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Parkes Phoenix

Creatives Corner Market On Hand Made Goods

November 30, 2017 By Maggi Barnard

Still not on a corner after their fourth move, but happy to remain in the heart of the central business area of Parkes, the Craft Corner officially opened their new premises at 257 Clarinda Street last Thursday. “The shop looks fantastic,” said Councillor Bill Jayet at the opening. “The Craft Corner committee is so resilient. They never despair,
and always look for a solution.” President Rosemary Mitchell said they were happy to be able to fit everything having
moved to a smaller premises. They managed to complete the move over a weekend with many helping hands.

With the range and variety of local items and goods on offer in the shop highlighting the creative talents of Parkes, Bill said his dream was to establish a facility where all the creative groups of the town were housed under one roof including the Craft Corner, the potters, painters and everyone else.

“The Craft Corner not only attracts a lot of visitors to our town, but also generates a lot of social capital through the engagement of the community,” said Bill.

With almost 100 members, the Craft Corner offers a delightful range of local goods from local produce, artworks and sculptures, hand-made household items, clothing and accessories. Pop in for your Christmas shopping – you won’t be disappointed.

By Maggi Barnard

Youth Inspired By White Ribbon Message

November 30, 2017 By Maggi Barnard

Forbes High School won the inaugural CMOC-Nortparkes Mine Domestic Violence Cup against Parkes High School last Friday with a final score of 30-18. Parkes were leading by two tries and looked very strong, but Forbes came
through to become the first ever winners of the cup with female referee Shanika Harpur doing an amazing job. The game only ran for three 20-minute periods due to the heat.

The Oliver Carlisle Memorial Medal (Forbes High) was awarded to Michael Murphy of Parkes High for great sportsmanship, and was presented by Alister Carlisle. The Cole Medal (Parkes High) was awarded to Kristian Markwort of Forbes High for great sportsmanship, and presented by the Cole family.

The game formed part of the annual White Ribbon Day celebrations and its aim is to raise awareness about domestic violence among the youth. Both schools received some background education about domestic violence and White Ribbon Day.

The Parkes High boys are keen to do more next year for White Ribbon education that would get more of the school involved. The cup will become an annual event with alternating venues each year, which means Parkes will host next year. There are also plans to possibly have a girls’ league tag game too next year.

All in all it was a successful day with the Girri Girri students performing a welcome and cleansing ceremony before the game, Forbes Domestic and Family Violence Committee putting on a free barbeque for everyone, and a minute silence was observed at the start of the game in memory of victims of domestic violence.

Meet You In Peak Hill For Festivities!

November 30, 2017 By Maggi Barnard

Today is the start of the festive season, and Peak Hill is pulling out all stops to start it off with a bang with its annual Meet You Up The Street Festival. The streets will come alive with music, street stalls, raffles and loads more. You
can have an early start at 8:30am to see the Nativity Scene at the Commercial Gardens and from 9am onwards the street stalls and shop specials will provide you with a day of easy browsing and shopping.

Look out for the Red Cross stall with home cooking to support this worthy cause. There is also Live Art in the street from 9am with Maria Harrison, which will be judged at 4:30pm. The entertainment continues at 10:30am with Sing Australia, and at 11am the first round of the mighty Chocolate Wheel will commence, while the second round will be at 2pm. From 12 noon it’s time for lunch up the street of course.

At 1pm the Commercial Gardens will be the place to be for fun, including a mechanical bull ride, bungee run, gladiator and sumo, and a jumping castle.

Santa has promised to drop in and will be happy to pose for photos from 2:20 to 3:30pm at the Temple Lion Antiques & Patisserie. Speaking of Santa – children remember to post your letters to Santa at the letterbox near the post office.

Come up in your favourite outfit for the children’s dress up near the Library at 4pm, while from 5pm it is time again for dinner! There will be Twilight Busking between 6pm and 8pm with great money prizes up for grabs. Any act is welcome, contact Pat on 0429 000 050 to participate. There is also judging of the Christmas decorations with prizes for Best Town and Best Country Letterboxes, Best Decorated House, Best Decorated Shop and Best Shop Window.

