Parkes Phoenix

Maggi Barnard

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

What’s on @ the Parkes Shire Library & Cultural Centre?

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Due to the current Public Health Order we are only able to permit fully vaccinated patrons in our libraries until 1st December. If this is an issue for you, please call us and we can arrange free home delivery of library materials. For bookings into any of our programs and events please call 6861 2309.

STORYTIME AND RHYME TIME

Storytime and Rhyme Time are back! Storytime is aimed at children aged 3 – 5 year and is on Wednesdays at 10:30am. Rhyme Time is aimed at babies to 2-year-olds and is on Thursdays at 10:30am. Bookings are essential with limited spots available.

HISTORY PARKES BLOG

Check out our latest history blog titled The Dish – Celebrating 60 years of the Parkes Radio Telescope at www.historyparkes.org

STOP DROP & ROLL YOUTH GAMES GROUP

Want to make some friends? Learn something new? Or just have some fun? Our Youth Games Group for ages 13-25 meets the second Friday of every month in the Marramarra Makerspace Studio from 4-6 pm. Next games meet will be Friday, 12th November.

TEENY TINY ART FESTIVAL – COMING SOON!

Get ready for the Teeny Tiny Art Festival – coming to the Parkes Shire from 11th –18th December! This fun festival will include an exhibition of postcard sized art, creative workshops, happenstance art around the shire, and a soiree event celebrating our local artists and cultural groups! A fun Happenstance Surprise Art workshop will be held on Saturday, 20th November. Contact Roxanne at the Parkes Library on 6862 9101 to register your interest or go to the Festival Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/PCAFestival

 

Northparkes Pirates Invade Croquet Field

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Pictured are (L -R) Jamie Widauer, Tim Dunn, Robyn Teet and Justin Spalding.

The Parkes Croquet Club held a special event for a Northparkes Mines crew last Friday. Four teams played a game called pirates croquet where players aimed to steal each other’s points to add to their own tally. The best pirates of the day, with highest stolen points, were Justin Spalding, Phil Cann, Remeth Henry and Dave Richards.

Snippets…

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There is new 3D movie, called Beyond the Barrier, showing at the Parkes Radio Telescope Visitors Centre about the observatory and the staff, after so many visitors had asked to know what is happening beyond the fence. CSIRO and Swinburne University worked together to produce the 13-minute feature.

Parkes Painting Group

The Parkes Painters have a new committee following its recently held AGM. Kerry Davis took over as chair from Kim Chambers, Annette Witherow is secretary and Dianne Hutchins treasurer. The group’s Elvis exhibition will coincide with the Parkes Elvis Festival next year, and will run from 28th April to 13th May at the Uniting Youth Centre in Church Street. All budding artists are welcome to join the group at Northparkes Oval on Wednesdays from 10am to 4pm. “We welcome new members to enjoy the great thrill of creating, colour mixing and using our imaginations to the benefit of our wellbeing,” said member Helen Huntly.

Christmas Parade Cancelled

The Action Club has confirmed that the Christmas Parade and Festival in the Park in December has been cancelled due to the unavailability of the schools to participate and the fluid COVID situation. The club will continue to plan for next year’s event.

COVID-19 Location Alerts

Residents can now receive push notifications on COVID-19 case locations on the Service NSW app so they are alerted to potential exposure risks as soon as possible. The is in addition to the red icon that appears in the check-in history of a person who has been to a venue on the same day as a confirmed COVID-19 case. People who receive a push notification or see a COVID-19 case alert in their check-in history should monitor for symptoms and get tested if they feel unwell. They do not need to self-isolate, unless contacted by NSW Health.

Harvest Safety

More than 500 signs will be rolled out on key freight routes and level crossings across western parts of NSW to remind drivers to take extra care on the road this bumper harvest season expecting to be a record 16 million tonnes. Two types of signs will be rolled out to remind drivers to be patient, slow down and take care on the road. These include 27 electronic message signs along key road harvest routes, an additional 18 electronic messaging signs to be placed at high-risk level crossings, and 500 free sign available for order by farmers whose properties have level crossings on them, which they can install on their gates to help increase safety.

