale for next year’s sequin studded event!

By Maggi Barnard

The Business Of Dragon Boating

May 12, 2016 By Maggi Barnard

The Forbes Dragon Boat Club held their Business House Challenge last Sunday. Members from Parkes, Forbes and surrounds enjoyed an atmosphere of enjoyment and laughter along the lake, with even the weather smiling upon the teams.

Four local businesses participated in a day of fun and friendship which involved being coached in the skills of dragon-boat paddling, culminating in racing each other for the championship trophy.

The four teams, Rabobank, Forbes Shire Council, Crowe Horwath and Saint Laurence’s all made extreme efforts – with Rabobank proudly holding up the prized cup at the end of the day, whilst generously donating back the monetary prize.

“It was wonderful to see how the camaraderie built up among our staff at the Shire Council in the lead up to the day,” said Michelle Quigley, whose team arrived at the challenge garbed impressively in bright dragon-backed team shirts.

The smooth running of the day was thanks to the skills of Wendy Green and her sub-committee, including Chris Sweeney who did a brilliant job as MC, co-ordinating the day to run without a hitch.

“It provided very good experiences for our club members,” stated Wendy Green, “giving them many opportunities to take on new roles such as coaching, drumming, and mentoring new paddlers.”

The day showcased the community spirit of the Forbes Lachlan Dragons along with their partners and associates as they banded together to play their roles of paddlers, officials or breakfast chefs.

The Forbes Dragon Boat Club aka The Lachlan Dragons was established in 2011. There are currently 49 members who train once a week on Lake Forbes, making up an inclusive club that encourages paddlers of all ages and abilities. Whether you have a competitive streak and want to take part in regattas or just like the social aspect, there’s a place for you. There’s even a paddler who travels to Shanghai to experience the traditional spirit of Chinese Dragon Boating! For more information go to www.forbesdragonboat.org.

By Beth Thomas

Glamourous Debut

May 12, 2016 By Maggi Barnard

Over 400 dazzlingly dressed family members and friends packed the Parkes Leagues Club on Friday for the annual St George’s Anglican Debutante Ball. 18 debutantes and their partners arrived in vintage cars for the Soirée de Fleurs themed evening and were led up a red carpet to make their debut. The couples presented to The Right Reverend Ian Palmer, Bishop of the Bathurst Diocese in the company of the Matron of the Ball, Mrs Cheryl Thompson.

The debutants and their partners were:

Hayley Swetland and Brad Simpson, Sarah Jones and Lachlan Davies, Tianna Allen and Ross Collins, Dina Cook and Matthew Ellery, Maddison Thomson –and Spencer Evans, Teigan Miles and Dan Warren, Amy Tanswell and Jayden Pusterla, Maddison McGrath and William Cassell, Kalarney VanDyk and Brayden Spicer, Chloe Henderson and Liam Turnbull, Star Baker and Laine Webb, Ashleigh Cottam and Mitchell Toole, Mia Cummins and Haydon Davies, Kaitlyn Macdonald and Ryan Smith, Kalisha Johnston and Bayden Cross, Chloe Ingram and Benjamin Hayes, Brodee Martin-Scully and Liam Wakefield, and Wynona Douglas and Wesley Ormsby.

Letters To The Editor…Rail Worries

May 12, 2016 By Maggi Barnard

Dear editor,

I’m writing this letter regarding the closure of the Parkes railway station. The closure will not only mean more unemployment here in Parkes but inconvenience for those people (both elderly and disabled) who would have to book tickets online. This would be difficult for those that have no access to a computer or don’t know how to use a computer. Something must be done to stop the closure, the sooner the better.

Regards,

Alan Parker.

