Some nice threads are on display at the Parkes Shire Library during November, with a discrete yet impressive exhibition of embroidery. The works are on tour from the 2015 Sydney Quilt and Craft Fair at Glebe Island, and were selected from entries around NSW. The main criterion for the works was they had to be sewn onto a white background, and they had to be the artist’s original design.

The impressive artworks represent many hours of needlework, and a closer inspection reveals the talent and skill behind the creations. Some embroiderers used a combination of stitches to create texture and dimensionality, which literally brings the design out of the fabric; a couple of ingenious stitch-work techniques were used to create three-dimensional coral reef scapes. Others used colour and design to create an image; even a simple straight stitch made some pretty pictures.

The display also includes work from the Parkes’ Embroiderer’s Guild, as well as some of their tools of trade. The Parkes Embroiderer’s Guild group meet twice a month and enjoy adding a social element to their handicraft. There is a wide range of skills within the group, and a lot of knowledge sharing. The Guild members all agree that while embroidery teaches patience and is usually calming, it can be frustrating.

The Parkes Embroiderers’ Guild Display will be at the Parkes Shire Library until Wednesday, 30th November.

Philip Donato of the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers party is the new Member for Orange. He was declared the winner nine days after the Orange by-election and a recount of votes. He took the seat by just 50 votes from his Nationals counterpart Scott Barrett. It is the first time in the party’s 21-year history to have a Member of Parliament in the Lower House. “I am humbled by the result and to be the seventh Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party representative elected nation wide,” Philip said.

He promised to be a representative for all people in the Orange electorate. “I will work hard to gain everybody’s trust.” Scott said in a press statement he met with the winner to formally concede. “I thanked him for the upstanding and respectful way in which he conducted himself during this by-election campaign,” Scott said. With the win, Philip ended the Nationals’ 69-year stranglehold on the regional electorate. The Nationals held the seat by more than 20% before the by-election. The seat of Orange became vacant when former MP Andrew Gee resigned to run for federal parliament.

It is not every day that the growing of canola results in money donated to a disability service provider, but it is exactly what happened in Parkes this week. Currajong Disability Services received $13,000 from the Manildra-based canola processing company MSM Milling. The donation formed part of a charity partnership that saw the company team up with local farmers to grow the speciality canola variety Monola.

The partnership was launched earlier this year to Parkes and Condobolin farmers as a means of helping them assist Currajong Disability Services raise funds to keep operating in the two towns. MSM Milling vowed to donate $10 per hectare of Monola planted by farmers followed by a bonus $5 per tonne payment for each tonne of Monola delivered to MSM. MSM Milling’s General Manager Commercial, Charlie Aldersey, said participating farmers sowed 1,300 hectares of Monola. “Many of the board positions at Currajong are filled by local farmers and we saw it as the logical way to help the charity,” he said.

Charlie said the $13,000 was just the beginning of the funds that would be realised as Monola seeds would be arriving soon for the next instalment. The money will be used to help establish a jujube, Chinese date, orchard in Parkes, which will provide employment to disabled clients. The Chairman of Currajong Disability Services, Neil Unger, said the jujube trees were planted in August.

“The orchard already has 500 trees and we hope to plant more. This funding will really help us get it off the ground. Without the support of businesses like MSM Milling, we wouldn’t be able to undertake new projects like this,” Neil said. Parkes district farmer, Peter Barber, planted 150 hectares of Monola. “We’re just starting harvest and already we’ve found that the oil content is very high, which is extremely pleasing.”

More than 200 people were part of a very special and inspiring afternoon in Parkes last Saturday at the Celebrating Neurodiversity event. People came from as far as Sydney and Leeton to listen to Chris Ulmer from the USA and Tim and Judy Sharp from Brisbane. Judy told the incredible story of how she was told to put her son away and forget about him when he was diagnosed with autism at age 3. “I was told he would never be able to love me and he would never speak. I was devastated, but in the car Tim was wiping my tears away.”

Judy never gave up on her son. She recalls a huge breakthrough when out of desperation to communicate with Tim, she started drawing stick figures. “As soon as I put the pencil down, he pushed my hand back to the pencil.” Tim started drawing every day and at 11 invented Laser Beak Man. Today he is an internationally acclaimed
artist with an impressive list of achievements. Judy’s message is that no one can tell the future and therefore all children must have the opportunity to reach their potential.

