Locals and visitors to Parkes alike, know that The Coachman Hotel Motel provides top tier service, entertainment and atmosphere. The Coachie, as it is fondly known, is also a massive supporter of community sporting groups and fundraising efforts. 

The Coachie has recently been announced as a finalist for the AHA NSW People’s Choice award. Show your appreciation and vote now. The voting period finishes 29th September and you can place a vote everyday. That’s right, once a day you can vote for the Coachie to win! To vote simply go to www.surveymonkey.com/r/XFQV2QN. You can also vote for The Bogan Gate Pub who is a finalist. 

Peak social services body NCOSS welcomed some of the investments in the NSW Government’s 2023-24 Budget, but called for urgent support for those living in poverty. 

NCOSS CEO Joanna Quilty acknowledged the significant financial pressures on the Budget, but expressed concern for those doing it toughest in NSW right now. 

“It’s great to see investment in schools and hospitals across Western and South Western Sydney. These are growth suburbs where families need ready access to these essential facilities,” Ms Quilty said. 

“But they are also the suburbs where we see the highest concentrations of disadvantage, where disadvantage is deepening and where cost of living pressures are hitting hardest.

“As cost-of-living pressures ramp up and the affordable housing crisis grows, we need urgent, increased investment in front-line supports such as neighbourhood centres, tenants advice, domestic violence services, financial counselling and mental health supports.

“This Budget does not do enough to help those barely hanging on

Spring has sprung and what better place to celebrate than Parkes’ newest plant nursery, Dirty Gloves Nursery. Mitch and Casey Miles along with their three children, Finn (five), Noah (two) and Harper (9 months), seized the opportunity when news that the towns local nurseries were closing their gates permanently. 

The family of five, at the time, struggled to find sufficient childcare to return to previous work and so they decided to take their already small hobby of growing vegetables, succulents and other garden ornamentals, and turn it into a small home nursery. 

“I was already selling a few things from the front garden, so to erect a shade house in our paddock and expand what we had to offer was a very exciting opportunity” Miles said. 

Boasting a variety of trees, flowers, grasses, bushes, natives, fruit and nut trees, roses and vegetables, Dirty Gloves Nursery has all you need to make your garden shine with colour, texture and fragrances. 

There’s even a selection of garden art available from concrete statues to welded flowers and animals, even glass flowers made from recycled plates. 

“We like fun and creative ways to spruce up the garden. There’s no shortage of creativity amongst our family members,” said Miles. 

Although the nursery has been operating since January the urge to share some of the spring fever has prompted an open day event. Surrounding communities are encouraged to come and enjoy a free sausage sizzle, and picnic on the grassed area at the front of the nursery to celebrate the new business’ first spring. 

“We are very excited to share our love for gardening with the people of Parkes and surrounding communities,” Miles explained. “With the prices rising across all other living expenses we want to offer quality plants and garden art at an affordable price.” 

Dirty Gloves Nursery open day will be this Saturday 16th September from 10am – 2pm at 54 Corcoran Road Parkes. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend.

It has been 25 years since the Principals of Parkes schools first joined together to launch an awareness-raising strategy to increase literacy skills from birth to Kindergarten. The Paint The Town REaD movement was developed in response to increased numbers of children entering Kindergarten without the literacy pre-skills or language, that set the foundation for learning to read. 

This year Parkes has once again been painted red to celebrate Reading Day. Paint The Town REaD founder, Rhonda Brain said “It was very special because the continuation shows how much the wonderful Parkes community has embraced the Reading Day concept as a major strategy for spreading the vital necessity of having a language-rich environment right from birth, and celebrating literacy. When we celebrate something or someone we are declaring its/ their worth.” 

The movement was originally founded on reseach conducted by Parkes Public School, in partnership with Charles Sturt University, on standards of literacy in Kindergarten to year two students. Research findings confirmed that language, especially rhyme and repetition, and book conventions in the years from birth to Kindergarten, were crucial for brain development and foundational to formal learning to read at school. 

All Parkes school principals, preschool directors and midwives then set about to spread the word about the importance of reading, in a fun and creative, grand saturation of the community. Abundant research about brain development started being published by specialists, and educators in Parkes were greatly encouraged to know they were already on track. The movement, with its wisdom, creativity and multi-encompassing benefits has experienced incredible expansion. “This movement was/is a God-given idea,” concluded Rhonda.