Fear Allayed…

After local worries were voiced it’s been confirmed that NSW TrainLink will continue to staff the Parkes Railway Station. There has been concern that the Parkes station would be reduced to a part-time position of that it would become unattended. This is now not the case and staff will remain, as is, at the station with no changes to train and coach timetables. MP Andrew Gee was pleased with the development; “Public transport is an issue close to the hearts of people in regional communities and it is vital that we maintain our rail services, especially to those residents who rely on it. The voices of the people of Parkes have been heard loud and clear. This is a great win for the community.”

The station and on board staff will continue to assist customers including the elderly and those with a disability on and off the train. Coach drivers will assist coach customers as they do now. “Station security will also be enhanced with a new Customer Help Point being installed to provide 24/7 assistance” Mr Gee said; “Parkes Station has been an integral part of the local community for many years and I’m pleased it will continue to provide services for the foreseeable future.” The NSW Government and NSW TrainLink will now engage with the local community to discuss options for how local groups and businesses could use the station so the space is fully utilised for Parkes’ benefit. “There are boundless opportunities to ensure regional stations like Parkes are not just transport hubs to get from A to B, but a hub that the whole community can enjoy,” Mr Gee said.

Mayor’s Column…13th May

May 12, 2016 By Maggi Barnard

What lovely soaking rain our region has been enjoying, a much appreciated change from the dry conditions just over a few weeks ago.

Congratulations to the organisers and volunteers of the ABBA festival. What a great weekend jammed packed with entertainment. This year boasted more than 4,500 attendees with over 1,400 camping at the showground. The festival was an absolute credit to you all. Well done Trundle!

NSW Trainlink has confirmed this week that the Parkes Railway Station services will remain unchanged. Following initial concern, the local station was flagged to see services reduced to part time or unattended. The news to preserve the Parkes Railway Station is a positive win for our community and Council would like to thank the local Member for Orange Andrew Gee and NSW Translink for ensuring Parkes Railway station continues to provide services to our community.

Several public art installations will be installed in the Parkes Central Business District (CBD) this week as part of Parkes Shire Council’s Public Art Program which is focused on adding vibrancy to the main street.

The public art installations will be officially opened this evening (Friday May 13) in the Coventry Room. The opening will feature images of the works and a stroll through the CBD to view the works (weather permitting). All community members are invited to attend the official opening.

Have a great weekend.

Yours Faithfully,

Cr Ken Keith OAM

Parkes Local Named Young Entrepreneur At Orana

May 12, 2016 By Maggi Barnard

Turners Vineyard in Orange was the venue of choice for the 2016 Central West Orana Business Awards gala dinner on Friday. The glamourous evening, hosted by the NSW Business Chamber, saw business people from across the Central West attend in the hope of being announced winner of their category.

Jamie Malcolm, master of ceremonies, opened the event and introduced ‘partner in crime’, Ella Brown who warmly welcomed everyone to the Orana Business Awards. “We have a variety of businesses across the region here tonight. I’d like to congratulate the 2015 winners who competed in Sydney” Ella said, who then invited the previous year’s winners on stage to receive their alumni badges.

Parkes local Ryan Cunningham won the Young Entrepreneur category, fending off stiff competition from Dubbo and Bathurst. “Wow! I’m very honoured is probably the best way to describe it” he said; “I’d like to acknowledge my partner Kyle who knows how hard it is to live and work with your partner. Thank you, this is much appreciated.” Other Parkes businesses who were nominated included GWS Personnel, Parkes Betta Electrical, Rebecca Miller of La Bella and Parkes Chamber of Commerce. “To have one of Parkes’ nominees go onto the State final in the first year of entering is great” said Geoff Rice, President of the Parkes Business Chamber, which was nominated for the Local Chamber of Commerce Award.

The big scoop of the night came from Dubbo business, Transforce, who was named the 2016 Central West Orana Business of the Year. Transforce, who specialise in road transport services, also won the award for Excellence in Business. Ryan will now go onto the Sydney to represent the Central West at the NSW Business Chamber State Business Awards. We wish him the best of luck and to the other Parkes nominees, you’re all winners in our eyes.

Maggi Barnard

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