Drop In At Mackenzies
Festivities tend to activate your appetite. If you are looking for a unique dining experience in Peak Hill, look no further than Mackenzies Kitchen.

You will find hot dogs with sour kraut and mustard, gourmet beef burgers, roo and lamb on turkish bread, and exclusively roasted coffee beans from Central West NSW. Mackenzies is also the only shop in town with fresh, hand battered fish.

Don’t walk past the green building with old-fashioned music pouring from its windows.

Check On Rain Checks

November 30, 2017 By Maggi Barnard

With possible rain forecast for today, all the Christmas events were still going ahead at the time of going to print.
The Peak Hill Meet You Up the Street Festival will go ahead regardless of weather as all stalls are under the awning and the children’s events and activities are in Southern Cross Hall. For events in Parkes, keep an eye on the Parkes Shire Council Facebook page for up-to-date posts on possible cancellations.

The Christmas Street Parade organisers will assess the weather at midday today to determine if the parade is going ahead. Alternate dates will be determined in case of the cancellation of the parade and Christmas Markets.

Mayoral Notes…

November 30, 2017 By Maggi Barnard

The festive season is upon us, with the Parkes Action Club Christmas Parade kicking off the celebrations at 5pm today. Everyone is invited to watch the festive floats make their way down Clarinda Street and into Cooke Park for Sparkle in the Park Upmarkets. Don’t forget to pack the picnic blanket, with the outdoor cinema screening the Christmas classic, The Santa Claus 2. As the sun goes down, local buildings and shops will become a colourful canvas
of light displays as part of Sparkle Illuminations, with some exciting new locations added this year.

Peak Hill will also be celebrating the festive season today at the annual Meet You Up The Street Festival – with street stalls, music, shopping and family fun taking place until midnight. Come say hello to our Council staff and join the conversation about planned projects for Peak Hill, in the Commercial Gardens between 12 and 3pm. For more information visit www.parkes.nsw.gov.au.

Today marks the start of Parkes Shire Library’s Summer Reading Club. The goal for this year is for members to read 974 books between 1st December and 31st January. Parkes Shire youth, aged 0 to 17, can take part by simply picking up a kit from Parkes, Trundle, Peak Hill or Tullamore Library. Help make Parkes sparkle! Local businesses are encouraged to deck out their shop fronts during the festive season, with the most creative window display awarded a marketing package valued at $500. The winner will be announced on the Shop Parkes Facebook page on Friday, 5th January 2018.

Don’t forget to fill you stocking locally this Christmas for a chance to win a $5,000 travel package to a destination of your choice as part of the Shop Parkes + WIN campaign.

Have a safe and festive weekend,
Cr Ken Keith OAM
Mayor of Parkes Shire

Swimmer’s Shoulder Part 2

November 30, 2017 By Maggi Barnard

Shoulder impingement during swimming is largely due to dynamic muscle imbalances and biomechanical faults.
Dynamic muscle imbalances can be addressed by strengthening exercises for the rotator cuff and scapular stabilisers together with stretches for the muscles at the back of the shoulder. One good exercise is to stand facing a wall with your arm raised to shoulder height and elbow straight. Hold a tennis ball to the wall by leaning through your shoulder and pinch your shoulder blades together. Roll the ball in small circles for 15 seconds first clockwise then counter clockwise until you become fatigued or for two minutes.

Biomechanical faults can be addressed by correcting your swim technique. Achieving good symmetrical body rotation through an efficient bilateral breathing pattern helps to avoid shoulder impingement during the catch and pull through phase of the freestyle stroke.

Instead of entering thumb first change your technique to enter with a flat hand or fingertip first. This is made easier by avoiding reaching across your midline. A thumb first entry works the shoulder internal rotators excessively and when multiplied by approximately 3,200 strokes per hour contributes heavily to the muscle imbalance of strong internal rotators and weak external rotators causing shoulder impingement.

Most swimmers pull through with a straight arm or dropped elbow. This loads the shoulder muscles excessively rather than utilising the larger and stronger muscles of the chest and upper back.

