Garden Gnomes: The Parkes Garden Club celebrated 2018 with a Christmas lunch at the Station Motel last week and were entertained by Tapestry singing Christmas carols. The new 2019 President, Norma Garment welcomed everyone hinting at fresh and exciting garden events budding in the new year. Joyce Cole swept the floor with the various raffle tickets drawn on the day, while Robyn Burns won the lucky door prize – a gorgeous hand-crafted succulent garden display created by Kelvie and Faye Blackstock. Daphne Hutchins was the overall winner for 2018 in the monthly flower competition. Parkes Garden Club invites interested gardeners of any age to their first meeting in 2019 on Saturday, 9th March at 5pm at Lions Park for a BBQ.

Do You Share A Birthday With Elvis? Tuesday, 8th January 2019 will be Elvis’s 84th birthday, and everyone is invited to celebrate with cake and free entertainment in Cooke Park at 10:30am. Bring along proof of your birth date to go into a draw to cut the birthday cake! Entertainment will be provided by Parkes’ one and only Elvis Tribute Artist, Barry Green, and the fabulous Parkes Boppers dance group. Bring a chair or rug and be ready to be ALL SHOOK UP for Elvis 2019!

2018 Quota Wrap-up: At the November business meeting members dressed up in support of Loud Shirt Day raising $250 to support the Shepherd Centre’s commitment to “give the gift of sound and speech to deaf children”. Quota members took part in the White Ribbon Day march to raise awareness about domestic violence, while 50 emergency hygiene packs made by Parkes members were handed to the Parkes Police Station for domestic violence victims. The Club received eight $100 gift cards from the members of Quota International of Lower Clarence for distribution to drought affected farmers/families. A huge thank you to Michael and Peg Lynch (St Vincent de Paul
Society) who are distributing the cards. Quotarians have volunteered once a week at the Parkes Public School in partnership with other organisations for the Breakfast Program. As part of this year’s Christmas party, gifts will be placed under the Giving Tree at Target as part of the Interagency – Combined Churches of Parkes annual program.
Quotarians thank all those who have supported fund raising throughout the year and wish all a Merry Christmas.

Fiery Talent At Carol Festival: Former Organist at St George’s Anglican Church, Richard Morgan, will again make the trip from Sydney for the annual Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at his former church on Sunday, 16th December starting at 7:30pm. Richard will also be conducting an organ recital of Christmas tunes from 7pm. This year he will be accompanied by Rebecca Wilson, solo cornet for the NSW Fire and Rescue Band. The evening will feature a mix of carols, old and new, with local a capella group Tapestry. The service is specifically designed to lead the audience through the plan that God has for the world. Starting with creation, the carols track
through the various promises God made to his people, and prophecies, until its culmination in the person of Jesus Christ, God’s= son, who was crucified to bring us back into a relationship with God, after we had fallen out of it and the Garden of Eden. The format is based on the service performed each year at King’s College Cambridge, based on a service devised by the former
Archbishop of Canterbury, Arthur Benson in 1880.

Country Music Christmas Charity Muster: Santa will be at the muster tomorrow (Saturday) at the Starlight Lounge at the Parkes Services Club at 7:30pm. There will also be a Lucky Members Draw, Christmas  nibbles, dancing, kiddies prizes and walkup performers. Proceeds will go to Parkes Can Assist. All Welcome. At the AGM in November the following people were elected: Margaret Thurn – president; Lindy Charlton – vice-president; Lyn Pengilly – secretary; Frances Charlton – treasurer; Di Capes – assistant treasurer; publicity committee – Lindy Charlton, Chris Cox and Dale Cowell; artist co-ordinators – Chris Cox, Lyn Pegilly, Margaret Cowell and Di Capes; fundraising committee – Margaret Thurn, Frances Charlton, Christine De Dobbelaar and Lyn Pengilly. Planning of the 2019 calendar of events is underway and includes a visit from the South Coast CMA on the St Patrick’s Day weekend 16/17th March and the annual Mother’s Day function on 12th May. “We wish everyone a merry Christmas and a happy, healthy and safe New Year.”

Last 2018 Issue: Next Friday, 21st December will be the last issue of The Parkes Phoenix for the year! We will be back for the Parkes Elvis Festival with a special issue out on Thursday, 10th January.

