IMAGE: Mayor Ken Keith (left) with retiring councillors Barbara Newton, Alan Ward and Pat Smith.

The last Council meeting of the current term was held on Tuesday before the Local Government Election in a week’s time on Saturday, 4th December.

Mayor Ken Keith thanked all the Councillors for their effort and team work for the betterment of the community.

At the Mayor’s Christmas party on Tuesday night a presentation was held for the three Councillors who are retiring to thank them for their service. Deputy Mayor Barbara Newton served four terms, while Cr Alan Ward and Cr Pat Smith both served for three terms.

Bogan Gate CWA members who celebrated the branch’s grand milestone of 90 years at the Bogan Gate Hotel on 7th November.

The small town of Bogan Gate recently celebrated a grand milestone when the Country Women’s Association (CWA) turned 90!

The 90th birthday celebrations took place on 7th November at the Bogan Gate Hotel, with 16 people attending.

Our birthday cake, made by Kath Swansbra, was cut by three of our life members Shirley Hunter OAM, Esther Moore and Hilda McPherson. Life member, Ida McIntyre, sent her apologies.

A slideshow compiled for our 80th celebrations with old photos collected by members brought much laughter and some gasps of disbelief as we saw photos of ourselves taken 30 years ago or more!

Ros Edwards presented a brief history of our branch with the inaugural meeting held at the home of Mrs W Black on 7th November 1931, and opened by Miss Warby, state treasurer.

During the war years the CWA members did many extra tasks. For many months they ran a canteen for soldiers at the

nearby army camp. Almost every woman in Bogan Gate had a camouflage net on a stand and as soon as one was finished, another would be started. Most women knitted socks or made pyjamas, khaki shirts and fruit cakes to include in comfort parcels, which were packed once a month during the war years.

The activities of CWA are many and varied, with birthday parties turning into fashion parades with hats being popular, while the two annual events raising the most money are the ball with debutantes, and the flower shows.

In our 90 years we have awarded 13 life memberships, four 50-year badges, 33 long service bars (since 1968) and we have had 16 junior members.

The day gave us the opportunity to rekindle past friendships and reminisce about the wonderful years of enjoyment and satisfaction gained through our association with the Bogan Gate Branch of CWA.

By Gail McKay

The new members inducted on Monday are front (L-R) Ian Freestone, Liz Noakes, Cathy Pearsall and Deb Horder. At the back are their mentors (L-R) Col Offner, Robert Shore (President), Cliff Cowell, Heather and Rex Veal, Charles Pecenka and District Governor Leo Farrelly.

For the first time ever the Rotary Club of Parkes inducted four new members at its meeting on Monday, which was packed with many other newsworthy events.

It was the Parkes club’s turn to receive a visit from the District Governor, Leo Farrelly, and he was on hand to do the induction ceremony for Ian Freestone, Liz Noakes, Cathy Pearsall and Deb Horder. They each received a welcome pack and badges from their mentors.

Ian Freestone was called up again to receive a Paul Harris Fellowship for his work on a special project started by the Parkes Rotary Club. Ian is producing a library of podcasts and speeches created by the Parkes club for other Rotary clubs to use when they can’t get a speaker.

Ian conducts the interviews and does the editing for broadcasting. The episodes are stored on the Parkes Rotary Club Youtube channel. He has already done 26 episodes covering a broad spectrum of topics. The interviews range from local Geoff Anderson on the revival of the Wiradjuri Language in NSW, and Drew Farrant-Jayet, who grew up in Parkes, about the work he has done in remote indigenous communities to the naturalist John Young and his quest to find a living Night Parrot, and Shelley Taylor Smith, a multi-world record holder, featured in the Guinness Book of Records for swimming.

The project was the idea of club President Robert Shore and the episodes have already had over 1,000 views. Leo congratulated the club on being innovative, active and thinking beyond self for starting the project to promote and spread the word about what good people do in the world.

The club has been successful in securing two grants recently. The first grant is for $5,000 drought relief and will be used to give gift cards to farmers in the area and will be distributed by Sharon Bull, financial counsellor from Rural Financial Services.

