Member of Parliament for Parkes, Michael McCormack replaced Barnaby Joyce as Deputy Prime Minister of Australia on Monday. Michael, who first went to Parliament in 2010, became leader of the National Party
following Barnaby’s resignation, and also took up the position of Deputy Prime Minister.

Michael is from Wagga Wagga in the Riverina region, where he still lives with his wife and three children. McCormack began working life as a cadet journalist with the Daily Advertiser in Wagga, and shot through the editorial ranks to become editor at just 27.

As the MP for Riverina, Michael regularly attends events in the Central West.

The completion of the second stage of works to Middle Trundle Road was announced this week. As an important distributor road in the Parkes Shire Council area, Parliamentary Secretary for Western NSW Rick Colless said the upgrade would generate significant economic and productivity benefits for the region.

“It will provide a quicker, more direct route for heavy vehicles and local commuters travelling to and from the Newell Highway.” This project involved widening, reshaping and sealing a 4.5km stretch of Middle Trundle Road, which has tragically recorded a number of road injuries and fatalities.

The second stage of upgrade works received $300,000 from the NSW Government’s Restart NSW Fixing Country Roads program, $300,000 from the Australian Government’s Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Program and $300,000 from Parkes Shire Council. A further 6km of upgrades were completed in mid-2017.

“These upgrade works will cut travel time by roughly 10 minutes in each direction, said Rick. “Freight is worth $60 billion to the NSW economy, and we are proud to be supporting this industry through targeted investments into key road upgrade projects.”

Parkes Shire Mayor, Cr Ken Keith OAM said: “Middle Trundle Road plays a significant role in the accessibility and productivity of our region and these upgrades will deliver the carriageway required to facilitate road train access throughout our Shire ahead of the planned expansion of the Parkes National Logistics Hub.”

“Additionally, the upgrades have allowed better local linkages between the townships located in the western division of Shire being Trundle and Tullamore to the Parkes urban centre.”

Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries in children and adolescents were previously thought to be uncommon but as imaging and clinical awareness has improved, the number of ACL injuries diagnosed in 5 to 14 year olds has also increased. Whilst improved methods of diagnosis may in part explain this increase, a recent Australian study published in The International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health indicates that the number of ACL injuries in the 5 to 14 year old population is also increasing.

This study looked at the number of paediatric (5-14 year olds) ACL injuries presenting to Victorian emergency departments between 2005 and 2015. They found a 147% increase in ACL injuries for this age group over the 10-year period with 96% of total ACL injuries occurring in 10-14 year olds.

The authors of the study suggest this worrying trend may be due to greater demands being placed on young athletes through increased training, younger sports specialisation and an emphasis on year-round competitive play. Whilst ACL injury causes significant initial discomfort and disability long-term, it can lead to decreased levels of activity and contribute to obesity and increased risk of osteoarthritis.

Injury prevention programmes such as FIFA 11+, AFL Footy First and Netball KNEE don’t eliminate ACL injury risk completely, however they can reduce the risk by at least 50% when performed regularly.

Another advantage of these programmes is that they also improve speed agility and power. Fewer injuries and increased performance … maybe it’s time to get the kids onto these exercises too.

For the fitness of you,
Linda Reilly

NORMAN LINDSAY EXHIBIT
Norman Lindsay Exhibit: An intimate exhibit 8th March until 27th March.
Parkes Library is to host an intimate exhibit of works by Australia’s greatest all-round genius artist and writer Norman Lindsay.

Parkes local, Peter Tom, has been passionate about the creative arts since he was a boy. In the 1920s and 30s his grandfather subscribed to the Bulletin. Peter spent much time reading the cartoons and from this reading his appreciation for Norman Lindsay grew.

Norman Lindsay, who died in 1969 at the age of 90, built his artistic reputation on his paintings and drawings, but he was also a sculptor, newspaper cartoonist and a gifted writer. His charming children’s book The Magic Pudding can be found in homes and libraries across Australia.

Over the ensuing years Peter collected sketches, posters, etchings, block printing and limited edition copies of Norman Lindsay’s work, as well as many early editions of his numerous books.

WASTE TO ART COMMUNITY COMPETITION AND EXHIBITION
Entries close 5pm on 28th March. Entry forms available from Parkes Shire Library.

Time to be getting creative and to challenge the way we look at waste! This year’s theme is polystyrene. Don’t feel you can’t contribute but be involved in using all forms of so called waste and turning it into something amazing, beautiful or just wonderfully crazy.

This competition and exhibition gives aspiring and professional artists the chance to explore and share their waste reduction message and provides a wonderful opportunity for the community to showcase their artistic ability.

Bring in your creative items to the library from now to the closing date.

The Parkes Library has appointed two young ambassadors. Trialling this new concept with the Parkes Christian School, Anabelle van Wyk and Addison Lewer were selected from eight applicants. They had to write a paragraph on “I would make an excellent ambassador because…”.

Parkes Shire Library Branch Manager Andrea Lovell said the applications were all of a very high standard. For the next six months Anabelle and Addison will wear an official badge and their job will be to raise the profile of the library at their school. They will also receive a newsletter of items they will need to communicate to their fellow students. A fun task will be to help select new books ready for shelving to promote at school, and to help with book selection when the book sellers visit Parkes Shire Library.

“I feel very excited and extremely honoured to represent the library,” said Addison. “I want to encourage more kids to go to library activities during holidays and to get more of them READING,” is Annabelle’s aims.

“When we get this program fine-tuned we hope to roll it out to other primary schools in Parkes “ said Andrea.

A local cowboy never dreamt a work horse called Jewel N Half that he bought to use on cattle would live up to its name by winning a national rodeo title in his first year of competing.

Tim Childs and his partner Belinda are very proud of their eight-year-old gelding after winning the 2017 Australian Bushmen’s Campdraft and Rodeo Association (ABCRA) Team Roping Heading Horse of the Year title. “We are pretty stoked about it,” said Tim, who owns a property between Parkes and Forbes where he has a horse trainer facility and his own rodeo arena. “We have been training Jewel N Half for the past three years, but this was his first full year of competing.”

According to Tim his horse’s performance “was a pretty good effort” considering he is only still a baby. Tim and Belinda spend a lot of time on the road travelling to rodeos all around the country. “We have won a lot of rodeos, but never a national title.” ABCRA is the only association incorporating camp drafting and rodeo under one umbrella, and holds an annual competition Australia wide.

Tim takes part in the team roping event featuring a steer and two mounted riders, called a header and a heeler. Tim is the header and he is first out of the chute. It is his responsibility to throw a lasso around the steer’s horns and turn the animal back so the heeler can throw his loop around the steer’s hind heels.

Team roping events are only considered complete when both horses are facing the steer with both front feet on the ground and with the ropes dallied and tight.

It was love at first sight since the day Tim bought Jewel N Half. When he went to look at the horse he liked the instant he rode him and loaded the same day. He decided to start Jewel N Half in the arena after a few years of work and experience.

“He runs hard and handles a lot of steers with ease and always gives his all, no matter where we are.” Looks like a long rodeo career awaits Tim with this diamond performer in his ‘crown’.

By Maggi Barnard