Miss Peg will be donating her hair to make a wig for someone in need.

Peg Lynch, affectionately known as ‘Miss Peg’, has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. While she prepares herself spiritu­ally for her final journey, she wants to do one last act of charity. Peg wants to donate her hair, so that it may benefit another and at the same time raise some funds to assist Parkes CanAssist.

Peg, who has been a teacher all her life, earned the name ‘Miss Peg’ during her time at Parkes Early Childhood Centre and as director at Peak Hill, with the little ones she loved dearly.

She has been known for her many acts of charity as a member of the St. Vincent de Paul Society at local, regional, central and state levels. During the drought pe­riod, she travelled, with her husband, ‘Mr Peg’, throughout the Diocese of Wilcannia Forbes, offering support and assistance.

Peg is also a foundation member of the Parkes Prostate Cancer Awareness and Support Group.

On Saturday, 31st August, Peg, with the assistance of Janice, from Janice Hair Sa­lon, and Adele from Adele’s Hair Salon, will have her hair cut and donated for the pur­pose making a wig for someone in need.

Please support Peg in her final act of kindness by donating at: https://www.my­cause.com.au/p/351308/pegs-fundraiserfor-can-assist

Veterans and community members celebrating the 50th anniversary of Long Tan at the Vietnam War Memorial in Parkes in 2016.

Each year on 18th August we commemo­rate Vietnam Veterans’ Day and remember the service of some 60,000 Australians across Army, Navy and Air Force. It is a day to remember the service and sacrifice of those who served in the Vietnam War and their loved ones.

Commemorated every year on the anni­versary of the Battle of Long Tan, one of the largest engagements by Australian forces during the war. An ‘encounter’ battle where 18 Australians were killed and a further 24 wounded.

Vietnam Veterans Day provides the space to remember all those who fought and reflect on the impact of their service.

Originating as Long Tan Day, following the raising of a cross by the men of 6RAR on August 18th, 1969, at the site of the bat­tle, this day now marks not only the com­mitment of D Company, 6RAR, in their de­fence of the Task Force Base at Nui Dat in 1966, but for the service and support of all Vietnam veterans.

With the official keeper of Australia’s war record, the Australian War Memorial, making the dates for the war as 1962 to 1975, the length of the war and the impact on those who served and their families is profoundly felt, both emotionally and physi­cally.

We are proud to thank veterans and their families for their service, this years service will take place this Sunday 18th August and the President and Members of the Parkes RSL Sub Branch wish to extend an invita­tion to all serving and ex-service men and women and to all the people of Parkes to participate in and support Vietnam Veter­ans Day which will be held at the Vietnam Memorial, Anzac Drive, Parkes to the com­memorative Service commencing at 11am.

The event is being co-sponsored by the Parkes Shire Council.

A rare opportunity has presented itself to hear John Anderson, former Deputy Prime Minister, speak in Parkes. John will be speaking on the topic “Does the West Need a Spiritual Reawakening?” on Friday, 16th August from 6pm – 7.15pm at the Parkes Services Club.

Since leaving politics John is internation­ally known for his conversations with lead­ers, public figures, and thinkers around the world. With over 203 million views on You­Tube, and over 600,000 subscribers, John discusses the social, cultural and political landscape we live in today.

Are you concerned about the state of the world? Do you wonder what the future holds for your children in our western so­ciety? This event will clarify your thinking with John’s common sense, reasoning and incisive spiritual and social wisdom for the future.

These events are held in pubs/clubs as they are casual get-togethers where people buy a drink, hear an inspirational speaker, stay on for conversation and some even stay for dinner. All are welcome to this free event hosted by Holy Family Parish, Parkes.

RSVP to Lynn at 0439 934 667 lynnand­wayne@bigpond.com.

Parkes Shire Council is excited to be host­ing the Waste 2 Art Regional Competition and Exhibition, opening this Saturday the 10th of August at 10:30am.