Making these simple changes can help you achieve many hours of pain free swimming.

For the fitness of you.
Linda Reilly

Awards Rain Down On Parkes

November 23, 2017 By Maggi Barnard

The awards keep on rolling in for the Parkes Shire Council with three received in one week! The Parkes Elvis Festival won gold, an engineering cadet of the Council was awarded a medal and the Council was recognised for operational efficiencies at the Australian Airport Association Industry Awards ceremony.

The Parkes Elvis Festival won its second consecutive Gold Award at the annual NSW Tourism Awards in Sydney last week. The 2017 Festival was named winner of the Festivals and Events category. Festival Director Cathy Treasure said it was a testament to the Festival’s ongoing success and recognition for its contribution to tourism in NSW for the past 25 years.

“It’s exciting for all those involved, especially as we prepare to deliver the 2018 Festival in just six weeks’ time.” Parkes Elvis Festival was one of eight finalists in the Festivals and Events category, taking home the title ahead of the Orange F.O.O.D Week, Canowindra Balloon Challenge, Australian Celtic Festival, Byron Writers Festival, Deni Ute Muster, Eat the Street and Splendour in the Grass.

On an individual level it was a great night for Parkes Shire Council’s engineering cadet Cate Fennell who was awarded the G A Taylor medal for best paper at the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia (IPWEA) NSW State Conference. She did a presentation on ‘What makes an Engineer today?’ Cate identified the barriers that limit students from entering a career in engineering and the need to change the way the profession is depicted to school students in order to address the major skills shortage in the industry.

Parkes Shire Council’s General Manager, Kent Boyd said: “Cate is a fantastic role model, not only for young women, but for all youth considering a career in engineering. “Cate strives to break down the barriers that limit young people from entering the industry and challenge the traditional representations of engineers.”

Cate will go on to represent the State at the National IPWEA Conference in 2019. The third award was received at the Australian Airport Association (AAA) Industry Awards ceremony in Adelaide last week when Parkes Shire Council was recognised for achieving excellence within Australia’ airport industry.

Parkes was awarded joint winner in the Airport Innovation and Excellence – Operations category, for its Aerodrome Reporting Officer Network Forum; an initiative established with Dubbo, Orange and Scone. Chair of the Parkes Regional Airport Committee, Parkes Shire Councillor Alan Ward said: “This award recognises the fantastic work of our airport operational staff.” The Aerodrome Reporting Officer Network Forum was established in 2016 to enhance the productivity of the regional airports involved.

The forums are conducted every six months to identify and address challenges experienced in the regional aviation industry, share knowledge, promote professional growth of operational staff, and to ensure a safe environment for airport staff, visitors, passengers, contractors and airlines.

Queen’s Baton Relay In Parkes On 29 January

November 23, 2017 By Maggi Barnard

The Queen’s Baton Relay (QBR) will come through Parkes on Day 35 of the baton’s 100-day journey in Australia leading up to the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.

On 29th January next year, the baton will leave West Wyalong, travel to Forbes and reach Parkes at 5:30pm at the Parkes Aquatic Centre. In Parkes the baton will be carried by 19 selected batonbearers. They are Rebeckah Auld, Peter Bristol, Frances Dixon, Amanda Draper, Barry Garment, Darrin Gibson, Michael Greenwood, Nicayden Greenwood, Danielle Hoskins, Kenneth Keith, Timothy Keith, Helen Magill, Maureen Massey, Lauren Neilsen, Richard Rice, Cato Rutherford, Victoria Simpson, Barbara Weaver and Scott Westcott.

After travelling an astonishing 288 days throughout the Commonwealth, the Queen’s Baton will arrive onto Australian soil in Brisbane on 24th December, having shared the dream of the 2018 Games with over one third of the world’s population.

The Queen’s Baton will scale Sydney Harbour Bridge, celebrate the Taste of Tasmania festival, be a part of the tennis action in Perth and Brisbane, hit the roads at the Tour Down Under in South Australia and respect the magic that is Uluru at sunset.