The original helicopter sign used at the old Parkes Hospital has been salvaged for the play area of the newly transformed community health building for Central West Childcare Services as a link to its past.

 

Roylances Forbes Sets New Standard For JCB

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Roylances Forbes

For 66 years the Roylance name has been synonymous with the automotive and agricultural industries in Forbes, but more recently their focus has been on farming with the development of their Tractor Replacements business in Sam Street.

Now regional distributors for such iconic names as Kubota and Krone, they also added the globally recognised JCB brand to their list of products in 2020. Renowned for their earthmoving equipment – the iconic yellow and black backhoe, and their great selection of skid steers – JCB’s range of
agricultural equipment is also well recognised around the world: the Fastrac range of tractors, the fastest on the market, and the Agri Telehandler range providing farmers with immense flexibility across a range of applications.

Of importance for Roylances – who pride themselves on customer service – was to ensure that they had complete customer support for all their products.
From initial contact with Justin Roylance (grandson of company founders Jim and Nea Roylance) and Sales Manager Barry Cusack, to their after-sales service department and team of service technicians that can provide not just first-class service at their Forbes work-shops, but also valuable on-site service in case of setbacks on the farm.

For anyone looking to upgrade their existing machines, or looking to take advantage of the various financial support packages on offer from the Federal Government and JCB, call Roylances Tractor Replacements in Forbes on 6852 2020, drop into Unit 10, 42-46 Sam Street, Forbes or email enquiry@roylances.com.au

Snippets…

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What do you do with the excess fruit from your trees? This Parkes resident is kindly sharing mandarins along a popular walking path, even providing bags.

Pink Up

Parkes Services Club has turned PINK for October in support of Breast Cancer Awareness and raising funds for the McGrath Foundation. You still have time to buy tickets for the Pink Raffle and stand a chance to win some amazing prizes. Winners will be drawn on Monday, 1st November at 12pm.

BreastScreen NSW Resumes

Screen NSW has recommenced operations after the service was paused in response to the risk posed by the COVID-19 Delta strain and a need to redeploy staff to support the pandemic response. Breast-Screen NSW will be contacting women who had their appointments cancelled. The service will be back at Tottenham, Tullamore and Trundle from Saturday, 30th October. All clients are required to wear a surgical mask to their appointment.

Online Annual Public Meeting

The Annual Public Meeting of the Western NSW Local Health District Board will be held on Wednesday, 3rd November at 1pm. The meeting will include presentations from the Board Chair and Chief Executive, and will give communities across the Local Health District an opportunity to hear of achievements during 2020 and 2021, and the strategic goals for the next 12 months. There will be a question and answer session at the end of the meeting, which will close at 2pm. To register to attend visit: https://bit.ly/RegisterAnnualPublicMeeting

Seeking Operator For Gallery Café

A contemporary food and beverage enterprise with flair, creativity and imagination that meets the demand for quality regional cuisine in the Forbes Shire area. That’s the Forbes Arts Society’s vision for the café to be located within the new Forbes Cultural and Arts Centre at 110 Lachlan Street. With construction set to commence in the coming months, the former Forbes Ambulance Station will soon be transformed into a vibrant, civic hub. A space that encourages locals and visitors to create, share and experience art and culture as well as meet, gather and connect with one another. The Centre is scheduled for completion in late 2022. The café will have seating for 25 people inside, and the outdoor courtyard will seat up to 50 people. To obtain an Expression of Interest package or to find out more, please contact forbesartss@gmail.com. Submissions close 5pm, Friday, 29th October.

Regional Development Australia Central West (RDA Central West) has welcomed Wayne Sunderland as CEO. Wayne has a strong background in business and leadership. He is pictured with Ruth Fagan, Committee Chair.

 

 

Succulents, Moss, Creativity And Thyme

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Roxanne Gallacher, Parkes Library and Cultural Centre Creative Learning Programs Coordinator with Renelle Fitzgerald, who presented the workshops.

