Last Sunday Mary and I attended the matinee performance of Wicked not really knowing what to expect.

As in the past Lyn Townsend has thrown her body and soul into this production which was first cast in March 2019 and put on hold till now because of the COVID epidemic.

This time lapse gave Lyn the opportunity to put her own interpretation on Wicked, plus its design and so many magnificent costumes. Directing this show provided a massive challenge which Lyn has carried off with her usual determination and flare.

The show opened with a series of flash-backs to the society’s Wizard of Oz which connected the two productions. Then the curtain rose and we were enveloped in a mass of colour, dancing and sound for the first part of act one, leading to the main story of the conflict between Elphaba (Hannah Symonds), the green witch, and Galinda (Shannon Toole), the good witch, with Fiyero (Matt Prow), the dashing young captain adding to the dilemma.

The final resolution came in the last act with the appearance and guidance from the Wizard (Bill Jayet). To achieve such a high level of dancing and singing just doesn’t happen, but with Kate and Gracie Townsend on the choreography and Gail Smith with Carolyn Butler as vocal coach-es, it had to succeed.

I was particularly impressed by Elphaba and Galinda who were exceptional for the way they played off each other and sang while the Wizard, Mr Wonderful, is like a good wine, better with age. All this couldn’t happen without the very strong cast made up of the young, the mature and very talented members of the Parkes Musical and Dramatic Society, many who played huge supportive roles both on stage and in production.

The 10-member band, many of whom are regulars, gave up weeks practising under the baton of Neil Westcott to provide great music of such a varied repertoire, but of course we have come to expect such a very high standard from Neil as musical director. The orchestra pit came into its own this show, though a little crowded, it really blended in with the stage setting and has been a great asset for the theatre. This brings me to the four-member back stage crew led by Brian Townsend who have spent weeks setting up such a decorative and workable set of scene changes with lights to give such a terrific effect.

As usual lighting and sound were of a very high standard, made possible by our expert team and excellent equipment. A great show from start to finish.

By Warwick Tom

The main pavilion and adjoining five pavilions at the Parkes Showgrounds will be demolished following structural damage caused by the super cell storm event in January.

The Parkes Showground Land Manager (PSLM), formally the Showground Trust, had to make the difficult decision this week. Chairman of the PSLM, Tim O’Brien said a certificate of safety was required to continue using the area. “In order to obtain this certificate, we would need to have an engineer’s report completed to ensure the safety of the building. The cost of this action is considered prohibitive and unlikely to be positive as the report would no doubt insist on certain repairs, limiting use of the pavilions while being done.”

Despite temporary repairs to the pavilion following the storm event, the Showground Board reached the decision to cease use and fast track the demolition with particular consideration to the health and safety of the current users and the general public. “The board is fully aware of the impact this has on the users of these facilities, including the Parkes PA & H Association and CanAssist, however the safety of the users is paramount.”

“We will continue to pursue opportunities to restore the event capabilities that these buildings provide for our community,” said Tim.

Next Friday the very first official School Strike 4 Climate protest will take place at Cooke Park in Parkes from 2:30pm with two local students taking the lead.

“Anyone can join in, not just students,” said organiser and Parkes High School student Elizabeth Hoyle. She has linked up with Parkes East student Oscar Hendry, who organised his own climate change protest in March.

Elizabeth said participants were welcome to join in with banners and posters, while there would also be a banner to write messages on. “We will type up all the messages and send it to Member for Riverina, Michael McCormack.”

It will be a day of national action across Australia by School Strike 4 Climate, which has grown into one of the biggest movements in Australian history.

“Our message next week will be: Fund our future and not gas,” said Elizabeth. “We’re striking to tell the Morrison Government that if they care about our future, they must stop throwing money at gas.

“I know many people in Parkes believe we should be at school and not striking, but we don’t have any other choice. We can’t vote yet, and the decisions taken today will impact us the most in the future. Striking is the quickest and easiest way to get attention,” said Elizabeth.

Standing up for the adults at the strike will be Indigenous representative Geoff Anderson and Cr Neil Westcott, representing Farmers for Climate Action. They will both be speaking.

School Strike 4 Climate Australia was started in October 2018 by three teenagers from Castlemaine, inspired by Greta Thunberg’s weekly strikes outside Swedish Parliament. Since then more than 350,000 students and adults, in eight states and territories have organised strikes in over 600 locations in Australia.

By Maggi Barnard.

