Maggi Barnard

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

Men’s Bowls

February 18, 2022 By Maggi Barnard

There were no championship games played during the past week. In social bowls on Thursday, 10th February the Triples match finished with the closest score line after a couple of dramatic changes. Rob Tinker, Gordon Dickson and John Dunn won the first end but Ian Simpson, Bob Freeman and Jim Blake had the best of the early ends and lead 13-8 after thirteen ends. On the next end Team Tinker scored six shots to take the lead for the second time, 14-13 and with one end to play still held the lead 19-16 and looked like the winners but on the last end Team Simpson scored the four shots they needed to claim victory.

In other matches, Rob Irving and Graham Barby 21 just got up against Col Mudie and Tom Furey 19. Col Hayward and Ron Hornery 21 beat John Wright and Alan Affleck 16. Steve Turner and John Carr scored too many and Jonno Johnson and Ray Jones didn’t score enough.

On Saturday, 12th February a good field of twenty eight bowlers turned out and it was good to see Wes Westcott back on the green after a fairly lengthy absence. Results of the matches were:

• Guy Ellery and George Bradley 24 – Dave Reilly and Jo Simpson 21
• John Ward and Noel Johnstone 18 – Mike Simpson and Ray Jones 14
• Ian Simpson and John Wright 23 – Brian Townsend and Arthur Corbett 18
• Rob Tinker and John Niddrie 24 – Martin Tighe and Wes Westcott 19
• Nathan Reynolds and Ron Hornery 25 – Col Hayward and Gordon Dickson 20
• Col Mudie and John Carr 23 – Tom Furey and Col Woods 17
• Tony Reardon and Mal Porter 24 – Rob Irving and Jim Blake 16

By George Bradley

Digital Eye Strain

February 18, 2022 By Maggi Barnard

Digital eye strain is the physical discomfort felt after prolonged time in front of digital screens.

Did you know the average adult:

• Looks at, at least three different digital screens every day.
• Looks at their smartphone or iPad up to 60 times per day.
• Spends at least 12 hours a day consuming some form of media from a digital screen.

So, it is no surprise that staring at screens throughout the day can be hard on your eyes and may cause digital eye strain — even if you don’t currently wear glasses. Because screens are small, bright and we spend a lot of time staring at them, they make our eyes work hard.

Here are some of the most common conditions you can experience by staring at screens for too long:

Dry Eyes – when you look at something up close (eg your smartphone) you reduce your blink rate, which can cause dry irritated eyes.

Eye Strain – also known as ‘eye fatigue’ – can cause headaches, red, irritated eyes and neck or back pain.

Headaches – usually frontal (across the top of head) or to the temples (side of head) after prolonged close work.

How to protect yourself:

Good Visual Hygiene – take frequent breaks; watch your working distance and good lighting.

Protect your eyes against harmful blue light radiation from digital screens.

Use specialised lenses called anti-fatigue for all device use.

If you want to know more or have any eye-related problems, pop into Eyecare Plus Parkes at 267A Clarinda Street or call 6863 5577.

Squash Community Puts In Mammoth Effort

February 18, 2022 By Maggi Barnard

VOLUNTEER CHAMPIONS… Jay Kross (Manager – Parkes Squash), Geoff Leonard (Volunteer and nine times Parkes champion), Judy Kross (Manager – Parkes Squash) and Mike Phillips (Manager – Parkes Services Club) make sure great things are happening at the Parkes Services Squash Courts.

The Parkes Services Squash Courts are looking brand spanking new thanks to a mammoth effort by volunteers.

The centre is managed by Jay and Judy Kross and they received a Stronger Communities Grant of $19,000 to replace a side wall and upgrade three of the four front walls. The builder who was lined up to do the work had to pull out one day before the work was due to start.

Judy, Jay and a handful of members of the squash community decided to tackle the work as the courts had to be in top shape for a big tournament earlier this month with players coming from as far as Tasmania. They managed to get all the work done in two weeks.

Member for Riverina, Michael McCormack was so impressed with their work that he gave them a shout out in Parliament last week.

Judy said the renovations had made a huge difference. “The walls were in such a bad condition that the balls would bounce off them in the wrong direction. Paint would always chip off and we had to sweep the floors after every match.”

She said they had come in under budget doing the work themselves and they had spare money to replace all 72 lights with LED’s and repaint all four courts.

They have received such good feedback on their work, that they are planning to tackle the next big project themselves again. They are planning to replace the wooden floors of the courts hopefully over Easter.

Ewes Set To Shine

February 18, 2022 By Maggi Barnard

2021 Parkes Flock Ewe Competition winners: Andrew, Colby and Roger Hood.

Parkes Show Society is gearing up to stage its annual Doug Bicket Memorial Ewe Competition which will take place on Friday, 25th February.