Succulents took centre stage at the Marramarra Makerspace Studio on Saturday when 19 women took gardening and creativity to a new level making living wreaths.

Later in the day, moss and thyme stepped into the limelight for the kokedama workshop. Kokedama is Japanese for ‘moss ball’ and is a centuries old tradition of potting up plants in a ball of moss.

Renelle Fitzgerald from Bathurst, who started her business Pop-Up Succulent Shop from a hobby, presented the workshops. “I tell everybody the exact process and all the materials needed so they can go home and do it themselves.”

Participants will keep on enjoying their creativity for a long time after the workshop as the succulents are planted into the wreath and will keep on growing for many years.

Renelle said many participants followed her on Facebook and kept her updated with photos of how their creations were growing.

She gets very good feedback from the workshops. “Everybody loves doing it, even those who said they were not very creative or had a black thumb.” Renee Piddington agreed saying it was amazing and a great way to spend a morning.

Bridge Banter

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The Parkes Bridge Club Championships will culminate this week with the winning pair awarded a trophy donated by the three daughters of the late Isobel Orange, a member of Parkes Bridge Club for many years. High in the running to win the club championship trophy are (L-R) Kevin Robinson, Peter Quin, Val Worthington, Bev Laing, Anne Berkeley, Gary Somers and Greig Ball.

Learn To Paddle A Dragon Boat

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IMAGE CREDIT: Parkes Endeavour Dragons Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ParkesEndeavourDragons

Parkes Endeavour Dragons have a very exciting new initiative to offer to anyone who is interested in finding fun, fitness and friendship. Now that our freedom is increasing, there are many people wanting to break out from restrictions and get outdoors and active. This is what the Dragon Boat Club’s ‘Learn to Paddle’ programme is all about.

“Learning to paddle will give newcomers the opportunity of learning the skills and techniques of dragon boat paddling without having to keep up with a practiced crew,” said Parkes Dragon Boat Club Coach, Beth Thomas. “The programme will cater exclusively for beginners and be paced accordingly.”

‘Learn to Paddle’ is a five-week programme which will run on Sunday mornings from 10:30 to 11:30am at the beautiful Lake Endeavour. It will commence on 7th November and run until 5th December, finishing with a combined paddle with club members and an award presentation. The cost of the programme is $50 per participant, with this amount deducted from your membership fee if you decide to join the club.

Contact Beth Thomas 0418 253 045 for registration or more information.

Be Seen

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Renee Piddington, Michelle Row and Sheridan Kirk enjoyed making succulent wreaths.

 

At the succulent wreath making workshop on Saturday were (L-R) Kim Robinson, Bec Kiley, Courtney Ivey, Indiah Toppin, Chloe Tanner, Katina Parker and Claire Parker.

 

Some more happy crafters at the succulent workshop were (L-R) Wendy Nelson, Debbie O’Keefe, Janine Hando, Merinda Gaiter, Di Orr, Helen Della Ca, Felicity Abbey and Nola Hando.

Get Your Final Arrangements In Order

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Michael Hanley’s Funeral Home

Michael Hanley’s Funeral Home, a professional, family-owned business with over 46 years of experience, has been offering its services in Parkes, Forbes and surrounding districts since 1975.

“Of the many funerals our family-owned business does per year, a percentage of them are out of town,” says Tami Stewart.

Another service Michael Hanley’s Funeral Home offers is the option for clients to arrange their funeral and have it all ready for when anything happens. “You can come in and arrange everything or you can go on our website and complete the information that need to be known when you die.

You choose your songs, flowers and even the clothes you would like to be buried in. It makes it so much easier on your family,” says Tami.

Michael Hanley’s Funeral Home conduct funerals, graveside services and cremations. Cremation services can be held in our chapel in Forbes where the crematorium is located.

Funeral prices start from $4,598. Give Michael Hanley’s Funeral Home a call on 6852 1961 or send us a message to hanleyfunerals.com.au

Phoenix Office
7/113-127 Rankin Street, Forbes NSW 2871

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editor@parkesphoenix.com.au

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