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Parkes Phoenix

Annual Harvest Field Day On 11th August

August 5, 2022 By Maggi Barnard

The annual Be Road Ready for Harvest Field Day will be offered in person and online, plus three satellite events to reach as big an audience as possible.

Harvest time is upon us and the annual field day in preparation will be in hybrid form this year.

Farmers, contract harvesters, transport operators, pilot drivers and agricultural machinery retailers are invited to attend this year’s Be Road Ready for Harvest Field Day in person at the Forbes Central West Livestock Exchange or online via Zoom on Thursday, 11th August. 

Breakfast will be provided from 7:30am for the official program to start at 8am. There

will be onsite displays from 10:30 to 11:30am.

“After two years of COVID disruptions it is great to be able to offer this hybrid event to provide important safety information in the lead up to the harvest period,” said Parkes, Forbes and Lachlan Shire Councils’ Road Safety and Injury Prevention Officer, Melanie Suitor.

Topics to be discussed include access, permits, fire safety, fatigue, safety around powerlines, compliance, insurance, mental health and more.

“Harvest is coming and it is important to refresh people’s knowledge about the current rules and regulations for legally and safely moving agricultural machinery, combinations and trucks on the road.

“Safety and compliance during harvest is very important. Operators need to be aware of their responsibilities and ensure that all warning devices and travel requirements are adhered to,” said Melanie.

“Regulations are constantly changing and events like this are important to ensure people are up to date on what’s required before the upcoming harvest period.”

Registration is free but spaces are limited. Register via the Parkes, Forbes or Lachlan Shire Councils’ Facebook pages.

There will also be three satellite events to reach more farmers on:
• Wednesday, 31st August 7:30am – 10:15am at the Lake Cargelligo RFS Shed
• Thursday,1st September from 7:30am – 10:15am at the Wirrinya Community Hall
• Friday, 2nd September from 7:30am – 10:15am at the Peak Hill Golf Club

Knit ‘n Natter With Love All Over The World

August 5, 2022 By Maggi Barnard

Some of the women at the Knit ‘n Natter event held at the Craft Corner last week. Holding the rugs are Rosemary Mitchell and Rhonda Redenbach from the Craft Corner and Dianne Percy from Orange.

There was a lot of catching up to be done after two years of ‘silence’ at the Knit ‘n Natter event at Craft Corner last week.

About 40 women from Orange and Bathurst joined locals from Parkes and surrounds to not only natter over a cuppa and cake, but also knit squares for the Wrap with Love project that provide warm wraps to vulnerable people all over the world.

“We donate wraps to overseas charities, but also donate to 12 local charities including to the women’s refuge, nursing homes, oncology department and more,” said Dianne Percy, co-ordinator of Wrap with Love in Orange.

The annual even at Craft Corner, going for more than 14 years, is a great way of bringing people together, but members of the public are knitting at their homes and with friends right through the year for the project.

“One rug is made up of 28 squares, and we have 604 completed so far this year,” said Dianne. All the knitted squares from the Central West go to Orange and since the start of the project a total of 7,000 rugs have been made so far.

Wrap with Love was started in Melbourne in 1992 and donations have been sent to people in more than 75 countries.

Craft Corner members and anyone else keen on knitting are encouraged to drop off their knitted squares at the Craft Corner in Parkes. The squares should be 25cm square, knitted in 8 ply yarn with no. 8 (4mm) needles in garter stitch all plain rows.

If you have any 8 ply yarn lying around at home, feel free to drop that off at the Craft Corner too.

Dianne’s group meets at the Orange City Library every Thursday from 9 to 12 in the morning. She said the group also made beanies for homeless people, twiddle muffs for people with dementia and children with disabilities, outfits for stillborn babies and trauma teddies for hospitals.

By Maggi Barnard

Project Sprouts Visits Royal Far West

August 5, 2022 By Maggi Barnard

Anne Norton and Sherree Rosser (third and fourth from the left) with Izzy, Grace, and John from Royal Far West on Manly.

After a few visits from Royal Far West (RFW) to Parkes, two Project Sprouts representatives paid a visit to Manly last month. 

Project Sprouts Working Party Chairperson Sherree Rosser and Co-ordinator Anne Norton took a trip to Sydney to meet with staff and clinicians who work with Parkes Shire children via telecare in occupational and speech therapies. They also discussed Project Sprouts’ future directions with RFW. Telecare time for five Parkes children was allocated during the visit. “It was a wonderful capacity building and contact creating few days for us both,” Sherree said. 