Chris Ulmer continued the message of love and encouragement with his talk. As a special education teacher he felt he
had stumbled down a rabbit hole and discovered a world that was beautiful after he had spent three years with the same students. He started a blog posting videos of his students explaining life from their perspective. When a video of him complimenting each student individually at the start of the day went viral, he knew this was the way to spearhead worldwide acceptance of neurodiversity. He is currently travelling the world to teach and interview
neurodiverse individuals for his blog called Special Books by Special Kids. Chris always focuses on the positive in
people and told the story of how he helped a student who could not run more then three steps without falling down to eventually finish a 5km run in 22 minutes. “Every day we celebrated the number of steps he managed to do without falling, but not once did I say a word about him falling down.”

Chris, who did eight interviews in Parkes, encourages everyone to like the videos as he firmly believes this would change the way individuals with a diagnosis are perceived in the community. One of the organisers of the event, Angela Wilson of the Central West Autism and Special Needs Support Group said the feedback had been incredible. The group’s Facebook page was flooded with messages of people saying how much the afternoon had meant to them.

Since day one Jac Clark’s art has featured throughout The Railway Hotel so when it came to decorating the walls of the new Hart Bar there was no question about what it would be. “We are lucky to be able to hang some of Jac’s prints and we also purchased one of her new original’s, which is seen in the Hart Bar logo and advertising. That is really exciting!” said Kasie. Kasie Ferguson and Bianca Sheridan have owned the Railway for six years and have just finished building the new bar on the second level named after their little boy, Hart! “When we walked in all those years ago I knew it would be something special, but I never thought it would be this amazing! The people who have worked on this project made our dreams come true. I can’t thank them enough for it,” said Bianca.

Hart Bar is booked out most weekends until Christmas, but next weekend Hart Bar will be open for lunch and dinner Friday, Saturday and Sunday with Jac Clark’s art on display to celebrate the official opening. The exhibition is titled Figure and explores the boldness of a monochrome palette. The original large scale artworks will be available
for purchase with limited edition prints of each piece.

By popular demand, the all-singing, alldancing Songs In The Key Of Motown is coming back to Australia! Two of the best and biggest Las Vegas soul shows are coming together again and bringing with them the best in soul and Motown music. Transporting audiences back to the era where The Temptations, The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, Martha & The Vandellas, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles reigned supreme. Songs In The Key Of Motown will literally leave you breathless.

It is a spectacular live concert production that takes you on a journey through Motown. Featuring Spectrum, a first-class vocal quartet that draws upon the talent of four radiant voices and diverse personalities. They have spent six stellar years recreating the sound and style of the Four Tops in Las Vegas. Superstars and Legends In Concert
the group has developed the versatility to credibly cover the music of groups from the Platters to the Temptations to Boyz-2Men. It is this versatility that has propelled them to the status of headlining their own shows in which they perform stirring renditions of all the best cover tunes. They have teamed up with Radiance, a talented vocal quartet formed specifically to pay tribute to the Disco and Motown era paying tribute to the music of The Supremes, Martha & The Vandellas, The Marvelettes and other female artists from that amazing musical era. Together they have created SONGS IN THE KEY OF MOTOWN, a spectacular show transporting audiences back to an era of music that formed a major cornerstone in American music of the 60’s and 70’s. The costuming, the choreography,
the harmonies, the energy and excitement are second to none.

Together they provide an array of talent that is the best in entertainment that leaves audiences wanting more! See them perform on Thursday, 24th November at the Orange Civic Theatre.

On Remembrance Day we reflect on the heavy price that more than 102,000 Australian soldiers have paid for peace. It is observed on the 11th of November; the anniversary of the Armistice that ended the First World War, and offers tribute to those who have suffered in all wars. In Australia we pay our respects with a minute of silence to reflect on those who have fallen or suffered in war. Public commemorations are held across the nation to honour their sacrifice.

Dozens of Parkes Shire residents attended a Remembrance Day Commemoration Service at 11am last Friday to acknowledge the local lives lost to distant wars. The service was hosted by the Returned and Services League of Australia, New South Wales Branch, Parkes Sub-Branch. The service included the laying of wreaths and the citation
of names of the fallen, to ensure that those who were lost are not forgotten.