The Francis family helped to celebrate Parkes’s 145th birthday last Saturday. They are (L-R) Caitlin, Sophie, Fiona (mum), Emily and Andrew.

Trundle Library Opens 24 hours, Seven Days a Week: Parkes Shire Council officially opened the first Australian public library to be accessible for members all hours of the day in Tullamore in September 2016. Two years on and the Trundle library has been equipped to make it available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The new self-borrowing and 24-hour access arrangement will be officially celebrated today. “Opening Tullamore Library all hours proved so successful it was not a difficult decision to continue this service at Trundle Library,” said Manager Cultural, Education & Library Services, Shellie Buckle. There is an easy to use computer setup for members to borrow and return items themselves and a process to apply for a key to the front door. Library Assistant Debbie Anderson will still be on deck from 3pm to 5pm Thursdays and 10am to 1pm, and 2pm to 5pm Fridays.

Bonus Points: Sign up as a new member at the Parkes Leagues Club during December and receive $10 of bonus rewards points!

Brighter Christmas For Country Kids: Stan and Stela Alexander of the Central West NSW Dance Sport Academy will be donating their professional services during December for a Royal Far West fundraiser, while Parkes Leagues Club will be providing free use of their venue. Come and learn to dance for the Parkes Elvis Festival every Tuesday, Wednesday or Friday or even on all three nights every week up to 28th December at 7pm. Stan and Stela will teach all the dances from the Rock ‘n’ Roll era, all Elvis songs, and other artists of the 50-60’s period. A donation of $10 for adults and $5 for kids and teens will go directly to the Royal Far West to assist country kids have a brighter Christmas. The fundraising drive will culminate in a New Year’s Eve party with a live band at the Parkes Leagues Club on Monday, 31st December from 6:30pm.

Light A Candle: The annual candle lighting event of the Parkes Chapter of the Compassionate Friends takes place at Lions Park on Sunday, 9th December from 5:30pm. Candles will be provided or bring your own. In case of inclement weather, the venue will be the Middleton School Hall in Medlyn Street. For more information call Judy Fisher on 0402 599 001.

Parkes Potters: held their biennial exhibition called “From dust…” last weekend at the Library. Opened by past Parkes potter member Robyn Morrissey, the exhibition showcased the talent and creativity of the Shire potters turning what was dust into amazing works of art. At the opening were Lynn and Wayne Rogers.

History Blog: Fascinated by the history of our Shire? There is a new entry on the Parkes Library’s history blog at https://historyparkes.org/2018/11/21/len-unger-100-years-in-the-parkes-shire/ It is an exciting one as it includes audio clips from an oral history recording with Len Unger on the day of his 100th birthday. The late Len Unger was an incredible man with an incredibly sharp mind right up until his death. Len passed away two and half weeks after
his 100th birthday.

Beachside Camps For Kids With Autism: Children’s charity Royal Far West is running two camps in January next year for country children aged 10 – 12 with Autism who are NDIS participants. The cost will be subsidised by Royal Far West to reduce the non-NDIS costs for parents or carers to $200. The focus of the camps is to build social
skills and confidence, develop positive connections and explore new experiences, all in a fun, safe and inclusive environment. The program combines traditional group therapy sessions with fun-filled activities including rock climbing, surfing, arts and crafts and plenty more. The children will stay with a parent or carer for four days and three nights at the Royal Far West campus in Manly. Meals and accommodation are included. To participate, children must be NDIS participants aged 10-12 from country NSW with a primary diagnosis of Autism 2-3, be functioning independently in a school environment, able to participate independently in group sessions with their
peers, and have funding in NDIS Core Social & Community Participation. The dates are 14-17 January and 21-24 January. Places are limited. To find out more call 1800 500 061 or email: windmill@royalfarwest.org.au

Lions Christmas Cakes: Forbes and District Lions Christmas cakes and puddings are available in Parkes at Parkes Meals on Wheels and Neighbourhood Central. Choose from the 1.5kg cake for $17, the 1kg cake for $13 and the puddings for $13. Money raised goes to service projects in the local community as well as national and international projects. Some of these are Sight First, medical research, Children’s Mobility Foundation, Eye Health Program, Hearing Dogs, Disaster Relief, Aged Care, Drug Awareness and Youth Programs. Since 1965 Lions Christmas Cakes have raised an estimated profit in excess of $56m.

