For those of you interested in culture, history and heritage; local groups and organisations have until Friday 29th April to apply for a 2016 Parkes Shire Council Cultural Grant. Last year four cultural organisations received grants, according to Manager of Cultural, Education and Library Services, Shellie Buckle. “In 2015 Tullamore Central School, Lachlan Regional Community Orchestra, Parkes & District Country Music Association and Peak Hill Leisure Arts and Craft Inc received funding for musical endeavours and art workshops” Shellie said.

Applications must request a grant of at least $2,000 with the total funding pool at $9,500. The objectives of the Program are to stimulate community cultural activity, encourage creative and innovative cultural activity, assist in the development of skills and abilities and enhance cultural facilities and community awareness of the importance of culture. Funding categories include subsidy for a new project, extension or enhancement of an existing project, purchase of equipment or minor capital works.

Parkes Shire Council’s Cultural Committee Chair, Deputy Mayor Councillor Barbara Newton would like to encourage groups to apply. “Council is committed to encouraging the growth of cultural skills and the development of cultural facilities. The cultural grants enable Council to directly fund innovative projects and ideas” Councillor Newton said. Cultural Grants application forms are available on Council’s website, www.parkes.nsw.gov.au, or at any Parkes
Shire Library including Parkes, Peak Hill, Trundle and Tullamore. Contact Council’s Grant Officers, Ellie O’Donoghue or Sally Chapman on 6861 2398 for advice and support in completing the application. Successful
applications will be announced in June 2016, we will those applying luck in getting a grant.

Keeping teenage girls in school in developing countries was one of the big projects highlighted by Quota International of Parkes at its celebration of International Women’s Day on Tuesday. Approximately 150 women from Parkes and district attended a sparkling high tea at the Parkes Golf Club for the annual event which celebrates women’s achievements and highlights Quota’s projects.

Pam Nankivell, Publicity Officer of Quota International of Parkes, said Tuesday’s focus was on the Days for Girls project. “The aim is to help girls gain access to quality sustainable feminine hygiene by providing them with re-usable sanitary kits. The kits are made by people all over the world and according to the Days for Girls website,
more than 200,000 girls in 100 nations have been reached so far” she said; “This means girls can stay in school instead of missing up to two months of education and opportunity every year.”

In Uganda and Kenya absence rates have dropped from 36% to 8% and 25% to 3% respectively after the distribution of Days for Girls kits. Pam said the Parkes chapter had been involved with the project for the past year by raising funds, as well as making some of the kits.

The other focus area of Quota International is the ongoing project of providing sound field systems to classrooms. The Parkes Public School already has three classrooms equipped with a system. “This means everyone can hear the teacher and the classroom is quieter,” said Pam; “Our endeavour is to put a system in all classrooms.” Cheques were also presented to the Domestic Violence Committee and Palliative Care at Tuesday’s event via the Parkes Quota Club, which has been in existence since 1957.

Two Parkes cyclists are toughening up to take part once again in one of the most exciting and rewarding charity bicycle rides in New South Wales. Rodney Coleman and Tina Jones are two of the 48 determined entrants for the Mill2Mill ride beginning in Gunnedah on Monday and ending in Manildra on Thursday, 577km later.

The duo first took part in the biennial event in 2014, “I enjoyed it, although it was really tough,” said Rodney, an employee at the Manildra Flour Mills, “I’m really looking forward to catching up with the people who took part last time and going to schools along the way and talking to the kids.” Tina, an employee of Pacific National, is equally excited for the challenge.

The ride is an initiative of the Manildra Group and MSM Milling to raise money for charities that support regional communities, small rural schools and community groups. The main aim is to raise more than $100,000 to be split between beyondblue and small schools the ride will pass along the route, as well as local Manildra community groups whose members volunteer their time to work as support crew during the ride. According to Genya Miller, Communications Manager for MSM Milling, this year’s ride concentrates on supporting beyondblue to help battle increasing levels of depression and anxiety in regional communities and among farmers.

The 2016 ride is the fourth Mill2Mill and will pass through many small regional communities, including Mullaley, Tambar Springs, Coonabarabran, Gilgandra, Narromine, Peak Hill and Parkes. The riders are expected to be in Parkes on Thursday to grab some well-earned lunch at KFC between 12pm and 12.30pm, if you would like to cheer them on.