Over 120 winning artworks from the 14 councils, ranging from Broken Hill to Lith­gow, that participated in this year’s Waste 2 Art will be on exhibit.

Waste 2 Art is a community art exhibition and competition open to all residents of the NetWaste region, showcasing creative works made from reused waste materials.

The aim is to challenge peoples’ percep­tions about ‘rubbish’ and to celebrate the reuse and recycling of waste through art­s and crafts.

Waste 2 Art provides an innovative ap­proach to waste education, invites individu­als, schools and community groups to take up the challenge and create a new life for materials that would otherwise have been thrown away or considered useless. Over the years many materials have been used, items like soft plastics, tin cans, bottle tops, plastic bags, parts from rusty farm ma­chinery, scrap metal, and bread tags. The options are limitless. Instead of ending up in landfill, these waste materials can be turned into incredible works of art.

This competition gives aspiring and pro­fessional artists the chance to explore and share their “waste reduction message”. A specific waste item is featured as part of Waste to Art each round to highlight prob­lem issues, and this year is the Year of Packaging.

Everyone is invited to attend the opening where winners will be announced, and re­freshments served. Bookings for the open­ing can be made through the following link https://events.humanitix.com/waste-2-art

Each year, approximately 300,000 Australians volunteer their time to participate in various environmental activities, educating themselves and others about the natural world.

Parkes Shire Council, in collaboration with Central West Lachlan Landcare and Planet Ark, is celebrating National Tree Day on Sunday 28 July 2024, 10am to 12pm. The event will take place at the Parkes Wetlands on Akuna Road, adjacent to the Parkes Wastewater Treatment Plant. National Tree Day is Australia’s largest community treeplanting and nature care event.

Participants are able to register to volun­teer through the National Tree Day website or sign up in person on the day of the event.

Attendees are urged to wear durable foot­wear and warm clothing, and to bring ad­equate quantities of water.

For the Parkes Shire, this year’s planting efforts will focus on re-establishing Fuzzy Box woodland community and connecting it to the mature riparian vegetation along Goobang Creek. This initiative builds on previous National Tree Day activities held across the wetlands site and promises to leave a lasting legacy.

Parkes Shire Council’s Environmental and Sustainability Coordinator, Michael Chambers, expressed the benefits of the tree planting initiative.

“Over decades, the plantings will mature and eventually become hollow-bearing trees, creating crucial habitat for many na­tive animals. This will enhance the local ecosystem and improve outcomes for our local natural environment,” Mr Chambers said.

Getting involved in National Tree Day of­fers citizens an opportunity to enjoy the out­doors while making a personal contribution to the environment. The event aligns with Planet Ark’s vision of fostering a deeper connection between people and nature.

In addition to National Tree Day on 28 July, Parkes will also observe School Tree Day on Friday 26 July. Since the initiative began in 1996, the National Tree Day pro­gram has significantly impacted Australian communities, with approximately 27 million trees planted to date.

Earlier this year, after a spate of women were killed in violent attacks, What Were You Wearing organised the first No More rallies. Over three days in April, 100,000 people turned up and took to our nation’s streets to demand that our politicians and change-makers take decisive action. The rallies led to a national cabinet meeting and our government acknowledging that this is a national emergency.

This year alone, 48 women have lost their lives at the hands of men. In 2023, the toll had reached 64 women by the end of the year.

As part of these rallies, organisers are pushing for two national demands:

1. Mandatory trauma-informed training for first responders across Australia.

2. Funding for grassroots organisations in the domestic, family, and sexual vio­lence sector, including men’s behaviour change programs and women’s refuges.

We encourage Australia to join us once again in taking a stand against the epidem­ic of gendered violence we are currently experiencing.

The Central West rally will be held on Sunday 28th July, in Robertson Park, Or­ange at 2:30pm.

For further information on the event please refer to the What Were You Wear­ing social media pages.