Students of the Mitchell Conservatorium in Parkes have proved they have many talents, not only playing beautiful music at their term one concert but also offering practical tips for performers and concertgoers at the same time.
The concert was designed to combine performance opportunity and ideas on effective practice by the 12 participating students. They played a variety of string instruments and spoke about techniques they found helpful in practicing the piece they performed. Some of the tips offered included breaking the piece of music up into smaller sections to practise each section separately; experiment with different rhythms, volumes, accents and touch such
as staccato and legato (sharp and smooth) when working on particularly tricky passages; use the metronome to achieve a steady, even beat and to slowly ‘winch’ sections up to speed and to avoid just playing through your pieces from beginning to end – don’t kid yourself into thinking that playing them through quickly equals effective practice!

Most importantly, when preparing for a performance, remember to take your audience for a musical ride they can enjoy and to enjoy the music yourself… and keep going even if you stumble or make a mistake!

The next free Mitchell Conservatorium Concert will be held on Tuesday, 21st June and the theme of the concert will be ‘home grown’. Performers who would like to play music that they have either written themselves, or that has been written by someone local, are welcome to play at the concert. As this concert will be close in date to exams and eisteddfod, there will also be opportunity for students wanting to play or recite pieces they have been working on.

Enquiries should be directed to Pam Parkin at poshandjam@outlook.com.

“People make me cry, they are so generous.” These words come from inspiring Parkes resident, Ellie Hetherington, who has raised more than $78,000 for Can Assist selling plants from her home. Last year alone she raised $28,591.

Ellie used to sell about 50 plants as a side-line at stalls on the odd occasion, until her sister was diagnosed with cancer more than six years ago. “Can Assist was extremely good to her,” said Ellie, who did not hesitate when someone suggested she started selling plants at the church markets and Can Assist stalls. She soon started making a name as the lady with green fingers and reasonable prices for a good cause.

When considering what has boosted her efforts, Ellie can think of two events; a stall at an Open Garden event really promoted her cause, and in 2012 she joined the social media world of Facebook. “Since then it has really ballooned in a big way. People come from Condobolin, Wellington, Bathurst and West Wyalong. The other day a lady from Grenfell bought 100 trees!” she said.

With a pot plant count of over 2,000, her property is filling up by the day, so much so that at the beginning of last year she was ready to give it all up. “I just couldn’t do it any more by myself” said Ellie, who spends three and a half hours every day watering the plants. Fortunately help was at hand in the form of Diane Sondermeyer and 4 other regular helpers Ellie says she could now not do without. “Diane and Margaret Thurn come about three times per week, while Steve Klein assists with the manure and Judy Barter and Joanne Bartyn offer a helping hand too.” Ellie’s husband has also been a pillar of support.

Ellie is so touched by everyone who helps her in so many different ways. “People are awfully kind. Very few want change when they pay for their plants.” She would often come home to find donations of all kinds dropped at her front gate such as pots, cuttings and plants and receives lots of milk bottles from The Dish Café. A 95-year-old lady once stayed for a whole morning to cut the bottles and make pots and three weeks ago someone donated three new
pumps for her sprayer, while another man saw her spreading Epsom salt and came back with a 20kg bag.

Ellie regularly gets donations from Seasol for fertiliser after phoning one day along with horse manure, saw dust and hay from the racetrack to help create potting soil. To keep her charity running smoothly, Ellie would love it if more people could propagate plants at home and donate them to her once established and is always happy to have an extra pair of helping hands. If you would like to buy plants, donate or volunteer, Ellie can be found on the corner of Military and Eugowra roads. She has a sign on the road when she is home.

More than 30 people of all ages took part in the first planting at PAC Park on Saturday. The Motley Crew of volunteers planted over 1,100 plants on the banks of the waterway which will provide support for the banks as the water rises and falls, decreasing the likelihood of erosion. The Motley Crew was formed as an initiative of Central West Lachlan Landcare (CWLL) and Parkes Shire Council to undertake local projects to improve the environment and promote community ownership and awareness.

Parkes Shire Council received funding to undertake rehabilitation works in the PAC Park area. The waterway in PAC Park provides a habitat for native birds, frogs, fish, grasses and sedges. To many members of the community PAC Park is a hidden gem and a common walkway for residents. The work that was completed on Saturday will make a major contribution to the beautification of the area.