If you would like to support the ride with a donation go to www.msmmilling.com.au and search for the Mill2Mill charity bike ride.

There’s been some confusion over how the new bin system will work, so here is the information in a nutshell. Parkes Shire Council now have a new waste collection service that will recover more recyclables and organic material from entering landfill, helping you waste less, recycle more and keep the environment happy. All material from the green lid bin (food and organics) will be processed into mulch. The recycled material (yellow) will also be processed
and manufactured into new products.

The new bins will enable increased capacity for recycling (yellow lid bin) and food and garden waste (green lid bin) while still providing a garbage waste bin (red lid bin). The three bin collection service will begin the week of the 4th April 2016, so keep using your current bins until 4th April! After April 4th the new bins will be good to go
when a new truck with a different lifting system will be able to pick them up and clean them out. Also, if your old bins are put out after April 4th, they won’t be picked up so make sure you don’t throw away the
wrong bin!

The old bins will be collected on 26th April which will be a once off event so please remember to put your old bin
our by the evening of the 25th April. Chris Foley, Waste Service Officer, says; “If anyone hasn’t received the info pack attached to the bins you can phone the Council on 1300 725 415.” The information packs include a fridge calendar that is colour coded so you know when to put out which bin. Cr Alan Ward, Chair of Parkes Shire Council’s Waste Committee said the new service will provide a much improved environmental outcome and allow Council to meet the State government’s goal of achieving 70% diversion of domestic waste going to landfill.

If you’re the type of person who likes to shop for sunglasses with a big smile on your face and a coffee in your hand, go no further than Parkes Optical Services. Charlie and his team are sure to make you laugh, helping you find the specs to suit you while providing quality and fashionable eyewear to the people of Parkes along with
delicious coffee in the adjoining shop, The Coffee Pot.

This locally owned and operated business offers prescription and non-prescription sunglasses complete with UV protection, glasses adjustment and repair, discounts for pensioners, timely and accurate dispensing of spectacle prescriptions and top of the range brands such as Serengeti, Fitovers (ideal for those with an active job), Maui Jim and Jag. You’re sure to be spoilt for choice. Grab a bite to eat for lunch, a coffee and some glasses from a friendly
team of staff all in one place!

Charlie has been creating beautiful spectacles in Parkes for the past 40 years, why not see what he can do for you? If you’d like to know more call 6862 1852 or pop into the shop at 209A Clarinda Street.

Five projects in the Orange electorate have been shortlisted for funding under the NSW Government’s Fixing Country Roads Programme. Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Roads and Orange MP, Andrew Gee, said 194 expressions of interests were received with 122 shortlisted for the development of a full application. “The NSW Government’s Fixing Country Roads programme is designed to better connect local roads to state highways and key freight hubs such as silos, sale yards, rail heads, supermarket distribution centres, industrial parks and depots to make it easier to move regional freight from paddock to port,” Mr Gee said.

“Over the next month, Transport for NSW will be in contact with councils and will also be holding a series of workshops in regional locations across the state to assist councils in developing full applications.” Projects shortlisted for the application include the Newell Highway to Wirrinya Heavy Vehicle route upgrade and the upgrade of Middle Trundle Road in Parkes Shire. Full applications will close on Monday, 2nd May 2016, with the successful projects expected to be announced by the end of June.

Member for Calare John Cobb has paid tribute to Parkes after announcing his retirement from politics last Saturday. Mr Cobb, aged 66, was first elected into the federal parliament in 2001 and due to boundary changes, the shires of Forbes and Parkes have been the only two shires to remain in his electorate for his entire time as member for Calare.

Ironically, this changed on February 25th when the new federal electorate boundaries of NSW were updated, with
Forbes and Parkes now being a part of the Riverina electorate. Mr Cobb will continue to represent Forbes and Parkes until he officially retires three weeks before the election, which is yet to be announced. He said he would be sad to leave the representation of Forbes and Parkes, as they have been with him throughout his career. “Forbes and Parkes
have been absolutely phenomenal. I look them as my security blanket in politics, the place that I know I will hear what I need to hear, without fear or favour.”

