Police in the Lachlan Local Area Command are reminding residents to remain vigilant to avoid being the victim of opportunistic thieves this summer. Senior Constable Daniel Greef warned that most intruders hope to avoid confrontations. “So whenever you leave your home, lock all doors and windows, but maintain a ‘lived in’ appearance
by using timer devices to turn lights and radios on/off at different times.” He also said it was important to secure belongings and not leave valuables, handbags, wallets, car keys and cash lying around the house.
Important Security Checklist:
• ensure everything is secured; consider engraving valuables with your details
• stop deliveries
• empty bins of large packaging boxes for electronic items
• turn the phone volume down
• have trusted friends or neighbours clear your mailbox
• have your neighbour or a friend park their car in your driveway
• arrange for someone to cut your lawn and keep your property tidy
• ask a relative or friend to check your home; leave your contact details
• let a trusted neighbour know your plans
• pay bills in advance including electricity, gas, water, and telephone so your supply continues while you’re away
• avoid posting information online about being away as thieves will use this information to target properties
• be sure your home and contents insurance is adequate and up to date

If your home has been broken into:
Call your local police station immediately. Don’t touch anything. Let police see your home exactly as the thief left it. Compile a list of what you think is missing – include brand names, model numbers, serial numbers, and any engraving details. For further information contact Senior Constable Daniel Greef on 6862 9999.

Local talent got to strut their stuff on stage at the Cambridge Hotel last Saturday during the December CHILL ZONE, a monthly open mic event that’s becoming the place to be for Parkes performers. Batty, the owner of Batty’s Music, got the ball rolling on CHILL ZONE in September, and says it’s just getting bigger and better. “There’s not enough opportunities for the youth to get experience playing live,” he said. “Some of our performers have now got paid gigs, so it’s great to see how this kind of opportunity really makes a difference.”

The CHILL ZONE generally runs from 2 to 7pm on the first Saturday of the month, although it may be rescheduled to accommodate other community events. Performers register with Batty on the day and are given a slot in the rotating lineup. The open mic session draws in a lot of local talent, but also attracts creatives from further afield. People have come from Forbes, Dubbo, Condoblin, Eugowra, and even as far as Bathurst.

Birdee Sideris has been going to CHILL ZONE since it started. “It’s a great environment, really encouraging and supportive,” she said. “Even if you’re shy and don’t like performing in front of people, it’s wonderful, supportive atmosphere.” Record producer and sound engineer Stephan Van Der Merwe works with Batty to make CHILL ZONE happen. “It’s good for the kids,” he said. “But it’s not just for musos – it’s really an open mic event. We have had ventriloquists, stand-up comedians, poets… you don’t have to be in a band. It’s just a chance for creative people
to get their stuff out there.”

While most pub music events are for adult audiences, CHILL ZONE is an allages occasion. Anyone of any age can
take the stage, plus it makes a great family outing, where kids can tag along to enjoy the show.

By Raen Fraser

Christmas is a celebration of family and togetherness, but for some there is an empty seat at the table and a void that can never be filled. The loss of a child is an enduring grief, but there are certain times each year when that absence is felt more keenly; birthdays, anniversaries, and Christmas. Last Sunday dozens of families gathered at Lions Park for a candle light vigil paying tribute to their loss. It was a deeply moving ceremony, with meaningful readings and
rituals, providing a safe space for the kind of grief only some of us are acquainted with.

Whether they were honouring a son taken at the prime of his life, or a child born sleeping, families from across the shire united to share in their sorrow. The event was organised by the Parkes Chapter of the Compassionate Friends, and welcomed bereaved parents, grandparents, siblings, extended family and friends to pay tribute to their grief.

Families placed a photograph of their loved one on a memory tree, and were invited to take keepsake ornaments home to place on the family Christmas tree. Heartfelt credos and poems were read before the families were invited to light a candle in memory of their loved one. This alone was a poignant gesture, but the Parkes’ gathering wasn’t alone. All over the world Compassionate Friends gathered to light candles for their loss on the second Sunday in December. When the candles burnt out in one time zone, they were lit in another, and so flickering flames of remembrance slowly encircled the world.