Georgie’s Pantry: received a $700 donation from the Ballarat Christian College last week. The students from Victoria raised the money as part of their Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) project. They visited Parkes last week to also meet a farmer and spend money in the community to support businesses doing it tough in the drought. In the photo (L-R) are Karen Farquhar (VCAL Coordinator), Trent Loader (Head of Senior School), Isaac, Caitlin, Joel, Yual, Lunyjock and Daniel – all Year 11 VCAL students – with Natalie Quince, Manager of Anglicare Parkes.

Christmas Bingo: The Trundle Branch of the Royal Far West Sunshine Club is raising money to give country kids the same opportunity for top health care as city kids. Join in the fun of Christmas Bingo on Sunday, 2nd December at 10am at Trundle Golf Club with many great prizes, a 60 pick-abox and a raffle: 1st prize Sunbeam electric frying pan, 2nd and 3rd prizes are large table lamps, 4th prize a silver bangle (donated by Nangar). Lunch available for $5.

Light A Candle: The annual candle lighting event of the Parkes Chapter of the Compassionate Friends will take place again at Lions Park on Sunday, 9th December from 5:30pm. “We invite you to bring a photo of your deceased loved ones to add to our Christmas photo board,” said Judy Fisher. Candles will be provided or feel free to bring your own. “You are welcome to bring nibbles and a drink and stay on after the candle lighting to share stories of the children and grandchildren and loved ones that will not be with you this Christmas.” In case of inclement weather the venue will be the Middleton School Hall in Medlyn Street. For more information call Judy Fisher on 0402 599 001.

Summer Reading Club Time: Kids, get ready to join Parkes Shire Library Summer Reading Club for a fun time when “Curious Creatures” will take over your summer reading. The Curious Creatures theme this year will encourage eager young readers to discover new worlds as they explore and connect with creatures through reading and a range of activities at Parkes Shire libraries. The launch of Summer Reading Club at Parkes Shire Library is on Tuesday, 4th December at 4pm with a special time for readers to sign up, come and meet a special guest and surprise creatures and other fun activities. Children’s Services Officers Debbie and Sandie are really excited about this year’s Summer Reading Club. “Don’t miss out on a really special start to our Summer Reading Club this year,” said Sandie. Summer Reading Club (SRC) is for all young readers birth and up.

STORK NEWS… The Railway Hotel family welcomed two new members this week with the birth of twins Lorde Rose and Raine Violet Sheridan. Mums, Bianca Sheridan and Kasie Ferguson, and the little ones are all doing great, as well as big brother Hart.

Band Together Farmers: All roads lead to Parkes tomorrow when Australian music legends including the Hoodoo Gurus and Mark Seymour will donate their time to perform at the Showgrounds. The event will raise much needed funds for rural mental health and suicide prevention. Gates open at 1pm, and kids under 12 are free with activities provided for them on the day. The RAAF Roulettes will also do an aerial performance at 3:45pm. Adults tickets and program details available online at bandtogetherfarmers.org

Christmas Street Parade: There is still time to enter the Christmas Street Parade on 30th November organised by the Parkes Action Club. The deadline for entries is Friday, 23rd November. Contact parkesactionclub@gmail.com

Free Cuppa: Fifteen businesses in the region have signed up to take part in next year’s ‘Free Cuppa for the Driver’ scheme. Railway Arts and Crafts and Railway Hotel in Bogan Gate, Casho’s in Tullamore and Parkes Coffee Pot, Cooke Park Café and Parkes Services Club will join over 100 businesses across the Hunter, Southern, Southwest and Western NSW in the next round of the successful scheme, which provides drivers who have travelled more than 100km from their home with a free cup of tea or coffee. The scheme will see over 23 local council areas working together to help reduce tired drivers and fatigue related crashes on roads in NSW. The ‘Free Cuppa’ website, freecuppa.com.au, allows drivers to search for the nearest participating business, and the Facebook page with up to date information.

Save On Business Energy Bills: The NSW Business Chamber has kicked off the state-wide 5in5 campaign to help businesses and residents across NSW save an estimated $5 million on their annual energy bills over the next five weeks. Businesses are asked to utilise the campaign’s free energy comparison-and-switch service to make sure they’re on the best energy plan for them; saving money and reducing operating costs. “We’ve already trialled our new
free comparison service and were shocked to discover that eight out of every 10 businesses signed up were not on the best deal,” said Vicki Seccombe of the NSW Business Chamber. Businesses can join the campaign by visiting: https://energy.nswbusinesschamber.com.au/5in5.