From 25th January 2018, the QBR will shift gears to a more traditional relay starting in Canberra, where the Queen’s Baton will join Australia Day celebrations, before continuing in the hands of approximately 3,800 batonbearers through every state and territory.

As the Queen’s Baton travels the length and breadth of Australia, it will not just pass through, but spend quality time in the communities it visits. The Queen’s Baton will arrive on the Gold Coast for the XXI Commonwealth Games
Opening Ceremony on 4th April 2018, where His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales will remove Her Majesty’s message and read it aloud to declare the Games officially open. Batonbearers will be informed of their street-specific slotting location in December.

Find it in Forbes this Christmas…

November 23, 2017 By Maggi Barnard

There are many great reasons to do your Christmas shopping in Forbes this year! Forbes Business Chamber is once again hosting the Find It In Forbes This Christmas promotion and festival. With more businesses taking part, shoppers will be rewarded by making a purchase from any of the 35 participating businesses. This will put you into the draw to win at the Forbes Services Memorial Club – Find It In Forbes Christmas Festival on Thursday, 14th December in Templar Street from 4pm. Lots of market stalls, kids activities, performances and maybe a visit from Santa!

The Find It In Forbes promotion has been running for a number of years and began as a way to encourage shoppers to spend in Forbes.

Participating businesses are:
Agriwest; Allure on Main; Bernardis Supermarket; Betta Home Living Forbes; Blue Sky Outdoor Experts; Blush Organic Beauty; Bowns Sports Power; Brons Hair Design; C & D Floor; Cahills Footwear; Chapter 2; Country Bakehouse; Eye Wear Specs; Flannerys Pharmacy; Forbes Family Dentists; Forbes Inn; Forbes Small Engines;
Gottoluvit; Gunns Mensland; Hello World; Hozpots; Lady Bird Boutique; Little Extras; Loomzys Fish and Fix; Made Of Fridays; News On Rankin; Painted Daisies; Pantry Cafe & Catering; Phillip Wells Optometrist; Robbs Jewellers; Roylances Auto One; Turners Furniture One; Undercover Sleepwear; Vandenberg Hotel and Walkers Ag N Vet.

Just A Short Drive to Young…

November 23, 2017 By Maggi Barnard

Try Poppa’s Famous Fudge
Poppa’s Fudge & Jam Factory is open seven days a week offering a wide range of locally and freshly made jams and chutneys. From melon and ginger to banana jam, there are more than 20 different types to choose from. A huge range of delicate chocolates and tempting lollies, as well as the freshly made fudge, makes it worth a visit. All products are made in store from fresh produce and all products are gluten free. Also on offer is a huge range of giftware and homeware for the ideal present or addition to your home.

Hanging Of The Quilts
Make sure not to miss the Robynette Fabrics Salon’s hanging quilts display during the 68th National Cherry Festival from 1st to 3rd December in the cherry capital of Australia. Robynette have massive discounts on until the New Year. Why not get gift vouchers as Christmas presents? If you cannot make the Cherry Festival, see Robynette Fabrics at Young’s Annual Christmas Boutique Market on 8th and 9th December at the Milard Centre.

Summer Fashion At Tess Clothing
Tess Clothing Boutique at 99 Boorowa Street has a beautiful range of summer fashions. Many clothing labels including Sass clothing that is fresh, fun and oh so pretty, as well as Rare Rabbit, Salt Water, Mary and Marie to name but a few! Do your fashion shopping supporting a local business with reasonable prices.

Style With Friendly Service
Boutique 99 is a newly established ladies fashion business in Young, offering a wide range of ladies clothing and accessories. Anything from formal dresses, summer fun dresses, jewellery and accessories for all sizes and helpful staff.

Unicorns And Fragrant Candles
Fragrance Delight Candles & Giftware stocks handmade natural soy wax candles and melts, essential oil bath bombs, as well as a large range of giftware and salt lamps. For special Christmas presents have a look at the new pom pom unicorn pillows, unicorn key rings/bag chain or unicorn feather plaques. Find a wide range of distinct gifts, including Rudolph Christmas soap!

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