Chairperson for CWLL, Margot Jolly said; “We were thrilled to have so many people in attendance at the first Motley Crew event. It was particularly good to have such a broad age group of people there.” Participants don’t need to have any skills, just a willingness to support each other, enjoy being outdoors and making a difference in the community. It is planned that the volunteers will now partake in monthly ‘social planting’ events. If people are unable to plant and would just like to be part of the morning as an encourager or overseer, you would be more than welcome to attend.

The event ended with morning tea of scones, cupcakes and a cup of tea or coffee with kids scrambling for Easter eggs before they melted! If you would like to join the next Motley Crew event, please contact Marg Applebee on 02 6862 4914 or email cwllpo@hotmail.com

By Maggi Barnard

Parkes Public School was a sea of orange last Tuesday as the school celebrated Harmony Day for the first time. As orange is the colour for Harmony Day, students were allowed to attend school dressed in the colour. Parents were invited to attend an assembly to celebrate the occasion, and join their children for a picnic lunch on the playground afterwards. The assembly went multilingual when every class learned a greeting in a different language to recite to the rest of the school and Year 2 students read out stories of children who had migrated to Australia under difficult circumstances.

Leanne Breaden, school principal, said when she first started teaching in the Western Region it was unheard of to have children from a diverse range of cultures. “Now we embrace and enjoy the variety of at least 15 different cultural backgrounds of our students.” Students at the school come from Thailand, South Africa, Philippines, Indonesia, Namibia, Tonga, Papua New Guinea, as well as Aboriginal children. As part of the day’s activities, students wrote their names and heritage on an orange wall on the school ground.

Courtney Adams has been welcomed into the professional team of stylists at Charisma Hair Design. She has relocated from Sydney to Parkes to fulfil her dream of living in the country and contributing to the community. Courtney, who comes to Parkes with a wealth of experience, commenced her career in Illawarra in a large well-known salon, Total Bliss Hair and Body Spa, before moving to Bondi Hair in Sydney. At Bondi Hair she had the
opportunity to train with the highly credentialed and award winning Toni & Guy educators to further develop her skills before then moving on to styling hair for people in the entertainment industry.

Courtney prides herself in using the latest colour and styling techniques from the wonderful world of haircare. “I’m looking forward to meeting new people and clients that come into the salon” she said. Charisma Hair Design, owned by Nicole Rosser, has been keeping Parkes styled, curled and coloured for over 13 years. Nicole, who has worked in the UK and attended national and international training opportunities, is passionate about upskilling her staff in the latest techniques and hair fashion. “Charisma has five senior and highly educated stylists as part of our staff with the addition of Courtney” says Nicole;

“Our staff now comprise of Amber Allen, Kayla Tulloch, Courtney Adams, myself and Bree Hunter.” Charisma Hair Design offers precision cutting for men and women in the latest techniques, the latest colour fashions as well as red carpet up styles including debutant fashion styles. If you fancy a change of hair style, want a new colour or just want your hair made beautiful for the day come in and see the team at 253 Clarinda Street or give them a call to book your appointment on 6862 3798.

By Maggi Barnard

The ‘Free Cuppa for the Driver’ scheme for motorists travelling through the western and south western regions of NSW has been launched thanks to 18 councils. The initiative, which aims to combat driver fatigue, has also enlisted the help of 62 participating businesses who will offer a free hot drink to drivers in Bathurst, Blayney, Cabonne, Forbes, Orange, Parkes and more. Charlie Pecenka,

Manager of Parkes Coffee Pot, also spoke at the launch; “We’re involved because of the goodwill it promote for our business and the build-up of our customer base. Really, what is the cost of a cuppa if it saves someone’s life?” Fatigue crashes accountfor over 12% of crashes in the council areas over the last 5 years. Since its inception in 2010, more than 3,500 free cuppas have been given away in over 50 cities. For more information please contact Parkes, Forbes and Lachlan Shire Councils’ Road Safety and Injury Prevention Officer, Melanie Suitor on 6861 2364.

Two roles have been advertised in Parkes to help deliver the state’s biggest ever roads infrastructure programme.
Member for Orange Andrew Gee said the NSW Government is creating more than 200 jobs, including the two roles in Parkes. “This is a fabulous opportunity for suitably qualified people in the local community to play a role in delivering significant infrastructure projects” Mr Gee said.