In his 15 years overseeing Calare, Mr Cobb said a personal highlight was the way the Coalition dealt with the 10-year drought throughout the start of the 2000s. “In 2007 I got John Howard [then Prime Minister] and John Anderson [then Deputy Prime Minister] to a station just west of Forbes,” he said; “There was a big gathering there and Mr Howard was in high demand and I remember saying to him, ‘there’s a couple here who want to talk to you, John, about family and the mental side of drought. They lost a son and they lost a neighbour’ and he said, ‘absolutely’ and I took him away and introduced them to him and I can still see him walking under a tree with them, with his arm around both of them, and he gave them 15 minutes. That’s a long time for a Prime Minister, and after that he introduced a mental health package for drought affected farmers.”

Mr Cobb was also happy with the aged care infrastructure he has been able to bring and hopes to see a new dam in the Central West built before he retires. “It has been an incredible opportunity and I’d like to thank Calare for their generosity, hospitality and patience, my family for their support and my National party colleagues for their hard work.” If it is a big thing to enter the Australian Federal Parliament, it is also a big thing to leave it and we wish
John all the best with the future.

Last Wednesday staff at Parkes Hospital gathered together to sign a special Patient Pledge and share a barbecue. The pledge is aimed to sooth patients’ fears and empower them with the knowledge of what to expect from care provided at the hospital.

Parkes Health Service General Manager, Liz Mitchell, said staff have been invited to sign the pledge to show their commitment to providing care to patients in a respectful, caring and timely way. “Our patients need to be at the very heart of everything that we do and every decision that we make,” she said; “the pledge sets expectations of our staff behaviour and demonstrates our commitment to patient centred care.”

Beth Masling, Manager of Living Well Together and Corporate Leadership, who was also present at the signing said; “For us it’s exciting to showcase care we’re proud to provide and demonstrate our vow of care to the public.” The signing is part of a broader strategy for the Health District called ‘living well together’. Western NSW LHD Chief Executive, Scott McLachlan, said that the living well together strategy aims to engage staff to achieve excellent patient care and improve the patient experience.

“The pledge will confirm to patients that their caregiver is committed to taking wonderful care of them which helps
reduce their anxiety. Their family is also comforted to know that their loved ones are in good hands” he said, “From our staff perspective, signing the pledge sets the standard of care that is expected of themalways.

It demonstrates the difference that making a commitment like this makes in the work that they do every day.” Patients will have access to the pledge at their bedside and are encouraged to speak to the person in charge of the unit if they are concerned about their care.

Whether you need a car to scoot around town to grab the shopping, want to head to the city for a weekend away or require a big truck to move furniture around, Thrifty have a wide range of vehicles to choose from to suit you.

March is always a busy time of year and this month is going to be jam-packed with events- and popular events require transport for lots of people! Thrifty can offer a 12 seater bus to get you and your friends around town and for this month only you can hire it for just $130, a saving of $50!

Conditions apply and if you are an NRMA member you could get an extra 15% knocked off along with any other vehicle you hire. Come in and see Tony and the friendly team at Thrifty and see what they can do for you this month. Give them a call on 6862 1088 or stop at the shop at 131 Clarinda Street.

When it comes to engagement rings, everyone has different ideas on the perfect one for them. Our team at Nangar Gems have some great tips to help you and your loved one pick the right ring for you.

First and foremost it’s important to set a budget and stick to it! We always strive to meet the budget expectations of our clients. Being a manufacturing jeweller gives us greater flexibility in our prices to meet all sorts of styles, tastes and budgets. We generally offer some basic diamond training to our clients regarding the four C’s (cut, colour, clarity and carat) so they are more informed on what to look out for when making their selection.

At Nangar Gems we believe in quality over size and would generally advise our clients to avoid carbon. A carbon flaw is a blemish present within a diamond, usually seen as a black spot. These spots are very noticeable and therefore undesirable imperfections for your perfect ring. We also advise against hollowed out bands and small claws. These tend to wear our quickly and need constant repair, which can eat into your budget!

If you’re looking to surprise her, the three things you need to know are;
• Her size (if you don’t know bring one of her rings in).
• What type of gold she likes.
• What shape stone or design she likes.
With this knowledge and over 25 years of our expertise, we’re sure that the ring you choose will help you get a ‘yes!’ when you pop the question.