The second grant for $20,000, which will be added to money held by the club in trust for Neighbourhood Central and will be used to purchase a driver simulator. The simulator will be used by teenage drivers and by elderly drivers who have to retake their driving tests. Neighbourhood Centre will manage the use of the simulator once it has been purchased.

By Maggi Barnard

Working on the Drought Relief grant will be (L-R) Mark Ritchie and Robert Shore for Parkes Rotary Club, Chris Finkel from Forbes Rotary Club, and Sharon Bull and John Beer from Rural Financial Services.

Working on the Drought Relief grant will be (L-R) Mark Ritchie and Robert Shore for Parkes Rotary Club, Chris Finkel from Forbes Rotary Club, and Sharon Bull and John Beer from Rural Financial Services.

I have been married for 33 years to my wife Alison and have three gown-up children. I am a fifth generation farmer of Alectown and business partner with Gregor and Marty Sammut-Paul at Regional Business Supplies. I attended Parkes High School and have been on the land ever since.

I am a life member of the Parkes M & D Society, member of the Parkes Uniting Church and Alectown Rural Fire Service. I am a vocal advocate for sustainable change in the face of global warming and am constantly looking to encourage action that protects and presents opportunity to our shire. I also like nothing better than to pick up my guitar and have a good sing.

Since being elected to Council I chose to chair the Rural Roads Committee looking after over 2,000km of rural roads.

I have had the satisfaction of being involved in projects that have gone from an idea to completion including the Arts Advisory Council, the Country University Centre, Lower Clarinda Street upgrade, new library, Family Day Care Centre, Cooke Park Pavilion, Recycled Water Ring Main and many other sporting and community facilities across the shire. I am proud to be a part of a Council that during the drought implemented free domestic and stock water for our farmers and free admission to our swimming pools.

I wish to continue to be part of a progressive team that will continue to build confidence and prosperity for everyone in the Parkes Shire. The Special Activation Precinct will move into its next phase, and this will bring amazing opportunities to farming and town businesses alike. A growing population presents new challenges but things that seemed out of reach will become possible and we dare to dream.

Balance is important in any community and a focus on family activity venues and events, as well as affordable housing partnerships, will all be high on my list of priorities if I am re-elected to Council.

Another important balance is female representation. With Barb and Pat stepping down I would urge your consideration of this in the numbering of your ballot.

I believe I have worked hard in my first term of Council to create the relationships and knowledge to be an effective and articulate representative for my community. Being a councillor is important to me because I can make a difference for others, creating legacies that make the Parkes Shire an even more attractive place to live.

When you are the defenders in a bridge game it is a good idea to vigilantly take note of your partner’s opening lead. One piece of advice from my dear departed original bridge teacher, Pick Ongley, was to always, absolutely always, return the suit led by partner as soon as you gain lead.

“There are only two acceptable reasons for not doing so,” Pick said. “The first is having a void in that suit, and the second is having a death wish.” Mind you, Pick was a bit of a rebel and often made exceptions to following rules, even those she instilled in her pupils.

Winners for the past week, who most likely returned their partner’s opening lead, were on Tuesday, 9th November Kevin Robinson and Barbara Hughes; Thursday, 11th November Anne Berkeley and Bev Laing and Monday, 15th November Peter Dearden and Rick Twardy.

This week we also celebrated the return of Tim and Gai Baker after their year of sojourn.

If you are interested in learning to play bridge we can arrange private lessons. Call Greig Ball 0429621712 or Kevin Robinson 0429 621 712.

By Beth Thomas

The veterans who attended Remembrance Day held at the Cooke Park Memorial last Thursday. (Photo: Bill Jayet)

The commemoration of Remembrance Day was held at the Cooke Park Memorial last Thursday to mark the 103rd anniversary of the Armistice that ended the First World War on 11 November 1918.

Organised by the Parkes RSL Sub-branch, the event was mostly attended by veterans and their families.

