In the midst of a global pandemic that has disrupted our daily routines and confines us to our homes, there is a surge in something that gives us hope: kindness.

We see it all over the world, and in our local community. From the friendly shop assistants offering us hand sanitiser, the caring way in which the doctors conduct phone appointments, the free pizza delivered to old age homes, parents delivering treats to teachers and happy chalk drawings made on public walkways, to name but a few.

Research shows that we lean into kindness when tragedy strikes. Many people make use of Facebook posts to acknowledge and encourage others, like this one: “Thumbs up Parkes, Forbes and surrounding communities for all coming together during this insane time. We’ve never experienced anything like this before – and it’s bringing out all kinds of emotions.”

Many other trends are going viral too, like decorating walkways with chalk art, and Parkes is in on this one too with Kristy Berry and her daughter Pascal bringing some joy to residents. “We really enjoy doing it and love seeing people getting enjoyment and a smile out of it,” said Kristy.

More time at home also brings new challenges and opportunities. For music teacher Pam Parkin it means less rushing around. “There is more time to rest and enjoy my instruments.”

Music student Carmel Kelly says: “I get to take time practicing as we don’t have to go anywhere!”

It is going to be a very different Easter for all of us, so stay in touch with your loved ones making video calls or ringing them and remember: “We are all in this together.

One positive outcome of the Corona pandemic is that it is bringing people from all around the world closer together in fun and creative ways.

One of these initiatives has seen Parkes residents joining in by putting teddy bears and other stuffed animals in their windows for families to take their kids on a bear hunt. Inspired by the popular children’s book ‘We’re Going on a Bear Hunt’ by Michael Rosen, the real-life bear hunt has spread all over the world, with even the New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern placing a teddy in the front window of Premier House in Wellington, where she is in lockdown with her family.

The Coronavirus has turned our lives upside down, and daily complaints about empty shelves in the shops and home-schooling our children have become the new norm.

Perspective can be very sobering, and with Anzac Day approaching, here is a story of another time of turmoil.

When Jacob Sidney Hansen of Tichbourne was 24 he enlisted in Dubbo just over a year after Britain declared war on Germany on 4th August 1914.

After his initial training Jacob embarked on the Ceramic troop carrier in April 1916 and sailed to the Sues, then to England arriving four months later. He was attached to the 2nd infantry 54th battalion and they were shipped to France to fight on the front.

He was sadly one of the more than 60,000 Australians who did not return when he was killed in action on 16th November 1917 at age 26. His time at the front was a nightmare according to his casualty records suffering major injuries and illnesses, including trench foot twice and mumps.

After the war the family of every serviceman killed received a bronze plague of condolences known as Dead Man’s Penny or Death Penny as it resembled a coin.

Jacob’s plague, as well as medals of his two brothers, Carl James and Tennos Oliver, who also served in the war are on permanent display at the Henry Parkes Museum with some history of the Hansen family. (The museum is currently closed until further notice in accordance to the new rules.)

Two very special Parkes locals put their heads on the block for Leukaemia last week. Chloe Mudiman and Fiona McGonigal took on the challenge of the World’s Greatest Shave in front of two different audiences. Nine-year-old Chloe Mudiman proved she was not afraid of reaching out to help others, even if it meant shaving off all her hair in front of her school.

Last Wednesday the Year 5 student took to the stage at Parkes Public and allowed four special people in her life to cut off her pig tails, including family who were visiting from Canada.

Hairdresser Amber Thomson of Charisma then took charge and shaved off the rest. It was a special moment for Amber who gave Chloe her very first hair cut when she was five.

Chloe’s mum Katrina looked a bit worried as her brave daughter’s hair started falling to the floor with all the primary students looking on. Chloe only saw herself in a mirror at the end.

Rubbing her hand over her newly shaved head she said with a big smile,” It feels a little bit weird.”

Chloe saw the ads on TV for the World’s Greatest Shave and in combination with her knowledge of her nan’s breast cancer, decided she wanted to shave off her hair.

It was a big decision for Lindy to retire, “but the time is right,” she told The Parkes Phoenix during long-service leave she took before her retirement.

“I miss the children and the staff, the families – the people side of it, but I’m enjoying slowing down. PECC is such a wonderful place and it was such a privilege to spend so much of my career there,” she said.

“PECC made history being started by the community, and it still belongs to the community.”

For Lindy, who has not only seen thousands of Parkes children come through the centre, but also knows them all by name, it was beautiful to see the children come back as parents and the joy of the grandparents.

“It is just lovely connections. The roots of the centre are in the community, there is a great sense of history.”

Lindy fondly recalls the early years when there was a huge slide in the playground off the top of a shed with no soft fall underneath and an old tractor for the children to climb on. “That was before the era of work health and safety.”

She also loves progress, especially how science has made a really big impact on education, making childcare so much more focused on early brain development and how crucial it is to set up children for life.

She would like to see a change in society placing more value on play and a greater understanding that play is learning and the best way for children to learn.

