If you know someone making a positive difference in the Parkes Shire, it is time to nominate for the 2019 Parkes Shire Council Community, Cultural, Environmental and Sports Awards, including the Ron Harrison Sports Bursary.

An Environmental Award has been included for the first time to recognise individuals or groups who are positively contributing to the preservation or promotion of the unique environment in the Shire.

“The annual Australia Day awards are designed to publicly acknowledge and reward the fantastic work of community members and groups, and encourage others to follow their lead,” said Parkes Shire Mayor, Cr Ken Keith OAM.

Nomination forms are available from Council, the libraries, or at the Parkes Visitor Information Centre. Alternatively, you can download nomination forms from www.parkes.nsw.gov.au

Entries for the Community, Cultural and Environmental Awards close 5pm on Monday, 19th November. Entries for the Sports Awards and Ron Harrison Sports Bursary close 5pm on Monday, 3rd December 2018.

The Community Awards recognise outstanding community contribution in the three categories. The Cultural Awards recognise excellence in the performing, visual, and creative arts and crafts in three categories. The Sports Awards recognise outstanding sporting groups and individuals in eight categories including Sports Person of the Year; Junior Sportsperson of the Year; Team of the Year; Coach or Manager; Referee or Official; Senior Team or Sportsperson; Administrator and Long Service and Dedication Award.

The bridge tables at the Parkes Leagues Club were filled with serious players on Tuesday as partners vied to win the Australia-wide Restricted Pairs.

The Pairs is one of three major annual events on the bridge calendar, bringing thousands of players from around the
country together, at their separate venues, to play the same boards of set hands.

The Parkes Club welcomed players from Condobolin and Forbes to make up eight and a half tables. The mood was lighthearted but the play was serious under the watchful eye of director Keith Fiedler.

The top ranked pairs for the Parkes contingent were Louise Payne and Denise Skinn for north-south and Beryl Twardy and Dawn Phipps for east-west. They hope to remain near the top of the field when the results came through for the rest of the country. The top five pairs nationwide will be awarded Australia-wide pens engraved with their names.

Each player was given a souvenir booklet advising the best bids and methods of play. In the game of bridge even the losers can be rewarded for specific achievements, such as bidding and making a tricky game.

By Beth Thomas

SPECIAL GUEST – PARKES BRIDGE CLUB
7 and 14 November, 2pm – 4pm.
Have you ever wondered how to play the card game Bridge? The Parkes Bridge Club will be visiting Parkes Library to share the secrets of the game. If you would like to learn about Bridge but are unable to make these sessions the Parkes Bridge Club meets upstairs at the Parkes Leagues Club Mondays at 6pm, Tuesdays at 1pm and Thursdays at
1pm. It costs $5 a session ($40 for a year’s membership) and lessons are available. For more information visit the website www.parkes.bridge-club.org/, or call the secretary Robyn Sheridan on 6862 5451.

NEW PROGRAM – ONCE UPON A STORYTIME
Tuesday 10:30am – 11:30am. During school term.
Come and enter the wonderful world of books. Have fun hearing and reading stories together. We will have our own very special storyteller who will guide us through many adventures. Who: Children 3-5 years & parents/carers (younger children welcome).

NEW FEATURE – DIGITAL MAGAZINES
Parkes Library’s digital magazine collection has a new feature! Library members can now set their digital magazine account so that it will automatically check out new issues of magazines as soon as they are available. This allows members to always have the latest issues of their favourite magazines waiting for them to read. Borrowing from the Parkes Shire Library online collections is free. Visit your local library to join and for how-to-instructions..

LIBRARY BOOK CLUB – PARKES AND PEAK HILL
The Library Book Clubs run on a simple formula: gather people, pick a book, read it and get together to discuss!
Peak Hill Library: 6pm – 7pm, first Wednesday of the month.
Parkes Library: 3pm – 4pm, last Wednesday of the month
Parkes Library: 6pm – 7pm, last Thursday of the month

November is Asbestos Awareness Month to educate the public about the dangers of asbestos as Australia has one of the highest rates of asbestos-related diseases in the world.

Asbestos-related diseases continue to increase as a direct result of exposure to asbestos fibres during home renovations and maintenance. Many people wrongly believe that only fibro homes contain asbestos, but asbestos products can most likely be found in any Australian home built or renovated before 1987, whether it’s brick, weatherboard, fibro or clad homes.

