New born Matthew with his parents Erin and Alex Blunden.
Stork News: Matthew Joseph Blunden came into this world on 11th January 2021 at the Forbes Hospital weighing – 2,620 g (5.7 pounds) and 48cm tall. His parents are Erin and Alex Blunden from Parkes; grandparents Les and Heather Cheney from Parkes (first grandchild), and Lorraine and David Powter from Orange (fifth grandchild); great grandparents Doug and Lucy Allen from Parkes (16th great grandchild), the late Frank and Janet Cheney from Parkes (3rd great grandchild); the late Arthur and Noela Rawson from Bogan Gate, and Robin Blunden from Trundle.
Stallholders Wanted: The Parkes Show Society is calling all local stallholders who would like to take part in the Parkes show-ground monthly markets commencing Saturday, 24th April from 8am to 1pm. The markets will be run in conjunction with the CanAssist monthly sale. The Show Society is also looking for a community group, such as Scouts, Rotary, CWA, or Girl Guides to run a food stall (sausage sizzle and more) on a rostered basis. Open and undercover sites available at $30 per stall and must have current public liability insurance. Please call Liz on 6862 2580 to register.
Drugs And Driving: Senior students from local schools have learned about the effects of alcohol, drugs and distractions on driving. Students from Trundle and Tullamore Central Schools and Parkes Christian School participated in training on a driving simulator provided by the Rotary Club of Young in collaboration with Parkes Rotary and Neighbourhood Central. The ‘impaired driving’ module first gives a participant about five minutes to experience normal driving conditions. The simulator screens then blur a little, and delays are inserted into braking and steering response, and the participant drives again for about five minutes. The difference between normal and impaired driving is compared by means of a statistical report. The experience provides a powerful demonstration of the effects of drugs and alcohol on driving ability. “Neighbourhood Central and the Rotary Club of Parkes have formed a partnership to pursue purchasing a simulator to be based in Parkes and available to schools within a radius of about 100km,” said secretary of the Rotary Club of Parkes, Ken Engsmyr. One student’s feedback on the experience says it all: “Driving under the influence is not only illegal, it’s very difficult.”
Parkes students doing a training model on the driving simulator recently.