The two roles available in Parkes are for a project manager/engineer and a project officer and are based on a ‘programme office delivery model’, which has been successfully used to deliver upgrades to the Pacific and Hume highways in the past 20 years.

Jewellery has been worn for thousands of years as means to enhance appearance and show status. Like humans, jewellery has evolved through time, from crude necklaces made from natural elements such as wood and iron to precious metals and gemstones used to adorn royalty. Jewellery can be something as simple as silver stud earrings or as extravagant as a tiara dripping in emeralds. Each piece of jewellery can work towards complementing particular features, for example large, statement jewellery pieces tend to work better on fuller figured people as they can swamp petite figures.

When choosing rings, consider the shape of your hand and fingers. Are they long or on the shorter side, thin or broad? For short fingers rings with oval settings work well whereas for long fingers round settings and wide bands can look fantastic. The most important thing to remember when choosing jewellery is to choose what you love! A beautiful smile when you’re feeling good will complement any outfit.

These days, there are hundreds of styles, ranges and brands to choose from and the team at Nangar Gems are here to help you on your quest for the best. Stocking brands such as Pandora, Najo and Thomas Sabo, Nangar Gems will soon be introducing their own line, ‘Diamonds By Nangar’ into the mix which will focus on diamond engagement, wedding and dress rings and will have finance available. The team offer services while you wait such as watch batteries, CAD design and on site jewellery repairs. Nangar Gems specialise in custom made jewellery,
meaning each piece is individual to you.

The Silver City Comet Carriage, which is now a fascinating feature of the Henry Parkes Museum, was relocated from the railway 20 years ago. The carriage was given to the people of Parkes Shire by State Rail to recognise the history of the Silver City Comet, which ran from Parkes to Broken Hill and back from 1937 until 1989. The
carriage was restored and painted in 2014 by PDHSI and took 12 hours to be transported from the Railway Station to the Antique Machinery Site!

This was made possible by cranes and heavy transport vehicles. During the relocation workmen warned that it
would not be possible to move again due to the poor condition of the carriage so it looks like the Henry Parkes Centre will be its final resting place. People who helped move the carriage include Railway Loco and Diesel Staff, McPhersons, Cunninghams, police, County Council, PDHSI volunteers, Parkes Shire Council staff and the SES.

The carriage has unfortunately been vandalised several times including spilled drinks and blocked toilets although the interior of the carriage has now been restored including windows, seats and blinds. The exterior has been totally restored and repainted at a cost of over $8,000 and a roof cover has been built over the carriage. The PDHSI are
currently in the process of having the Silver City Comet Carriage put on the Railway Heritage Register listing because of its uniqueness and place in Parkes history.

Currently Parkes Car Club wish to plan extensions to their building which would involve moving the carriage however the Historical Society have fears that moving this large piece of history might cause it to be damaged beyond repair and lost forever.

Parkes was a popular place for charity cyclists last Thursday when two separate groups of cyclists made a stopover in our town. The first group of 21 athletes, the C3 Cyclists, were halfway through their five day mission to travel over 725km from Bourke to Belconnen in Canberra.

Parkes resident, Dot Bradley organized for the group to enjoy morning tea at the Pink Orchid Café. “My daughter belonged to the C3 Church in Sydney, and they asked me to assist with their stopover here” she said. It is the sixth year that the C3 Cyclists have undertaken a major fundraising ride to help purchase important pieces of hospital equipment through the Humpty Dumpty Foundation or to help find cures for childhood cancers through The Kid’s Cancer Project, with every cyclist setting a target of raising around $2,000. “We have already
hit our target of $40,000,” said Stephen Dunstall, one of the organisers. Pastor Arne Olander said; “The money this year will go to the hospitals at Peak Hill, Bourke and Queanbeyan and the extra money we have raised means we can also support a fourth hospital this year.”

Pastor Olander also said they had already raised more than $100,000 in total over seven years.The second group of
49 cyclists who enjoyed lunch at KFC in Parkes took part in the 577km Mill2Mill ride from Gunnedah to Manildra. They had already raised $106,000 for beyondblue, small schools the ride visits along the route, and the Manildra community. Two Parkes residents taking part in the ride, Tina Jones and Rodney Coleman, said it had been very good. “The support we received was fantastic, lots of people were stopping along the way to give cash donations” said Tina.