Doug was a tireless worker on the Parkes Show Committee, most particularly in the merino sheep section and had a strong passion for the merino industry. Doug helped launch the competition and was a regular on the bus trip, never short of a story for whoever was lucky enough to be close by.

The seasonal conditions have been outstanding, with plenty of rainfall and plentiful feed on offer. Whilst the amazing season has brought with it new challenges in managing sheep, it is sure to have produced some quality lines of young ewes that will present in top condition.

An impressive field of entrants have been assembled, obviously eager to display their flocks in peak condition. This year’s judges, Drew Chapman and Warwick Kopp, are sure to have a tough time reaching agreement over which team is crowned this year’s champion.

The day has grown significantly in recent years with spectators eager to assess a good cross section of merino bloodlines run under a range of management systems and environments. Industry representatives will be on hand throughout the day to update attendees on all the latest advancements, technologies, markets and management strategies.

An air conditioned coach has been arranged to ensure spectators are able to travel from property to property in total comfort and allow for stories and experiences to be shared throughout the day. Anyone interested is welcome to join with the bus departing from the Parkes Bowls and Sport Club at 7:30am.

The day will conclude with a BBQ tea and presentations to the prize winners. Cost of the day is $30. To register and book a spot email secretary@parkesshow.org.au or phone Liz on 6862 2580.

Two Golden Guitar Nominations For Raechel

February 18, 2022 By Maggi Barnard

Raechel Whitchurch is performing in Dubbo at the RSL on Saturday, 30th April.

Raechel Whitchurch is kicking off 2022 in a big way. Not only is she back living in Parkes, but she has notched up two Golden Guitar nominations.

She was nominated for Traditional Country Album of the Year and New Talent of the Year.

Her new single ‘Sure Thing (Reimagined)’ and the deluxe edition of her #1 ARIA album Finally Clear were released last week.

She was nominated for Traditional Country Album of the Year and New Talent of the Year.

Raechel will also be touring with Adam Harvey and is scheduled to perform at both Tamworth and Boots and Beach Country Music Festivals.

As described by Country Music Capital News, Whitchurch is “a perceptive, thoughtful songwriter who deftly crafts her music to create songs that are personal yet universal – the mark of a true songwriter”. And a true songwriter will craft songs that are suited to different treatments and different performance styles.

“I wrote Sure Thing in 2015 when I was working away from home on Kenny Rogers’ Australian Tour,” Raechel said. “I just wanted to write a love song about my husband for our 5th wedding anniversary. I ended up putting Sure Thing on an EP called ‘Outlaw’ in 2016, but since we’ve been out on the road the last year, I’ve been opening my set with it. I’ve loved playing it live so much that I decided to re-record it.”

‘Sure Thing (Reimagined)’ was re-arranged and recorded by multi award winning producer Matt Fell at his Love Hz Studios. “The new version is completely different. It is piano driven and doesn’t even have an acoustic guitar on it! I decided to call it ‘Sure Thing (Reimagined)’ because it was so different to what I imagined it could be.”

Finally Clear has already delivered four hit singles which received extensive national airplay, including ‘My Father’, which peaked at #9 on The Music Network Hot 50 airplay charts.

What do you like about Parkes and what do you think is missing?

February 18, 2022 By Maggi Barnard

Abby Blair with Elsie Pritchard (11 months): I like the supportive community, and would love to see a waterpark and indoor play area.

Hannah Hawker with Joseph (6 months) and Alfie (2): I like all the parks with play areas, and the kids’ area at the pool is great. The CUC is a fantastic addition to Parkes. I’d love a big, indoor play area in town.

Simran Villella: I like the sense of community, the accessibility to so many amazing things and the lack of traffic. I would like to see some more resources going into early education for young children and more structured activities for kids aged 0 – 5.

Women’s Bowls

February 18, 2022 By Maggi Barnard

T’was a hot, dry morning of 32 degrees for the bowls girls; and a freezing minus 32 degrees in Beijing, another world away. But hot competition at both venues, with contestants vying for a podium finish!

Before the day had dawned, Lea Orr retired hurt, and Jan McPhee missed her plane home, so the race schedule needed a reshuffle. As the Aussie flag flew high, the Club Championship Singles matches commenced.

On Run 9, Merilyn Rodgers and Liz Byrne battled it out for a spot in the semi-finals. Liz, the reigning champion, was in top form and dominated once again.

Elaine Miller and Cherie Frame were more closely matched on Run 11. Cherie is through to the next round after opening up a strong lead which was impossible to peg back, despite Elaine’s efforts.