The Parkes RSL Sub-branch organised fundraising events in the lead up to 11th November with a street stall, collections at pubs and clubs and a sausage sizzle at Forbes Bunnings where they also sold badges and memorabilia.

Last Thursday also marked the 80th Anniversary of the Opening of the Australian War Memorial during the Second World War. The Memorial was unveiled to the public by the Governor-General, Lord Gowrie on 11th November 1941. Over 5,000 people attended the event including the Prime Minister John Curtin, General Sir Thomas Blamey, and 18 recipients of the Victoria Cross. In the 80 years since, countless Australians have made the pilgrimage to the site of national remembrance and honour.

In Sydney the day was commemorated with bright red poppies lighting up the Sydney Opera House sails at dawn as a stark and beautiful reminder of all we owe our service men and women – past and present.

In 2016 I was motivated to nominate as a candidate for that year’s Local Government election following my retirement as Senior Journalist at the Parkes Champion Post.

This was because I had always been impressed by the way councillors and staff collaborated for the progress of our shire.

Council is the most important ‘Board of Directors’ anyone will ever serve on. I have always put my heart and soul into my privileged position of Councillor. The community knows me as being approachable and always ready to listen and address rate-payers’ concerns. That is my motivation in seeking a second term on Council.

At my first Council meeting following my election in 2016 my suggestion of keeping the swimming pool open from 6am to 7pm was passed unanimously. Active representation on Council and non-council committees followed.

These include: Road Naming; Little Theatre; Economic Development; Airport; Heritage; Pool Management; Cooke Park Pavilion Inaugural Performance; Cultural, Education and Library; Sporting Facilities Development; Christmas Committee; Parkes/Forbes Community Housing; Arts Festival; Northparkes Mines CCC; and Life Education.

For me integrity is the most important aspect of Local Government. It’s certainly something I always aim for, not only as a Councillor but in life generally.

Although any achievement involves a team effort in Council, I’m particularly proud of bringing the following items to Council and seeing them come to fruition: the bollard lighting of entrances to Memorial Hill; the dog park at Kelly Reserve; free admission to all Shire pools during the drought, an initiative that remains in place in Peak Hill, Trundle and Tullamore; painting the edges of all 170 plus road ‘islands’ in white; and lights for the Post Office car park.

I am proud to be part of a proactive Council team that is responsive to the needs of the whole shire. This is an exciting period in the history of our shire.

I have actively and tirelessly contributed to the many and varied programmes and would be privileged to remain as your elected representative.

On Saturday, 4th December, I ask you to Vote 1 Bill Jayet for ‘A Progressive Parkes Shire’.

The Local Government election on Saturday, 4th December has been a hot topic of discussion lately with many residents asking about the candidates and what they are standing for.

Voters in the Parkes Shire will be able to choose from a total of 19 candidates, which includes one group consisting of six candidates. The group of six are Glenn Wilson, Erik Snyman, Matthew Scherer, Daniel Weber, Peter Weber and Ray Hodge.

The other 13 candidates were drawn out by the returning officer from a ballot box and their names will appear on the ballot paper in the order they were drawn: 1 Neil Westcott; 2 Ken Keith; 3 Cathy Francis; 4 Marg Applebee; 5 Johanne Burke; 6 Bill Jayet; 7 Jacob Cass; 8 John Coulston; 9 George Pratt; 10 Sean White; 11 John Southon; 12 Kenny McGrath; 13 Louise O’Leary.

There seems to be a lot of confusion about how voting will work for the group of six, as they were not included in the ballot draw.
The ballot paper will be setup with the names of the six group members on the left and the names of the other 13 candidates on the right.

There will be no ‘group square’ because there is only one group to vote for. This means each candidate in the group will in essence stand alone.

Voters should just vote for the people they want, in the order of their preference. So, anyone in the group could get selected if they get the votes. Voters can choose up to ten candidates in their order of preference.

The Parkes Phoenix is planning to feature all the candidates before the election to introduce them to the community. There will not be a public meeting for candidates to announce what they are standing for in the election.