“Not many people realise just how much work goes into setting up the play environment at PECC to allow children to build on their strengths, to encourage play and allow them to move freely between activities with different levels of concentration needed.”

Lindy started with PECC in 1978, and in 1984 she started work as a Children Services Advisor. After her two children were born, she took up a teaching post at TAFE.

When an opportunity came up to return to PECC as teaching director in 1993 she grabbed it with both hands. “My heart is with the children. I feel this is where I belong working directly with children and families.”

In August 1994 she became director. “As a leader you need to have the vision, and be open minded, as well as be very mindful of what is best practise, and making adjustments as research comes out.”

It is her vision that has turned PECC into the best early childhood centre in NSW with people from all over the state coming to see how it’s managed. But most of all it is Lindy’s passion to always consider children first that will be her legacy.

By Maggi Barnard

When a baker and his wife learn they’ve been cursed with childlessness by the witch next door, they embark on a quest for the special objects required to break the spell: Cinderella’s shoe, Rapunzel’s hair, the famous red cape…

The latest Parkes Musical and Dramatic Society production of Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods Jr twists familiar fairy tales into a brand new story.

More than 60 juniors auditioned for roles and Director Lisa Ramsay ended up with a cast of 43 ranging in age from seven to 18. She decided to create scenes with ensembles to increase the cast from 21 to give more juniors the opportunity to be part of the production.

“The story has lots of humour putting well-known fairy tales into a brand new light,” said Lisa of the production that is also quite different as there are not the usual one to three main leads. “We have a main group of about seven leads, and then another group of semi-leads plus groups of ensembles.”

She would like to see the community come out and support the young cast who gain so much from being in the M & D performing on stage. “I am very proud of the cast and their dedication in learning their lines and focus on characterisation.”

The first performance is tonight and Into the Woods Jr will go for three weekends until 22nd March with afternoon and evening shows. There will be an autism friendly show on Saturday, 14th March at 2pm. Tickets are available at www.parkesmandd.com.au or at Regional Business Supplies.

Julie says she enjoys entering competitions as the feedback always adds to her learning process. As a Parkes Camera Club member, she enjoys the interaction and monthly competitions with other members. “We all look at something differently.”

The Camera Club’s participation in the Parkes Elvis Festival is a fun challenge for Julie. “I love doing the festival as it gets me out of my comfort zone.” She enjoys trying out different angles and capturing special moments at the festival.

When the huge dust storm hit Parkes earlier this year, Julie seized the opportunity to do something special again.

“It was starting to look interesting so we closed all the windows in the house and went outside for a better look. We couldn’t believe what we saw! I ran to the middle of the paddock as I wanted the yellow box trees in the foreground for perspective.”

She did a 180-degree stitch of eight vertical photos to try and capture the enormity of what was coming towards her. When she showed the end result to her tutor of the certificate of photography she is doing, he said she should send it to the press.

Last Sunday the Good Weekend magazine in the Sydney Morning Herald printed her image in the Exposure section.

Ten years ago the click of a camera set a new course for Julie’s life and she still enjoys learning about photography every day.

– By Maggi Barnard

A group of dedicated and enthusiastic eco warriors at Parkes East Primary School are working hard to reduce the carbon footprint of their school.

The Eco Kids Group was started this year by Technology teacher and environmentalist Teegan Rodgers. “I am passionate about the environment and wanted to see our school do something.”

The group has 13 members, one student from each class in Years 1 to 6, and meet once per week to work on their goals.

The group has already implemented their very first project implementing a Return and Earn container deposit project for the school. They converted two wheelie bins, donated by JR Richards, into recycling bins with a wire front side to make it easier for the students to see which containers to put into the bin.

“We will take the contents to the depot every fortnight and use the money for more environmental projects at the school,” said Teegan.

The Eco Kids drive the project by monitoring the bins and taking responsibility for taking them in and out every day. “It is very hands on learning,” said Teegan.

 

From the underground bakery in the ghost town of Farina, past Promised Land, Cape Tribulation, Wiseman’s Ferry, Labrador and Banana to Cook, the town in the middle of nowhere.

It is fun travelling around Australia when you’re reading books. This is what participants in the Summer Reading Club discovered over 52 days of the holiday’s when they read a total of 1,131 books! Library staff selected 52 interesting and some weird destinations around the country for the Read Around Australia program.

Every time a participant finished one reading record with ten books on it, they got to pick a surprise destination and move the library car to that place on a giant map in the library. Every destination had a bit of write up for the participants to learn about the place. “They really enjoyed moving the car to a new destination,” said Debbie Gould of the Parkes Shire Library.

Library members from Parkes, Peak Hill and Trundle took part in the program. Eight-year-old Vashti Williams of Trundle said she really enjoyed taking part in the program. “It encouraged me to read more books.”

The program concluded with a celebration last week when all the participants received a certificate. It was a great opportunity to discover weird and wonderful places around Australia… did you know Marble Bar in Western Australia features in the Guiness Book of Records for 161 consecutive days of the temperature not dropping below 37.8 degrees Celsius?