Despite an ACL injury, sustained while competing in the Ulladulla Ultra Triathlon, Maureen Miller soldiered on in true Olympic spirit to lead all the way in her heat against Carol Reed on Run 10.

After-match TV interviews included thanks to Ground Control, Umpire Gwenda, hydration manager, Maureen, and the match markers and volunteers without whom these games would not be possible!

Social ladies were out practicing their freestyle bowling skills in the warm, dry conditions.

Valmai Westcott, wearing bright aussie colours, and Maria Willcockson earned twice the points of their rivals, Kay Craft and Lynn Ryan. The prepared surface suited the style of Kate Keogh and Marja Iffland as they left Frances Charlton, Chris Curteis and Betsy Johnstone wondering how they could improve their skills.

By Lea Orr

High Speed Fibre Network For SAP

February 18, 2022 By Maggi Barnard

A high speed fibre network has been finalised in the Parkes Shire as part of NSW’s first Special Activation Precinct (SAP).

The Parkes Shire Council telecommunications partner, Lumea, is now providing secure, scalable and high speed where the SAP is located.

Businesses along the path will benefit from full fibre drop off flexibility, and connectivity up to 10Gbps or higher, with options to connect onto the Lumea Data Centre Interconnect (DCI) ecosystem for Edge Computing and Cloud Connectivity.

Parkes Shire Council Mayor Ken Keith OAM said, “It’s great to see cutting-edge infrastructure delivered in Parkes that will improve the digital connectivity in the region and benefit local businesses located in the SAP.”

Lumea Head of Telecommunications, Glenn Wood, said “I’m extremely proud of the delivery of high speed network services that sees the Parkes business community benefit from faster and more scalable data services.”

Digital connectivity for Parkes will help accelerate the economic growth of the region, which includes key industries of agriculture and mining, as well as a strong transport and logistics industry.

“Businesses located in the SAP, including SCT Logistics, Master Pet’s Pet Care Kitchen and Pacific National, as well as future businesses in the area will have access to speeds and performance that rival metropolitan centres. Fibre really is the critical infrastructure of the modern economy, and that’s why bridging the digital divide between regional and urban centres is of such high importance to us at Lumea.”

The fibre network was built using the existing Lumea Optical Ground Wire (OPGW) backbone network combined with self-build underground and aerial fibre in conjunction with utilities partner Essential Energy.

Our Bloke – Michael Thomas

February 18, 2022 By Maggi Barnard

Where were you born? Wellington NSW, just down the road.

Were you named after anyone? We had a pet dog named Mick, my parents swear that I’m not named after him.

Which of your accomplishments are you most proud of? I’ve bought a block of land here in Parkes where I’m hoping to build a home. It’s a long process but they say it’s all worth it.

What historical moment stands out most in your memory? It would have to be the Sydney Olympics for me. I was only quite young but it was definitely something that started my passion for all things sport.

What’s the single best piece of advice you’ve ever received? Don’t stress about the things you have no control over.

What’s the greatest risk you’ve ever taken? I ate some seafood that was a bit touch-and-go when travelling around Florida in a motorhome. The gamble did not pay off.

What are the three things you would take to a deserted island? Fishing rod, golf sticks and couple of cartons of beer. In my head this is a holiday and not a fight for survival.

If you had to spend $10,000 today, how would you spend it? Easily. If I had any doubts about it, I’m sure a few drinks down at the pub with mates would knock what’s left over. In reality, if I didn’t put it towards the house my Mum would give me a good clip around the ears.

When are you happiest? Anytime I’m with family and friends

More Opportunities For Farm Fun

February 18, 2022 By Maggi Barnard

Children may have just returned to school, but a new grant will help savvy teachers to get them out of the classroom and into the paddock.

NSW Farmers and the Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment have teamed up to deliver the Kids to Farms program, and now there are $1,500 grants on offer to help primary school teachers to add a farm excursion to the curriculum, after a long period of at-home learning.

NSW Farmers Young Farming Council Member, and local Eugowra school teacher, Charlotte Groves said the Kids to Farms program has been popular since its April 2021 inception, with more than 400 students experiencing a real working farm, or a farm classroom experience, or ‘incursion’ last year.

“Basically, the program is all about exposing young students to farming so they understand food and fibre production and are aware of the opportunities in the sector,” Ms Groves said.

“Schools will be looking for something new and engaging for their students after long COVID-19 lockdowns, and we’re saying look no further than a farm excursion through Kids to Farms. “

The Kids to Farms program has been extended to June 2023. To find out more, visit www.kidstofarms.com.au.

Maggi Barnard

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