Project Sprouts has been working with RFW since 2020 to offer early intervention screening of three to five years old children through their Healthy Kids Bus Stop. 

Established in 1924, Royal Far West has a rich history of innovation, dedication, and determination to improve the health and wellbeing of children who live in rural and remote communities, connecting them to the care they need but cannot otherwise access because of where they live. 

Project Sprouts, a community-led initiative, was launched in October 2020 to develop a referral service linking families and educators to service providers and enabling children to have the best beginning available. 

Choir Sings Rotary’s Praises

August 5, 2022 By Maggi Barnard

The Parkes Community Choir members were very grateful for the Rotary grant awarded to them last week. At the back (L-R) are Colleen Leonard, Heather Veal, Rex Veal, Sherree Rosser, Meg Purcell and Kerrie Peden, and in front are Cliff and Margaret Cowell.

The Parkes Community Choir was delighted when a group of Parkes Rotarians arrived at its weekly rehearsal with a great gift. 

Cliff Cowell presented the choir with a grant of $2,600 that would enable this community activity to remain free for members. Cliff said Rotary offered assistance to the community through the recent severe drought and continue their support currently in strengthening communities through mental health workshops. 

“Rotary recognises the importance of the arts in communities and understands that participating in music and the arts plays a significant role in wellbeing,” Cliff said. 

Choir committee members Kerrie Peden, Colleen Leonard and Sherree Rosser accepted the cheque on the choir’s behalf and expressed their appreciation for the support. They said Rotary’s financial assistance would enable the choir to continue and to embark on some projects to spread the joy of singing into the Parkes Shire. 

Cliff and wife, Margaret, and Rotary members Rex and Heather Veal, Charlie Pecenka and Meg Purcell stayed on and joined in with the singing for the rest of the evening. 

Parkes High Reunion For ‘70s

August 5, 2022 By Maggi Barnard

Class photo of Form 4M – 2 in 1973 at Parkes High School.

If you attended Parkes High School between 1970 and 1975, keep the second weekend of October open for a big reunion.

“Our committee has been working hard to organise a reunion for Parkes High School students who started there in 1970 and finished any year up to 1975,” said Paula Harrison. 

The reunion will take place from Friday, 7th to Sunday, 9th October, and everyone is invited to come and renew friendships and relive memories.

Tree Of Life Mural Transforms Hospital Corridor

August 5, 2022 By Maggi Barnard

TREE OF LIFE… The mural in the Forbes Hospital was done by Peak Hill artist Scott ‘Sauce’ Towney (right) to create a more sympathetic atmosphere for people headed to the mortuary in a time of stress.

A drab and dark corridor in the Forbes Hospital has been transformed into a wonder world of Wiradjuri skylore and trees.

A mural was created by acclaimed Wiradjuri artist Scott ‘Sauce’ Towney from Peak Hill. He was commissioned to develop a mural for the mortuary corridor at the hospital as part of the Lachlan Arts and Culture Program for the redevelopment of Parkes and Forbes hospitals.

Scott developed the design using the Yarran-Do (Yarran Tree) connecting the earth to the sky. The Yarran-Do has Wiradjuri carved tree symbols on the tree, while Wiradjuri constellation designs link the tree to the sky and flow down the corridor towards the mortuary entry. The river also flows through the image. Scott developed symbols that are relevant to the function of the mural, guiding people to the mortuary.

The unadorned mortuary corridor is in the service area of the hospital with storage spaces on each side. Staff member, Carolyn Pearce suggested that the corridor could use a makeover to be more sympathetic to people headed to the mortuary in a time of stress.

Scott is well known for his public art works in the Forbes and Parkes Shires. He has done many murals and his work is represented on footy shirts and his famous Emu in the Sky features on a $1 Australian coin. Scott has completed a series of works on Wiradjuri sky stories which has been adapted for the mural in the mortuary corridor.

The arts and health team of Arts OutWest coordinated the mural project, which was completed last month.

By Maggi Barnard

Exhibition Celebrates Wiradjuri Culture

August 5, 2022 By Maggi Barnard

The dance group from Parkes High School performed two dances at the opening of the permanent Wiradjuri Exhibition at the Parkes Library and Cultural Centre last week, which is now open to the public.

Local Wiradjuri artefacts have been given a permanent home at the Parkes Library and Cultural Centre after it was identified as a priority project by the community.