Emma and Jacquelyne Greenland: attended the Anglicare’s Fashion Affair last Saturday to hep raise funds for
Georgie’s Pantry.

Congratulations: Cathy McPherson was picked as the winner of our Spring Photo Competition from a load of very good entries this year. She has won a family photo session with Chemical Creations Photography! Thanks to everyone for entering.

Christmas Street Parade: There is still time to enter the Christmas Street Parade on 30th November organised by the Parkes Action Club. You can walk, bike, or dress up a car or ute for one of the most popular Christmas events in Parkes. The deadline for entries is Friday, 23rd November. Send your entry to parkesactionclub@gmail.com

Lions Christmas Cakes: Forbes and District Lions will once again be selling their Christmas cakes and puddings. This year the 1.5kg cake is $17, the 1kg cake $13 and the puddings $13. These popular cakes and puddings have been selling in Australia since the 1960’s and are baked for Lions Australia by Top Taste Bakeries. Money raised goes to service projects in the local community as well as national and international projects. Some of these are Sight First, medical research, Children’s Mobility Foundation, Eye Health Program, Hearing Dogs, Disaster Relief, Aged Care, Drug Awareness and Youth Programs. Since 1965 Lions Christmas Cakes have raised an estimated profit in excess of $56m. The cakes will be available at Parkes Meals on Wheels and Neighbourhood Central.

Bush Wage Subsidy Trial: Riverina MP and Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack says the Federal Government’s $60 million investment to attract more apprentices in the bush is a major boost to rural and regional small and family businesses. Government announced it would trial a wage subsidy as an incentive for employers in regional and rural communities to engage more apprentices. From 1st January next year the new subsidy under the Australian Apprenticeships Incentives Program (AAIP), will support eligible new Australian apprentices in areas such as plumbing, mechanical, electrical, painting trades and hairdressing. Subsidies will be provided at 75% of the apprentice’s award wage in the first year, followed with 50% in the second year and 25% in the third year.

DIY renovators warned: One in three homes contain asbestos! If your home was built or renovated before 1987, it will likely contain asbestos. This does not just include fibro properties, but also brick, weatherboard and clad homes.

 

Spirituality In The Pub: Everyone is invited to the third event this year on Monday, 12th November from 6:30 pm to 7:45 pm at the Commercial Hotel. Buy a drink, enjoy the talk and discussion, ask questions and stay for dinner. The two speakers for the night, local Liesel Walters and Anne Dennis from Walgett, will be talking about their life experiences under the topic: “My Spirituality – Influence on the Way”. Liesel is the Aged Care Chaplain for BaptistCare Central West Home Services and Niola Centre. She is also a lay minister in the Anglican Parish of Parkes. Anne is the current Deputy Chairperson of the NSW Aboriginal Lands Council. She is a proud Gamilaraay woman who has lived most of her life in Walgett. She has a strong background in education both as a teacher and administrator. A gold coin donation on entry. Spirituality in the Pub is an initiative of Catalyst for Renewal Inc.

Charity Day: Enjoy an afternoon of bowls and futsal at the Parkes Bowling and Sports Club from 12pm tomorrow (Saturday, 3rd November) and help raise funds for the drought. The cost is $20 per person and includes lunch. Great prizes to be won. Contact the Club on 6862 1446 for more details. All funds raised will go to Parkes St Vincent de Paul Society for distribution locally.

Tax Relief: Thousands of Riverina and Central West small and medium businesses will benefit from fast-tracked tax relief according to the Member for Riverina and Deputy Prime Minister, Michael McCormack. Under legislation introduced to Parliament, 18,328 businesses in the Riverina electorate would receive a tax cut five years earlier than planned. Businesses with a turnover below $50 million will pay a tax rate of just 25% in 2021-22 rather than from 2026-27 as currently legislated. Similar timing changes will apply to the roll out of the 16% tax discount for unincorporated businesses. An independent supermarket or a pub that makes $500,000 profit, will have an additional $7,500 in 2020-21 and $12,500 in 2021-22 to invest back into the business or staff, or help to manage cash flow.