At the end of the ceremony balloons were released into the sky; little bursts of colour that drifted up and disappeared into the infinite blue. The event was a touching tribute that gave families an opportunity to acknowledge their grief, together.

Part 2
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 two minutes, whichever comes first.

Biomechanical faults can be addressed by correcting your swim technique. Achieving good symmetrical body rotation through the development of an efficient bilateral breathing pattern helps to avoid shoulder impingement during the catch and pull through phase of the freestyle stroke. If you already have shoulder pain it may be helpful
to shorten your stroke and avoid the use of hand paddles.

Hand placement during entry to the water should also be monitored. 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

With summer heating up and the festive season well and truly here, there’s no better time to get into shape. Fitness 4 All is one of Parkes’ newest fitness centres, and it offers – as the name suggests – something for everyone. For Shane Mann, founder and operator, the gym is a life-long dream. He assembled a team of qualified instructors and brand
new equipment to create a gym for Parkes to be proud of. Conveniently located at the PCYC , Fitness 4 All officially opened their doors on 10th October, and since then have been going from strength to strength.

Amanda Reedy Fitness 4 All Manager said they’ve already firmed up a large customer base. “Our greatest strength is that we cater for so many different fitness levels and ages,” she said. “We offer one on one personal training as well as group sessions, and there’s a kids’ playroom so parents can enjoy a workout knowing the kids are right there.”

Qualified instructors run group classes in bootcamp, pump, spin, boxing, or Zumba. The class timetable suits most schedules with morning classes at 6am and 9.30am and evening classes at 6pm or 7pm. Or there is 24-hour gym access available, so you can fit in a workout on the brand new gym equipment at a time convenient to you. Taking pride of place is the Synergy 360, a dynamic exercise station that combines different equipment and accessories
to provide a total-body workout.

Amanda says the Synergy 360 is ideal for circuit training or rehabilitation programs. The team at Fitness 4 All understand that exercise is only part of the equation, Fitness 4 All Caters For Everyone which is why they sell protein balls and supplement drinks for workout snacks, and also stock an extensive supplement range. They’re taking their commitment to nutrition a step further, partnering with Little Creek Events to offer a complete meal prep service,
proving they really do cater for everyone.

More than a dozen local riders braved the heat and brought their bikes and Christmas goodwill to Bushman’s Dam for the Mid State Motorcycle Club’s very first Toy Run in Parkes last Saturday. Many bikes were sporting tinsel and Christmas decorations, with Neil Brock winning the prize for Best Decorated Bike. The motorcycle fleet rode through town before heading to Bushman’s Dam for a barbeque lunch.

The first ever Toy Run was in the United States in 1973 when 200 Hells Angels escorted two truck loads of toys to the Los Angeles city hall, challenging stereotypes and prejudice along the way. Since then the idea has spread across the world and has become a firmly established Christmas tradition. Australian motorcycle clubs soon adopted the tradition with Toy Runs operating around the country during the mid-1970s. Each year bikers get together to deliver toys, gifts and funds for the Salvation Army Christmas Appeal.

Organiser Kerry Smith has a long history with Toy Runs. This was the 7th event she has coordinated, but she has been riding in Toy Runs since 1979. Kerry said that all toys go to local families. “It’s such a rewarding event,” she said, “and we owe a huge thank you to our sponsors, KicXstart Motorcycles”. The motorcyclists donated brand new toys for the Lachlan Branch of the Salvation Army to distribute to needy families in the Parkes and Forbes areas. This year’s toy donations included giant bubble makers, kid’s tents, sports sets, as well as dolls and trucks.

If you didn’t make it along to the Toy Run, but still want to make a child smile this Christmas, the Parkes and Forbes Salvos stores are accepting donations for the annual Christmas Appeal until Thursday, 15th December, or you can buy Christmas Wishes online at: https://www.my.salvationarmy.org.au/wishes

By Raen Fraser