Parkes Shire Council has collaborated with representatives of our First Nations community to curate the Wiradjuri Ngurambang Exhibition that was officially opened last week by the Parkes Shire Mayor Ken Keith OAM. 

Pieces in the exhibition include a range of artefacts from local Wiradjuri community members, from the Henry Parkes Museum collection as well as pieces sourced from local Wiradjuri artists. Objects include hunting and gathering tools, grinding stones, digging sticks and spears, coolamons, dilly bags and ceremonial pieces.

“The Wiradjuri Ngurambang Exhibition will give voices to our artefacts,” said exhibition curatorium member and environmental artist Ronda Sharpe. “Our local First Nations community has been working with Council to bring the project together and excitedly gathering items for the exhibition.”

The Mayor said it was just wonderful to see an exhibition of this nature produced with so much quality and taste. “The Wirajuri Ngurambang Exhibition is a cultural gift to not only the people in our shire but also to many visitors who come to Parkes giving insight into the Wiradjuri language and culture as well as the history of Parkes, present and future.”

The curatorium members included Robert Clegg, Geoff Anderson, Ronda Sharpe and Irene Ridgeway with guidance from the Elders Advisory Group and the Parkes First Nations Community Working Party.

The digital component of the exhibition, produced by Sean James Cassidy of Ub Ubbo, complements the display and provides an introduction to Wiradjuri culture. The organic filming style seeks to highlight the importance of looking closely at and listening carefully to nature, our Elders and each other. 

The exhibition was funded by the Australian Government’s Local Roads & Community Infrastructure Program and is part of the Let’s Get Digital initiative by Museums & Galleries of NSW. 

 

NC Expands Community Transport Services

August 5, 2022 By Maggi Barnard

The expansion of Neighbourhood Central’s transport services to Lake Cargelligo was formalised last week. Two members of the Lake Cargelligo Community Transport management committee visited Parkes to thank Neighbourhood Central (NC) for continuing the much-needed service in their town. On the photo are (L-R) Lynn Townsend (senior manager community transport NC), Margaret McCarten from Lake Cargelligo, Lynn Rogers (NC board member), Sue Wood (chair of Lake Cargelligo Community Tranport), Graeme Dean (chairperson NC), Kay Craft (NC board member), Rowen Pearce (NC financial manager) and Dianne Scott (NC executive officer).

Neighbourhood Central Expands Community Transport Services

July 29, 2022 By Maggi Barnard

Neighbourhood Central has announced it will be taking over the reins of community transport services in Lake Cargelligo from the 1st of August.

Clients will see the same friendly volunteers and deal with the same familiar staff who worked for Lake Cargelligo Community Transport that provided the service on behalf of Transport for NSW. The services will also be delivered from the same office location at 28 Uabba Street. 

Neighbourhood Central will continue to help people access medical appointments, social outings and cultural events to local and regional centres as well as to Sydney via Regional Express Airlines. 

Community Transport Services are available to a wide range of people who require transport to recreation and shopping areas, medical and social services. Community transport can be provided for: 


• people who are financially disadvantaged, isolated, lack public transport or have a mobility impairment
• older people who are frail aged and their carers
• people with disabilities and their carers. 

The Lake Cargelligo Community Transport management committee thanked its many volunteers over the years for their tireless dedication to their community, and the clients for their support and patronage. For any further information contact the Lake Cargelligo office on 6898 2078 or the Parkes office on 6862 2825. 

Networking Event For Young Professionals

July 29, 2022 By Maggi Barnard

Young, local and transient professionals in Parkes have a great opportunity to meet when the Country Universities Centre in Parkes will be hosting its inaugural Parkes Young Professionals networking session.

The free event on Wednesday, 10th August from 6 to 10pm at the Cooke Park Pavilion will include complimentary catering and drinks.

“These sessions will become regular chances for young local and transient professionals to meet in a social networking setting, allowing them to share skills and experiences and build relationships,” said CUC manager Jacob Cass.

“We hope that in doing so, we can promote longer retention rates for transient and relocating professionals, let our local professionals gain skills and knowledge from them and provide our industry partners with a community-based professional group to use in attraction strategies.”

Jacob said the first event would focus on building on the model through consultation with the attendees about how the Parkes Young Professionals community could be of service to them. 

There are 50 tickets for this event and some have already been reserved. Tickets for this event can be reserved by visiting www.eventbrite.com.au/e/parkes-young-professionals-tickets

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