$1,000 For Best Float In Elvis Parade: Schools, businesses and community groups are encouraged to get involved in the 2019 Parkes Elvis Festival. Entry Forms available online via www.parkeselvisfestival.com.au or at the Parkes Visitor Information Centre.

Win $1,000 In Elvis Parade: Schools, businesses and community groups are encouraged to get involved in the 2019 Parkes Elvis Festival. Sponsor of the Street Parade, Northparkes Mines, has donated a $1,000 cash prize for the best float. Bunnings Forbes is donating building materials to schools who would like to take up the challenge. Local businesses are also encouraged to take part but will have to nominate a charity/non-profit to donate the money to in order to be in the running for the cash prize. The Northparkes Mines Street Parade will be held at 10am on Saturday,
12th January 2019. Entry Forms are available online via www.parkeselvisfestival.com.au or at the Parkes Visitor Information Centre.

Competition Winner: Congratulations to Allison Falconer from Parkes on winning our Australian National Field Days competition! Thank you to everyone who entered.

Join The Mid-Term Workshops: Residents across the Parkes Shire are encouraged to learn about the major projects set to be delivered over the next two years at the upcoming Parkes 2030 mid-term workshops to review and update the priorities and aspirations set by the community. Having reached the mid-way point in the current term of council, Councillors and staff will be visiting each township to speak with the community about the projects delivered thus far, and what’s currently in the planning. The workshops started this week and the remaining ones will be held at Trundle 30th October at Memorial Hall 6pm – 7.30pm; Parkes 1st November at Coventry Room 6pm – 7.30pm; and Cookamidgera 7th November at Cookamidgera Hall 6pm – 7.30pm

Country Music News: The August featured artists Bob Gregory and Kate Daniel performed a wonderful set of Australian Ballads and instrumentals. The featured artist at the September muster was wellknown musician and vocalist Matthew Hollier from Dubbo. The Peak Hill muster is on Sunday, 4th November, while the Parkes & District Country Music Assoc. Inc annual general meeting will be held on Monday, 12th November upstairs at the Parkes Services Club 7:30pm. The next monthly muster will be on 18th November in the Starlight Lounge at the Parkes Services Club at 1pm with Barry Green as featured artist. The Christmas Charity muster will be on 15th December at 7:30pm.

Dancing Trundle: The 2019 Trundle ABBA Festival was launched at the Trundle Hotel on Saturday. Felicity Jackson of Executive Events Solutions, who have taken over the organising of the event, said over 6,000 people were expected to attend on 4th May next year. ABBA tribute band Bjorn Again will kick off its 30th anniversary year at the
festival, while the Governor of NSW will also attend. Early bird tickets are currently on sale.

NSW Tourism Awards: Parkes Shire Council has been selected as a finalist across three categories at the 2018 NSW Tourism Awards for excellence in Festival & Events, Destination Marketing and Visitor Information Services. The NSW Tourism Awards Ceremony and Gala is the largest and most prestigious event on the NSW tourism calendar. It provides the opportunity to publicly recognise and showcase the State’s tourism operators, and will be held at the Big Top, Luna Park Sydney on 22nd November.

Charity Day: Enjoy an afternoon of bowls and futsal at the Parkes Bowling and Sports Club from 12pm on 4th November and help raise funds for the drought. The cost is $20 per person and includes lunch. Great prizes to be won. Contact the Club on 6862 1446 for more details. All funds raised will go to Parkes St Vincent de Paul Society for distribution locally.

Cultural Awards: Help the community recognise, reward and encourage students, individuals and groups for their performance, art or craft achievement, creative writing skills, or promotion of the arts in the Shire by nominating them for a Cultural Award. The winners will be announced at the Australia Day celebrations next year. Nominations close 19th November at 5pm.

National Bird Week: Residents and visitors are invited to enjoy breakfast with the birds this Sunday at 8am in PAC Park, marking the start of National Bird Week and the Aussie Backyard Bird Count. The free community breakfast will be a chance to enjoy the new PAC Park rejuvenation works and learn about local bird species. Community members are encouraged to take part in the Aussie Backyard Bird Count by spending 20 minutes outdoors this month and count the birds they see using the Aussie Backyard Bird Count app that can be downloaded on your mobile device. For more details visit the Central West Lachlan Landcare website, www.centralwestlachlanlandcare.org