It can be found under floor coverings such as carpets, linoleum and vinyl tiles, behind wall and floor tiles, in cement floors, internal and external walls, ceilings, eaves, garages, around hot water pipes, fences, extensions to homes, outdoor toilets, dog kennels, chook yards and backyard sheds.

It’s vital that Australians take the warnings seriously, stop playing ‘renovation roulette’ and protect themselves and their families from exposure to asbestos fibres during renovations and maintenance.

If you suspect you have asbestos in your home: Dont cut it! Don’t drill it! Don’t drop it! Don’t sand it! Don’t saw it! Don’t scrape it! Don’t scrub it! Don’t dismantle it! Don’t tip it! Don’t waterblast it! Don’t demolish it! And whatever you do… Don’t dump it! Call Central West Asbestos Removal on 0429 661 610 for all your asbestos removal needs.

It was time again to celebrate all things spooky and dress up in witches hats, knock on front doors smothered in fake cobwebs and be rewarded with lollies. As Halloween grows in popularity in Australia, it has also become one of the more divisive celebrations.

Many people want no part of it, and reject the October 31st celebration branding it a commercialised American tradition. Whether you like it or not, seems like Halloween has come to stay in Parkes too.

Many families in the neighbourhood around Kelly Road, Billabong Crescent and Military Road have been offering trick or treating to kids for a number of years. It was the case again on Sunday night when scary creatures were seen roaming the streets and knocking on doors where there was an orange balloon on the post box to indicate who was participating.

“We just love doing this,” said Donna and Colin Monkerud who had put in a lot of trouble decorating their home and garden. Colin clapped his hands and a bat hanging above him started flapping his wings and his eyes started flashing red. “This witch comes all the way from Germany,” said Donna pointing to the one hanging above the entrance, as kids tiptoed with wide eyes past a grave on the lawn with a hand sticking out and a sign saying “Help Me”.

By Maggi Barnard

What incredible talent Parkes M&D showcases in Goosebumps! Under the stage direction of the talented Lyn Townsend and the musical direction of the gifted Neil Westcott, a cast of more than 50 players transported the packed audience through a gamut of emotions.

The audience was treated to many magical memories in the beautifully refurbished theatre as tens of past shows were brought back to life infusing the stage with joy, laughter, sadness, anguish, melancholy, delight and nostalgia.

“We are truly blessed with the calibre of talent in Parkes,” said Lyn Townsend of her amazing team who moved many audience members to tears. An amazing team requires amazing direction. “Well yes,” Lyn admits, “ but I’m good at bossing them all around,”

Goosebumps is a celebration of Parkes theatre over the past 18 years, a true enrichment to the cultural landscape of our town.

Judging by the talent of the juniors coming up through the ranks, Parkes M&D will continue to flourish in the decades ahead. Limited seats available for this weekend’s performances. Don’t miss it!

By Beth Thomas

Do you sometimes feel a pain in your hip or the outside of your knee after sitting for a while? Maybe when you stand up or when you run? It could be that you have a tight Iliotibial Band (ITB).

The ITB is a thick band of fascia that runs down the outside thigh. It starts at the top of your pelvis, runs over the hip and attaches to the outside of the knee. It also attaches to some of the buttock and hip muscles allowing it to co-ordinate how these muscles work to stabilise the hip and knee. Fluid sacs, called bursae, located at the hip and knee, provide cushioning between the ITB and the bones beneath. If the ITB is tight it can irritate the bursae causing inflammation and pain.

An inflamed bursa at the hip is called a Greater Trochanteric Bursitis and at the knee it is known as ITB Friction syndrome or runner’s knee.

The ITB shortens when sitting for prolonged periods. It can also tighten if the muscle is overworked. This occurs with sudden increases in exercise load or volume, or if pelvic control is poor due to weak hip and glute muscles.
Because the ITB is a thick, fibrous band rather than an elastic muscle it requires a longer lighter stretch than most muscles. The use of a foam roller can also be quite helpful in increasing the flexibility in the ITB. A youtube search of “foam roller + ITB” will yield videos of how this can be done.

For the fitness of you
Linda Reilly