The Parkes Antique Motor Club is playing its part this Sunday (16th May) to display heritage motor vehicles in celebration of Australia’s National Motoring Heritage Day.

The club will have a display of motors on the lawns of the Henry Parkes Centre from 10am to 3pm with clubs from Orange, Dubbo and Condobolin joining in. Members will be on hand to talk about their particular vehicles, Australia’s motoring heritage, and the pleasures of belonging to a heritage motoring club.

The club will also have a project on display to showcase skills involved in vehicle restoration, while there will be free entry to the Elvis display and the Parkes Motor Museum.

National Motoring Heritage Day is celebrated on the third Sunday in May each year. “It is a recognition of the significant role that motoring has played in the development of Australia, and an opportunity to showcase some of the achievements the industry has made over more than a century,” said Barry Garment of the Parkes Antique Motor Club.

“The day’s objective is to have as many heritage motor vehicles on the road or on display across the country as possible.”

Although motor vehicles were imported into Australia from the beginning of the 20th Century, motor body building did not begin as a significant industry until 1917. “This was only due to a government-imposed restriction on imported vehicles resulting from Australia’s commitment to the Great War,” said Barry.

From 1917 until after World War 2, the industry was required to import only one complete car to each two chassis. Large scale motor body production commenced in 1917 when Cheney’s Motors of Adelaide contracted Holdens to provide 5,000 bodies for Dodge and Buick Chassis.

By 1938, the number of complete cars imported into Australia was negligible. In 1928, Holdens Motor Body Builders produced almost 35,000 bodies for a wide range of cars, The Australian content of a 1928 Chevrolet Tourer was 65%, whilst that of the last “Australian” Commodore less than 50%.

The Federal Government has delivered a budget that supports a business led economic recovery from the depths of the COVID pandemic, according to the state’s peak business organisation, Business NSW.

“This is a budget for the times we are living in – recognising the recent difficulties, but full of optimism that the next few years will be more prosperous through job creation and infrastructure spending,” said Business NSW Regional Manager – Western NSW, Vicki Seccombe.

“Overall, the budget supports job maintenance and job creation, allowing business owners of all sizes to continue to drive the economic prosperity.

“It is pleasing to see meaningful measures that business owners have embraced have been extended, including the instant asset write off scheme, allowing business owners to purchase much needed equipment to allow their business to grow, while the small business loan scheme has been extended, as has the temporary loss carry back initiative.

“These are important measures that have a big impact and make it easier for small business owners to keep their doors open each day and employ their fellow Australians.

“We are pleased to finally see commitment to ensuring Western NSW’s access across the Blue Mountains will improve with $2 billion towards improvements and expansion of the Great Western Highway,” said Vicki.

Are you a local farmer, contract harvester or transport operator? Do you think you know load restraints?

If you’ve answered yes to these questions, a free practical load restraint information session is just the place for you! The sessions will be held in 12 villages across the Parkes, Forbes and Lachlan Shire Councils to ensure you are doing it right and doing it safely.

The sessions will provide information about the fundamentals of load restraint, your legal requirements as well as tips to safely restrain hay bales, machinery and general freight.

The Councils’ Road Safety and Injury Prevention Officer Melanie Suitor said that attendees would also see damaged restraint equipment and case studies, as well as hear from NSW Police and Transport for NSW Heavy Vehicle Inspectors.

“These sessions are a great way to brush up on your load restraint knowledge, network with other attendees, and you could win an Engel Thermo15 worth $190.”

The sessions include a free BBQ. Registration is required for catering and COVID requirements at: https://forms.office.com/r/fuhpfAS0EW

By attending you may be eligible for a Safework $500 Biz Safety Rebate. For further information call Melanie on 6861 2364.

The village tour schedule is: 20th May: Trundle RFS Station 8am, Kiacatoo Community Hall 12pm; 21st May: Alectown RFS Station 8am, Wirrinya Community Hall 12pm; 25th May: Derriwong RFS Station 8am, Tullibigeal RFS Station 12pm; 26th May: Bedgerebong Showground 8am, Tullamore RFS Station 12pm; 2nd June: Peak Hill Golf Club 8am, Tottenham RFS Station 12pm; 3rd June: Lake Cargelligo RFS Station 8am, Burcher RFS Station 12pm.

The Load Restraint Village Tour is part of the Councils’ current Load Restraint Education Project, funded by the Australian Government’s Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative.