Lithgow Village Voice Newspaper #13

Business

9

Your Home 11

What’s On 16

Jobs Guide 19

Sport

READER’S REWARDS

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LOCAL NEWS AND EVENTS FOR THE LITHGOW REGION

ED ER IV EL

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Issue 13

Proudly Independent

30 May 2014

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On the road again in the name of charity The road between Portland and Wallerawang was crowded last Sunday as over 750 people took part in the Barry Rushworth/Laurie Bender Cancer Walk.

The Cancer Walk, now seven years old, raises funds for the Cancer Council to help support their work in the prevention, support and care of those with cancer.

The walk has only continued to grow since it first took place. The walk’s organisers say that this year the walk raised in excess of $50,000.

This means that, since its inception, the walk has raised over $250,000, a staggering total.

Barry Rushworth says that the tremendous results are entirely down to those who support and participate in the walk. Barry commented that the population in our region isn’t very large, and the walk is only the success it is because so many people are willing to pitch in. ‘It wouldn’t be possible without the communities pulling together to support it.’

The walk has come a long way since it was first discussed over a beer by Barry and Laurie. In its first year the walk raised an admirable $29,000, but it has only continued to grow. Last year the

Inside this issue Eisteddfod Success for Portland students Pg 3 > Collits’ Inn ready to open its doors again Pg 6 > Can we evolve our deteriorating architecture Pg 7 > New Puzzle Page Pg 20 > Local boys hitting heights in big hockey games Pg 23 >

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From the Editor I have discussed one subject more than any other in this column, and sadly, I am going to be talking about it again. Delivery. This time, however, enough is enough.

On a quiet Saturday evening, last week, after we had worked over 120 hours putting the paper together, a phone message and SMS were sent directly to my wife Kellie’s phone regarding our delivery.

I have included a copy of that message for reference.

The details have been blacked out to protect the not-soinnocent, but the message couldn’t be clearer.

A little background here: Yes, this lady had asked us to stop delivering, and yes, despite this, we did deliver her one more paper.

As you can see from the message, this particular resident has taken this as a most personal insult and fired back a completely disproportionate response, on a weekend, to a private mobile phone, which was enough to make my wife very upset. And that I will not stand for.

Here is my response.

Dear Madam, I must address you as madam, as despite leaving several abusive messages on our phone, you have not once left your name.

Thank you for the voice message and SMS you sent us on Saturday evening; the first night my wife and I managed to spend at home with our children all week, having been out every other night working on our new publication.

Firstly, I would like to apologise for the fact that you received another paper in your letter box. I will acknowledge that you did ask us to stop delivering and that you did subsequently receive a call from me confirming that your address was [withheld] so that we could print out a do-not-deliver for our delivery person.

Unfortunately, despite passing the do-not-deliver onto the deliverer in your area, we had some major issues at our printing factory on Friday and with late delivery of our paper, we were more focussed on ensuring that the other 6999 papers got delivered than ensuring 1 didn’t go into your mailbox.

Whilst you may feel wholly justified in your response to us, let’s just recap our communications.

You left a message on our answering machine in the office, with no name, and no address, questioning why we didn’t just know you didn’t want our paper, based on the fact you had not picked up the previous week’s issue. Sadly, not being psychic, neither I nor my delivery people, were able to interpret that as you not wanting a paper.

You next called us on a Sunday afternoon, whilst we were out with family and proceeded to give your details to us, asking us to stop delivery. We hurriedly took down the details on a napkin, and subsequently called you back last week to confirm so we could print out a do-not-deliver for our delivery person in your area.

Your final messages we received on Saturday evening. They were very colourful indeed.

I could understand your frustration when the papers were being delivered hurridly by car, however we are now delivering direct into letterboxes.

I am not sure what your concern is with our particular publication, but I do wonder if you treat all senders of unsolicited mail in this fashion. I receive a great deal of ‘junk’ mail in my letterbox, as do we all.

There are several legitimate things I also receive that I would rather not, electricity bills and phone bills spring to mind, but that is just part of life.

When I do receive this junk mail, I do one of two things, I either dispose of it on the way down the path or, if it looks like it will burn well, I keep it to start my fire.

In the future we will endeavor to ensure you don’t get one. However, we have changes in delivery people all the time and, unfortunately, I foresee that at some point in the future one may appear in your letterbox.

If this does happen, I would like to invite you to just throw it away, or indeed keep it to start your fire.

I have included with this letter a lottery ticket. I can only assume that the anger you have is not directed entirely toward us, but perhaps at other things in your life that may not be going according to plan. And just in case it doesn’t come up a winner, I have also included a tea bag. Please, just have a cuppa on us.

Kind Regards Rich Evans Editor, Lithgow Village Voice

Your Say

And a slighty more rational reponse via Facebook: “Just in regard to some previous posts, yes, the paper is thrown on to my nature strip in front of my house, in the mornings I usually uncover one of my cars and will spot the paper if it is there. If it is there I will bend over and pick it up. Duhhhh.....if people are worried about littering then they should get out more in front of their place and pick the paper up, that is why god gave them two hands....Good paper BTW.” Tom Strasser

The Village Voice

Office Details

Contributions

Rich Evans, Editor Email: editor@villagevoice.net.au

Lithgow Village Voice is a wholly owned subsidary of the REDD Group Pty Ltd ABN: 93 165366 165

Please email all stories, photos or other contributions to editor@villagevoice.net.au

Kellie Evans, Sales Email: sales@villagevoice.net.au Irene Bowie-Johnson, Assistant Editor Cass Dray, Designer

Office: 41a Williwa Street Portland NSW 2847 Phone: (02) 6355 4258

You can also submit content via our website http://villagevoice.net.au or via our facebook page.

Notice to all advertisers and contributors

The Lithgow Village Voice accepts no responsibility for any advertisement, submitted article or feedback published. Any advertisement, submitted article or feedback is published at the risk of the contributor, who accepts liability for any intended publication. By contributing to this publication, you agree to indemnify the publisher and warrant that the material is to the best of your knowledge accurate and is neither deceptive or misleading, in breach of copyright, or in breach of any other laws and regulations.

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NEWS

Eisteddfod success for Portland students

By Kellie Evans This Wednesday, Gulgong played host to the 34th Prince of Wales Eisteddfod at Gulgong Memorial Hall. There was standing room only as the families and friends of the performers turned out in force to cheer on and support the students.

Participating schools came from many regions, and there were even representatives from as far away as Hargraves Public School, a small school located 42km southwest of Mudgee. In total there were 10 schools competing in categories such as Percussion and Small School Choir.

The students from Portland Central School made their teachers and parents very proud. First, by waiting to perform with much maturity and patience, and then by giving the best performance that they could.

Teachers, Alissa Curran and Ana OssigBonanno, have worked tirelessly with the primary students from years 3, 4 and 5 to put together a fantastic song called Jack Frost. The children sung and played glockenspiels, xylophones and chime bars.

Rebecca Stubbs, music convener for the Prince of Wales Eisteddfod said, “We are thrilled with the level of performances and also by the wonderful support all the students have had today.”

Adjudicator Leon Paix had the very tough task of judging as every school put their very best foot forward and gave amazing performances.

Portland Central School placed 1st in the category of percussion, with an instrumental performance of Jack Frost. Mr Paix was extremely kind and positive in his praise of our group,

Students from Portland Central School proudly showing off their awards

saying that their strong tempo and rhythm was commendable and that they followed their conductor admirably. He also complemented them on their ability to tell a story with the music, building toward a natural climax before the end.

The children were ecstatic with their win.

Next the group performed two songs in the Small School Choir section. The students sung Shoo Fly, Get That Fly and a very funny piece called Possum. In this category, Portland Central

placed second.

Some of the performers from music speech and dance will perform during a Friday night Gala Concer at Gulgong Opera House.

Portland Central School would like to extend their thanks to the parents who put in their time and effort to get the students to the Eisteddfod.

Without their support, the Eisteddfod would not have been the success it was.

A fun day followed by a cold night this weekend The Mission Australia – Winter Sleepout is happening in Lithgow this weekend. To support the cause there will be a fundraiser held at Queen Elizabeth Park between 1pm - 4pm, on Saturday 31 May. With winter fast approaching, the outlook can be bleak for those who have to suffer the spiteful iciness of winter without a roof over their head.

The Winter Sleepout is an initiative of Mission Australia, put in place to help raise funds for those families who have no home to call their own.

More than 105,000 Australians are homeless on any given night; including thousands of families.

With a focus on helping those who need it most, the Mission Australia’s Annual Winter Sleepout has made a significant difference to those in need over the past 26 years.

This year the Winter Sleepout 2014 is all about staying local, and communities across Australia

will be taking part. In the past the Winter Sleepout has happened in Martin Place, on the Opera House steps, in Goulburn, in Brisbane and even at Taronga Zoo. Now, however, the focus is on making sure that everyone can take part and offer their support, whether it is by donating, or by asking for sponsors to support them sleeping outside in the cold for the night.

In Lithgow the Sleepout will take the form of a fun day for the family at Queen Elizabeth Park.

The event will include a fundraising BBQ from 1pm-4pm, clowns, face painting, and kids tattoos.

The event’s organisers said they would like to extend their thanks to the local businesses that have got behind the event and helped by donating food for the BBQ and information packs to be handed out during the day.

According to the event’s organisers, LINC and Helpline have been particularly helpful in

helping get the event off the ground, and offering a number of resources for the day.

The organisers have also indicated that they have a commitment to spending the night outdoors to show their support for those with no home to call their own.

The funds raised by the Winter Sleepout will be supporting vital homelessness services that reach out to people in need, especially those with young children who have no home to call their own.

The fundraiser will be held at Queen Elizabeth Park between 1pm - 4pm, on Saturday 31 May.

Lithgow Valley Kia Phone: 02 6352 2644 75 Chifley Road, Lithgow NSW 2790

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NEWS On the road again in the name of charity From Page 1 walk raised over $70,000, and while the total for this year may be a little smaller, the $50,000 raised is still a massive success and testament to the organisers’ hard work.

The walk has also continued to grow in size as well as financial success, with more people than ever tying on their trainers and taking part. This year there were walkers, runners, bikers and even one or two parents with prams. The estimated 750 walkers who participated this year, is strong growth on the 600 that participated last year.

This year the crowd of walkers, especially families with young kids, were able to walk safely in knowledge that the road was closed. The road closure, approved by the council in April, meant that the walkers weren’t competing with traffic during their journey.

The walk ended on a high note, with the walk’s organisers saying that there was a bustling, excited atmosphere at the Wallerawang Royal Hotel.

Kids, not tired out by having walked in excess of 10 kilometres, continued to rush around, while adults shared a cool drink and a chat.

Photos Clockwise: Caralyn Weller & Tara Perkins, crowds coming out of Portland, On the way to Wallerawang & LBA’s Anthony Beard & Cassie Baker joined the walk.

Celebrations at LINC

Lithgow Information and Neighbourhood Centre (LINC) has just completed 2 weeks of celebrations to acknowledge Neighbourhood Centre Week, Families Week and National Volunteer week, from 12-18th May. LINC began the celebrations with a free sausage sizzle, manned by LIONS volunteers, alongside information tables in the shopping Centre on Thurs 15th May, with staff distributing fun giveaways such as playdough, colouring books and meal vouchers!

A thank you event was also held on Thurs 22nd May, for many of the wonderful volunteers who help out, in the LINC hall. A poem was read, certificates and volunteer pins were handed out and a light lunch was enjoyed by staff and volunteers who all work together.

LINC acknowledges the incredible contribution volunteers have made to our Community. LINC could not run the services it does without the incredible support and hard work of a committed and generous volunteer force.

Australia is a country that loves to volunteer with more than six million volunteers or 36% of the adult population choosing to share their time, skills and effort to power many essential community, environmental, sporting and cultural

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services. It is an astounding local reality that our Neighbourhood Centre, combined with the six Blue Mountains Neighbourhood Centres operate with a volunteer workforce pushing 500, and that our residents in Lithgow and the Blue Mountains volunteer at a rate 6% greater than the NSW and National average (ABS 2010).

This year we celebrate 25 years of National Volunteer week.

Lithgow Information and Neighbourhood Centre have been supporting the community since 1987 with information and referral services for all community members including children, youth, families, people in crisis, people with disability and the elderly. Among many of LINC’s activities are supported playgroups, parenting young group, crisis services, adolescent counselling, Legal Aid, Meals on Wheels, Overnight Respite, Aged Day Service, Alcoholics Anonymous, Community Lunches and Social Support.

For more information on what Lithgow

Information and Neighbourhood Centre offers and what you could perhaps offer as a volunteer, call 02 6352 2077, check out our website: www. linc.org.au or visit us on our Facebook page.

Neighbourhood Centres – the heart of our community Our services users, our staff and our Board of Management really appreciate the necessary support of our volunteers. Thankyou!

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NEWS

Beaten track leads to Lake Wallace A dusty old Rambler rolled into Lake Wallace last friday afternoon, looking every bit like the famous police car from the movie The Blues Brothers. When the occupants piled out of the car, it was obvious there was a reason for that.

The car had been restored, ready for the Bash, by the Newcastle TAFE students and drivers, Katie Brassil from Centennial Coal, Greg Holmes of Orica and local member for Newcastle Tim Owen, who had nothing but praise for the car’s ability to get them around the bush tracks.

Their journey, which began in Newcastle, took them on a route down the south coast, back through Goulburn, Wagga Wagga and Parkes.

From Wallerawang they were making their way to Katoomba before the home stretch the following day.

More than 70 cars took part in the bash, but only the Rambler detoured through Wallerawang as the rest of the teams went and took much needed showers.

Centennial staff were there to greet them when they arrived and were happy to play up to the camera on a Friday afternoon giving us a happy shot, looking right down the lens, rather than the standard line up and smile photo.

A new exhibition for local artist

A local artist will be opening a new solo exhibition on Saturday, 7th of June at the Hope Tree Framing Art Space in Wentworth Falls.

Jane Canfield, who lives in Portland with her poodle Molly, is exhibiting new works created during her recent 3 month residency in the Northern Rivers of NSW. The opening will take place between 3pm 6pm, during which time those attending will have a chance to grab a drink with Jane herself.

The exhibition will continue until Saturday, 14th of June.

Jane, who moved to Portland nearly 4 years ago, has been an artist for many years.

Her father, Tony Canfield, was a professional artist, so Jane was exposed to artistic influences from very early in life. Jane’s background was in impressionist painting, but she has developed a style that is distinctly her own. Most of her work is done while she travels around in her little van working from life, or ‘en Plein Air’, with her poodle.

During her residency, Jane was asked by NSW Parliament and Sponsor Telstra to work with two Lismore based High Schools and introduce

‘en plein air’ painting to the art students. Whilst Jane worked in the Lismore area, she became fascinated by the disused railway bridges that create linkages in the landscape. These bridges have become iconic in the area and according to the local member Thomas George, these bridges are under threat and options are being put forward for alternative uses.

Jane’s interest in the landscapes that surround her has travelled with her over the mountains to Portland.

She said that the undeveloped landscape and clear horizons, unmarred by miles of housing, made the beautiful village, with its gorgeous shopfronts a place she wanted to call home. She also added that, ‘In the winter light, Portland is amazing.’

Jane, a past finalist in the Mosman (chosen by Margaret Olley AC) and Paddington Art Prizes, is now a finalist in the 2014 Parliament Plein Air Painting Prize.

In late 2013 Jane and friend Sophie Potter Seeger, published an art book featuring her paintings and a heartfelt story about her blind, eyeless poodle

Early Morning Road to Portland. Oil on calico on board Finalist in the Norvill Landscape Painting Prize

Arnie, who was featured in a National Magazine in 2013 (Country Style Magazine). A percentage of sales from the book supports the RSPCA. Jane’s exhibition will be held at the Hope Tree Framing Art Space, 10 Station Street Wentworth Falls, Blue Mountains. For more information contact them on (02) 4757 4044 or look up Jane’s work at www.canfield.com.au.

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NEWS

Collits’ Inn ready to open its doors again

By Rich Evans Many locals know the story of the famous Collits’ Inn. The first wayside inn built after the crossing of the Blue Mountains, it offered accommodation for travellers & explorers alike, as well as serving as a watering hole for the local constabulary.

The inn, built by Pierce Collits in c. 1823, was first known as the Golden Fleece and was established to service those who travelled the first roads descending Mount York. It operated as an inn until the construction of Victoria Pass in 1832 and since then it has passed through various incarnations as a farm, a guesthouse and, of course, an inn.

Arriving at the property on Monday, it was easy to see why Pierce Collits chose the site to build the inn. The surrounds are stunning, and remain one of the main draw cards for the property. On the crisp autumn morning, the blue sky seemed to go forever above the towering presence of Mt York.

The inn has changed hands a few times over the years, and in 2005, during its incarnation as a French restaurant, it underwent extensive renovations of the highest quality, bringing the inn into the modern era, without losing any of its old world charm.

The most recent owners of Collits’ Inn were not restauranteurs and so the inn has remained largely closed to the public since 2008 - opening infrequently for functions, and mostly remaining under private ownership, not open for the public to enjoy. That however, is about to change.

Collits’ is about to open its doors once more as a dining and accommodation destination.

Local restauranteurs Chris & Cheryl Warren, the owners of CJ’s Good Food, have taken on the stewardship of the property, with an amazing vision of returning it to one of the sought out destinations for travellers and local foodies alike.

After a lifetime in busy restaurants and living in the heart of the town, this new chapter will be a

huge change of pace for Chris and Cheryl, but also an exciting new adventure. So far, both Chris and Cheryl seem to be enjoying it immensely.

“We had done some catering out here for events like weddings and things, it’s just a special place,” said Chris during our visit to Collits’ Inn. “We want to create a place where people know they can come for a quality meal and enjoy fresh local produce,” he added.

Chris and Cheryl’s son and daughter-in-law are now taking over the reigns in CJ’s to ensure it continues to be one of our regions favourite dining destinations. This will give Chris and Cheryl the chance to focus on the finishing touches to the inn and start letting the world know that Collits’ is open for business once again.

“We have some small things to finish off. The Barn, which we will use for big functions, like weddings, will be all done in the next few weeks, and the rooms are all ready to go now,” Chris advised.

There are strong hopes the Inn will once again become a haven for travellers from Sydney for weekend escapes, and once the word is out amongst the local community, getting a booking in Collits’ dining room should become a highly sought after commodity.

The old world charm of the building is still there with the open fireplace in the main dining room, and a renovation that has been sympathetic to the history of the building, whilst upgrading the facilities to modern standards.

One of the most exciting developments is the addition of the Chef’s table right beside the kitchen.

Anyone who has dined at CJ’s has, in all probability, had Chris come and join them at some stage in the evening with a glass of red - it’s just the kind of host he is. However, the opportunity to sit right beside the kitchen and watch a master at his craft prepare a meal, is something that many will be embracing.

The history of Collits’ Inn is rich, deep and full of adventure and there is no doubt this next chapter will give Collits’ an equally rich future. With Chris & Cheryl at the helm, it will be this season’s hot new destination.

For bookings and information call 0438 305 817.

Top Left: Collit’s Inn, Top Right: The refurbished Barn for functions, Above: Dining Room, Below: View of Collit’s from Mt York, all photos by Rich Evans

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NEWS

Can we evolve our deteriorating architecture into something inspiring and new?

By Rich Evans Disused urban spaces are scattered through every town in our region, and they range from small abandoned shops to large abandoned buildings such as the Portland Cement Works, the production and support buildings at the Lithgow Small Arms Factory site, and now the power station at Wallerawang. Whilst not all of these are suitable sites for urban renewal, a recent trip I took to the Carriageworks in Redfern opened my eyes to the fact that we could be doing a great deal more to make use of these spaces.

Many areas around our country suffer a similar syndrome. Towns built on an industrial past find themselves with assets that soon become both liabilities and blights on the landscape when the owners of buildings cannot afford to maintain them when they are not producing an income.

It is easy to say ‘someone has to do something,’ but the question is who?

What I saw at the carriage works facility, which was once the Everliegh Rail Yards and Maintenance workshops, was vision for how to turn industrial space into multi-use facilities that could house anything from the design conference that I attended on the weekend, to the markets that were on outside. The area is now a magnet for cultural events, conferences and expos.

It is clear that a region like Lithgow does not need 30 different spaces, however, recent tenanting of the Hoskins Building by the University of Western Sydney shows us that we can attract large businesses and institutions to our area if we are open to the idea of reinventing some of these spaces and giving them a new life.

And its not just down to big business to make the change. Other areas that have been successfully

reinvented, taking them something we can focus from their industrial past on going forward. into a brighter future, Giving some life to have seen a partnership vacant shops along Main between private owners, Street, or looking ahead philanthropic businesses with some vision for some and government agencies of these larger industrial to achieve a result for the Portland’s old cement works and the Carriageworks facility spaces means that, when whole community. One of the best examples is the the time comes and we do find partners that are Renew Newcastle program that sees the reuse of willing to fund these projects, we already know vacant shops and facilities utilised by local artists. what we want to do. If there is one thing I have The successful installation in the Lithgow always found to be true, the money always arrives.

Laneway with no name shows that we do have We just need to get the ball rolling. an art loving community, and perhaps this is

Appeal to hold back the cold for families doing it tough this winter Winter is a hard time for many, and especially for the most disadvantaged in society.

Some folk get hit on multiple fronts with low income; unemployment; food insecurity; ill health; disability; reduced access to social services; homelessness; housing insecurity & social isolation. Winter makes all those challenges even tougher.

Knowing the challenge, we’d like to lend a helping hand. To support those in need, St Paul’s in Lithgow & St Stephen’s in Portland are holding their annual Winter Appeal.

This isn’t just an appeal to those who are a part of the church – but a chance for the whole community to get involved and to help bring warmth to others this winter.

On Saturday June 14th, the two churches are collecting donations of non-perishable food, toiletries & clothes. Throughout the morning, anyone can take their donations to St Paul’s (8:30-11:30am) & St Stephen’s (9-11am). If you can’t drop by during those times because they don’t suit, you can arrange a different drop off by contacting the church office.

All those dropping off donations will be welcome to enjoy a cuppa as they drop off!

Collected goods will be given to Anglicare, who will ensure they get where they are needed. The goods that are donated form emergency assistance for people in need throughout the winter months. This year, according to Anglicare, it is the non-perishable food (rice & pasta, spreads & long-life milk etc) & basic toiletries (toothbrushes & shampoo etc) that are most needed. However, clothes will also be welcome.

We’d love anyone & everyone to donate & help bring warmth to people in need this winter.

To arrange an alternative drop off time, or to find out more about the Winter Appeal please contact the church office on (02) 6351 3070. follow us on facebook.com/thevillagevoicelithgow

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The Safer Drivers Course involves two modules: Module one: A three-hour facilitated group discussion on

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Module two: A two-hour in-vehicle coaching session to develop low-risk driving strategies. This will involve two participants and a coach. Course cost: $140 Participants must have completed 50 hours of actual on-road driving experience to be eligible for the course. Credits gained under the 3 for 1 scheme cannot be included.

Participants who complete the course will receive 20 hours credit recorded in their learner driver log book.

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COUNCIL UPDATES

Centroc Mayors go to Parliament House “Centroc (Central NSW Councils) represents 15 Councils in Central NSW. This is an area the same size as Tasmania with a bigger GDP. We work together on many matters that are important to our communities,” said Lithgow City Council Mayor, Councillor Maree Statham.

Representing the region, Mayor Statham and Deputy Mayor Ray Thompson will attend the Centroc Board meeting scheduled for this Thursday, 29 May 2014 to be held in Parliament House Sydney.

“The meeting is taking place on a Parliamentary sitting day and allows our members to have direct access to a number of ministers during the course of the day” said Mayor Statham.

“Being able to do this should be beneficial to Centroc as we play our part in assisting the NSW Government in their efforts to develop regional

areas through their policy of decentralization.”

“At the meeting we will be able to raise the issues of the region with relevant State Ministers.

This is being co-ordinated by Andrew Gee, the Member for Orange.”

“This is the second time we have gone to Parliament House and we would like to take the opportunity to thank the State for its delivery on commitments from last year and to raise issues around health, roads, water security, regional development, regional development and tourism,” said Mayor Statham “I would like to thank Mr Gee for his efforts, which has resulted in round tables with Ministers for the day.”

“I am especially pleased that Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner has accepted our invitation to officially open proceedings,” said Mayor Statham.

Award Nominations now open

Kremer Collaborative Park Kiosk Museums Refurbishment Online Project

The NSW/ACT Regional Achievement & Community Awards are now calling for nominations.

“The Awards provide an opportunity for community groups, businesses and individuals to receive recognition and acknowledgement for a job well done. By nominating someone you know achieving socially, economically or environmentally, we can showcase the valuable assets of our community - our people” said Lithgow City Council Mayor, Councillor Maree Statham.

Nominations are in the following categories: • The Crown Lands Crown Reserve Trust Corporate Manager Award • The Crown Lands Crown Reserve Trust Community Managers Award • The Prime Super Community of the Year Award Over 15,000 in Population Award • The Prime Super Community of the Year Award Under 15,000 in Population Award • The Peabody Environment and Landcare Award • The Dobija World Events & Tourism Award • The Elite Coatings Regional Service Award Winners will receive either $5,000 thank to the Commonwealth Bank or Television Advertising on PRIME7. As major prize patrons, PRIME7 and The Commonwealth Bank will be presenting all winners with the hand crafted glass trophy.

If you would like more information on how to nominate an individual, business or community project; or be nominated yourself; pick up an enquiry form from your local Commonwealth Bank branch.

Winners will be announced in Wagga Wagga at the Gala Presentation at the Wagga Wagga RSL on Saturday 1st November 2014.

The NSW and ACT Regional Achievement & Community Awards are proudly supported by The Land Newspaper, and Angove Family Winemakers.

For more information or nomination forms please contact the Awards Office on 1300 735 445 or visit the website at www.awardsaustralia.com.

Nominations close 31st July 2014.

Refurbishment work to the Kiosk area has commenced at Kremer Park, Portland.

The refurbishment consists of the removal and replacement of the bench tops, the removal of the old centre island fridge and replacement with a central serving bench with appropriate shelving, repainting of the interior, removal of old appliances, a new entrance door and a security screen door.

“Kremer Park is used by junior and senior sporting groups and also schools for sports days and carnivals and this much needed upgrade of the existing facility will provide many benefits to the community of Portland and beyond” said Lithgow City Mayor, Councillor Maree Statham.

To date, the refurbishment has been very well received by users and the internal refurbishment is due to be completed by mid June 2014. Further works will take place on the exterior of the building, including the replacement of the existing roof with new colorbond sheeting, removal and replacement of the exterior walls and guttering and replacement of the old shutters with a more modern sliding shutter. Works to the exterior are expected to be completed by the end of August 2014.

“These works represent Council’s commitment to further improving local infrastructure now and into the future” concluded Mayor Statham.

Working together to support, celebrate and expand the social and cultural diversity of our community whilst promoting healthy, active lifestyles in a safe environment and ensuring sustainable and planned growth through the provision of effective public and private transport options and suitable entertainment and recreational facilities to enhance the lifestyle choices of the community are is a part of Council’s strategy to Care for our Community in the Community Strategic Plan 2026.

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“Like the other Mayors of the region I am also looking forward to seeing the Hon Paul Toole, Minister for Local Government. He was also on the Centroc Board when Mayor of Bathurst and I know this region is very interested in his views on Local Government reform,” said Mayor Statham “We are also working the Hon John Cobb to hold a similar round table in Canberra. We hope to take feedback from the State meeting to the Federal meeting”.

“The State and Federal Governments like to see councils working together. We Mayors do that really well on the Centroc Board and so I hope to capitalise on this to get the infrastructure and services our community needs,” concluded Mayor Statham.

Eskbank House and Museum has joined with the Lithgow Museums Network, ABC Open and the PCYC Lithgow Photography Group to display historically significant objects received from the Lithgow public on the “Object Stories” online museum.

On International Museums Day Sunday held on 18 May 2014, the community was invited to bring treasures from home to Eskbank House to have them assessed, photographed and uploaded to the online museum “Object Stories”. Many of the objects brought along on the day have been included on the website and the story they tell of Lithgow is fascinating.

There were several objects made clandestinely at the Small Arms Factory and a set of convict leg irons from the estate of Andrew Brown. There were books with special inscriptions which had been passed down through generations and two special dresses were displayed, one worn by the flower girl who gave flowers to the Queen on her visit to Lithgow in 1954 and a night dress worn by children in the same family in the Lithgow area for over 100 years.

“Thanks to this project, this history of Lithgow is now available for the whole world to share,” said Lithgow City Council Mayor Maree Statham.

“I encourage you all to have a look at the website and to think about what treasures you might have at home to share with others.”

The photos and stories can be viewed at https://open.abc.net.au/ projects/object-stories29ff4ez#/discover

Council supplies us with many updates each week. We have chosen to put them all in one spot so you can find them easily and see what is relevant for you. submit your stories and read more at villagevoice.net.au

LOCAL BUSINESS

Surviving in modern retail

Michael Todd is the Small Biz Connect Advisor – Penrith Valley BEC. He services clients all through the mountains and can be reached on 02 4721 5011.

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Keeping shop isn’t so simple anymore.

However, assuming you have great, fair priced, products on offer with enough width and depth of range to keep customers happy, then it’s just a matter of keeping your eye on the future and following a few golden rules: Know your target customer. If you don’t understand your core customer, you will fly blind and are likely to fail. Map out your trade area so you know where they come from.

Every few years, analyse factual demographic data within your target trade area to get hard evidence on population, households, age, ethnicity and income expenditure levels over time. Plan for changes as they are happening, before they make an impact on your business.

Monitor all major and minor activity areas.

Activity is the people and people mean customers.

Study local habits and patterns because we are all habitual, but habits can change often.

Evaluate competition properly and constantly.

Most retailers think they are unique, but the majority are not. Your business must impact the competition enough to draw sales away from them to make yours more profitable. In some over-saturated markets, competition is such a significant factor that it will make or break your business.

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Stay in touch with new technology. These days, new developments to streamline the way businesses work are being introduced daily.

We have mobile applications, new point of sale equipment and online staff training options which can benefit you and your staff.

Realistically estimate potential sales and expenses every day, week, month and importantly, season. Use this budget to track against actual results. You may be surprised at how small losses of a few dollars a day add up into major problems over the longer term.

With rising rents and staff costs affecting your bottom line, the challenge to be smarter becomes important to your business’ livelihood. Time and money spent in staying ahead of the competition and driving the market in directions that suit you is a great investment. Keeping on top of the important things will ensure you keep on top of your competition.

Have you got questions about your business that you would like to have answered? Send us your questions to editor@villagevoice.net.au and we will pass them on to our business experts for you.

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LOCAL BUSINESS

Gain control of your life with Time Management Photo: shutterstock.com

By Ben Fewtrell, Action Coach Australia One of the most common things I hear when I talk to business people is that there are not enough hours in the day.

You hear the words “time management” all of the time but I’m not a believer in time management, I’m a believer in self-management.

It’s about understanding what it is that’s taking up your time, and working out how to stop doing the things that are not productive or are taking you away from achieving your goals, and start focusing in on the things that are going to make a real difference.

Remember, time’s one of those resources that’s non-renewable. Money… at least if you spend all your money, you can always make some more.

But once you’ve spent your time, it’s gone forever.

So if you’re not investing your time in the right

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areas in your business, then you’re wasting time.

It’s that simple.

The first thing is to do is to identify each of the tasks and determine which of the 4 categories they fit in to.

NOT URGENT AND NOT IMPORTANT – DISTRACTIONS: For example, a friend ringing up just to have a chat. Not urgent, not important and you’ve got to be very disciplined and say, “No, I can’t do that right now, I need to be focused on getting my task done.”

URGENT BUT NOT IMPORTANT – DELUSION: Avoidance behaviour. For example; you’ll make things up and make them urgent even though they’re not important so you don’t have to do something else that you don’t really want to do.

URGENT AND IMPORTANT: All the things that demand your time. To be successful in business you have to work out how to delegate all the demand activities to other people so your business doesn’t rely just on you.

IMPORTANT BUT NOT URGENT – THE ZONE!: The things that are important but not urgent… all the things you know you should be doing in your business that you’re not. They’re usually

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things that are important but not urgent. They’re not things that your customers are going to pull you up for. If you don’t have a marketing plan you’re customers aren’t going to go, “Hey, where’s your marketing plan?” But if you don’t deliver their product they’re going to say, “Where’s my product?”

By understanding and being able to identify all the tasks that you do in a week, you can start to see how much of your time is spent in each area.

If you get to the end of the day and feel like you’ve done nothing, that’s probably because you’re working in a lot of the areas that aren’t being very productive, or in the demand area. The time you’ll feel like you’ve accomplished the most is when you take time out, an afternoon a week, to write your business plan, your system’s manual, whatever it is.

When you’re working on your business you’re going to get better results.

Ben Fewtrell is CEO of ActionCOACH Australia where he and his team have helped thousands of small business owners realise their potential – making more profit while spending less time working.

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For further information contact the LBA via their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ lithgowbusinessassociation

http://www.lithgowbusiness.com.au

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YOUR HOME

Taking it with a grain of salt

By Charles Tarbey, Chairman and Owner of Century 21 Australasia In early 2012, those already invested in the Australian property market may have been made to feel slightly uneasy by commentary predicting prices would fall by up to 60 per cent in 2013.

Individuals focusing on other investment markets may have breathed a sigh of relief, happy to now wait until the decline had passed before entering the market at a better time.

As we now know, 2013 actually saw a strong recovery in the Australian property market, with values finishing the calendar year 9.8 per cent higher and property values in Australia currently sitting 16.1 per cent higher than the start of the current growth cycle which started in June 2012.

These days everyone has an opinion on the state of the Australian property market – and the louder and more panic-inducing the comments are, the more attention they are likely to receive.

The important thing to remember is that if you predict a market collapse every single year, one year you are bound to be right. This can encourage people to continually try to predict movements in markets they may not have relevant insight into; to one day be able to say ‘I told you so.’

Another thing to consider is the context and timing of when data appears and to remember that

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data is often historical, and doesn’t necessarily represent a picture of where the market will go.

This is not at all to say that informative websites such as the Australian Bureau of Statistics or RP Data are providing incorrect statistics. These sites are hugely useful and credible resources for looking at pricing information and property trends, which might then be used in guiding more informed purchasing and selling decisions.

Another limitation of the data is that it is affected by a range of operational factors in addition to the movement of the market. For example, Christmas is a period of downtime for many Australian businesses – and the analytics industry is not immune to this. This is why traditionally the January/February periods often records low levels of activity, while March can appear to experience a slight uptick. Such fluctuations are not necessarily caused by what’s happening in the market, but are rather impacted by the low levels of data provided during quieter periods.

Instead of paying too close attention to these often conflicting opinions and data points, it’s best to focus on doing your own research, talking to agents and listening to reliable commentators and forming your own thoughts about events in the property market.

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Charles Tarbey is the Chairman and Owner of CENTURY 21 Australasia. He is regarded as one of the leading property experts in Australia with a huge amount of experience and knowledge from a lifetime of real estate involvement.

“These days everyone has an opinion on the state of the Australian property market – and the louder and more panic-inducing the comments are, the more attention they are likely to receive.”

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Approximately 10 years young this 4 bedroom brick veneer home offers great value in today’s market. Airy open plan dinning/living with separate lounge, neat kitchen and bathroom. Built in wardrobes to all bedrooms. Single garage UMR. Ducted gas heating.

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This outstanding property offers you a chance to secure your own spacious traditional style country homestead set on a perfectly private and peaceful 5 acres complete with separate double lock up garage, large multi-purpose rural shed, huge spring fed dam, water tanks, landscaped gardens and town water supply. The first and lasting impression is one of a true family home, whilst providing perfect comfort it blends the best of indoor/outdoor living and to optimise enjoyment of the rural vista.

One Agency Graham Hodson | Address: 72 Main St,Lithgow NSW 2790 Phone: 02 6351 3422 | Mobile: 0416 210 661 Email: grahamhodson@oneagency.com.au | Web: www.oneagencygrahamhodson.com.au follow us on facebook.com/thevillagevoicelithgow

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YOUR HOME

The great stripe hype!

By Maddie Risby, Bianca Villa A trendy great way to add some style & uniqueness to your home is to decorate it using stripes. Stripes are becoming a great tool for designing & styling a room, and are an amazing way to make a room pop. There are various ways to use stripes throughout your home.

Using stripes on furniture pieces, like an accent chair for example, is the most stylish way to make a room stand out. This is particularly great when the room has a neutral or white theme. Another way to use stripes is to create a feature wall in a room using wallpaper with a striped pattern on it.

This is a bold way to make a room stand out and goes great with funky coloured pieces of furniture.

Incorporating stripes into the lounge room is as easy as adding a cushion with striped patterns on it. You can also use a throw with a striped or chevron pattern to bring something different to the room. A striped rug would also be a great option. Also a fun way to jazz up a room is to purchase a striped light fitting or lamp.

The larger the space, the wider the stripes should be. Thin stripes in a big area can look silly & strange from far away and when in a small area bold stripes can claustrophobic. Horizontal stripes are a great way to create a retro feel to a room while vertical stripes can help create a more masculine look to compliment a man’s taste. Multi-coloured stripes are great for a kid’s room to create a happy & fun environment.

Chucking in some adorable home décor will

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help finish off any room. You can use striped decorating trays, bowls, wall art or even a cute little ottoman with a striped design on it. Bedspreads are also a lovely way to brighten up a bedroom without overdoing it. Just remember to try not to clash the wrong colours together and avoid over using the stripes.

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YOUR HOME

Your options for selling your property

By Elisabeth Mangoulias, House & Home Real Estate A residential property cannot be advertised for sale until a Contract of Sale has been prepared.

The draft Contract of Sale must be available for inspection at your agent’s office during the listing period of a property. Keep in mind though, a rural property of over 20 hectares in size is able to be advertised without a contract. It is still important that you consult your solicitor or conveyancer about preparing the contract as soon as you think of listing your property for sale, to make sure that everything is in order prior to advertising and in the case of a rural property, that you are prepared and can move as quickly as possible with your sale.

The property contract must contain a copy of the title documents, drainage diagram and a current Zoning Certificate (s 149) issued by your local council. If your property has a swimming pool or spa pool, a copy of either of the following must also be attached to the contract from 29 April 2015; • a valid swimming pool Certificate of Compliance, or • a relevant occupation certificate (less than three years old and that authorises the use of the swimming pool) and evidence that the swimming pool has been registered.

All property exclusions if any must also be included and a statement of the purchasers cooling off rights must also be attached to the property sales contract.

If any of the above documents fail to be attached, the purchaser may be entitled to withdraw their agreement to purchase at any time within 14 days of exchange, unless settlement has already occurred.

When selling your property, there are three main strategies that your real estate agent will recommend, which are as follows:

Private Treaty Some of the benefits of selling your property by private treaty include: • You set the price.

• A fixed price makes it easy for purchasers and sometimes more attractive as they don’t need to ‘guess’ your desired sale price and can determine if this is in their price range and therefore make an offer based on your desired selling price.

• Your can adjusted the sales price throughout the marketing stage.

• You get feedback on your property.

• Purchasers might be more comfortable with a cooling-off period, unlike auction.

Photo: shutterstock.com

• Marketing costs are normally lower.

• Most simple and flexible method of sale.

Auction Some of the benefits of selling your property by auction include: • Auctions can attract more buyers to your property because they aren’t put off by an asking price.

• There is no set sale price so you have the opportunity to achieve a price beyond your expectations.

• You are protected by your reserve price. This means your property won’t sell unless the bidding reaches a pre-agreed price set by you. You can adjust your reserve price on the day of the auction if it is not reached.

• A set date creates a sense of urgency to buy the property.

• Auctions produce an unconditional contract for sale. A deposit is payable on the day and settlement is normally 30 days following.

Tender - (selling your property to the highest bidder) Some of the benefits of selling your property by tender include: • Tender allows the purchaser to place their highest offer to you for consideration without the stress and intimidation

possibly felt in the scenario of an auction.

• Tender enables you to keep the price you may accept for your property discreet.

• Let’s the market dictate the price purchasers are prepared to pay for your property.

• A tender sale has a closing date to create a sense of urgency in the buying process and can generate competition between purchasers for your property.

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YOUR HOME

Erysimum’s or Wallflowers

By Barbara Moran, Good Earth If you have a little space in your garden where you need some colour then why not plant an Erysimum. Formerly listed under Cheiranthus and commonly known as wallflowers these little shrubs will bring long-lasting colour to your garden.

Erysimums, or wallflowers, have simple, narrow, green to blue-green leaves and are mostly evergreen. The flowers can range widely across a warm spectrum from mauve, apricot, yellow and crimson and the hybrid varieties often can extend the colour even further.

It is said that the old genus name, Cheiranthus, meaning hand-flower, refers to a custom dating to the Middle Ages when the flowers were often carried in the hand at festivals and events.

The vernacular name, ‘wallflower’, however is more prosaic. Erysimums are often grown best in loose dry soil with very good draining and, as such, have been know to do very well in loose wall mortar, making the name literal, rather than metaphorical.

Bowles’ Mauve is an award winning variety with mauve flowers, set off against grey green leaves.

This wallflower blooms over a long season, and has been known to survive all winter in warmer coastal areas. Here in Lithgow, where the winters are cold, it may fair better indoors.

Fragrant Sunshine, another wallflower worth highlighting, has a cheery yellow colour that will brighten any garden. With dark green leaves, this erysimum is perfect for rock gardens, or the borders of hot, sunny gardenbeds.

Last, but not least, one of the old time favourites Winter Joy will flower for many months of the year and the flower colour ranges from mauve to a dark orange. The Winter Joy has ever green foliage that can make it through the winter unscathed, especially if planted in a sheltered location, and will add to your winter garden.

If you have the space these continuous little bloomers will not disappoint you. If cared for,

they can flower through winter, spring, summer and autumn.

Wallflowers do require some deadheading to remove the spent flowers and a regular feed to encourage more blossoms, but if looked after they can survive for some years. It is also possible to propagate the flowers from the woody stems in spring, which means you can have the same varieties in your garden for years.

They are often available in punnets or single pots, while for varieties such as Bowles Mauve can be purchased in 14cm pots.

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WHAT’S ON

Degustation: the art of tasting Last Friday evening was the night for the first Switchback Restaurant Degustation Dinner at the Zig Zag Motel.

With over 30 local food lovers in attendance the night was destined to be a great success.

Managers, Anthony Beard and Cassie Baker, said they wanted to put on a night to showcase the talents of their chef, Ty Hardin, and introduce the diners to a full range of wines available from their partnership with Robert Oatley Wines.

The Robert Oatley wines and the chef’s talents were front and centre during the evening, with seven courses served in total, and a separate wine paired with each.

Representatives from Robert Oatley attended the dinner, with Winemaker, Marc Udy and Account Manager, Brian Barnes, joining the other diners in enjoying the meal. Both Marc and Brian were willing to share their expertise, expanding on an informative powerpoint that showed throughout the meal, highlighting the characteristics of the wines that accompanied each course.

The meal started with a pepper gazpacho, and continued from there, with each course bringing something new to the table. Some notable courses included the braised pork belly with ginger & lychee jelly, & spicy cashew butter and a final berry sorbet that was the perfect palate cleanser.

Other courses included a lobster tail in a sake broth, roasted lamb rump, almond pannacotta, and a prosciutto wrapped scallop.

The service was great, and the meal highly enjoyable. Conversation was vibrant, and the presentation of the room was excellent. All in all, it was a great night out.

Top: Rosted Lamb Rump, Middle: prosciutto wrapped scallops Chef Ty, Cassie Baker, Anthony Beard

Last chance to see the Fiddler Based on Sholem Aleichem stories by special permission of Arnold Perl

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This weekend will be the last chance to see the Lithgow Musical Society perform Fiddler on the Roof.

The show, which is already garnering excellent reviews, finishes with an evening performance on Saturday, so if you haven’t been to see the show, now is the time to book your tickets.

This season has been very strong, with Sharon Lewis saying that numbers are up on the shows from last year. She said it was great to see people coming to support local entertainment, and hopes the community support continues to grow.

This may be the last chance to see Fiddler on the Roof, but the Musical Society is already busy planning their next performance. Auditions for their next musical Annie will be held after the June/July school holidays, so keep an eye out for more information about Annie over the next few months.

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WHAT’S ON

Chance for aspiring amateur musicians to perform

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“Music doesn't lie. If there is something to be changed in this world, then it can only happen through music.”

Jimi Hendrix

By Rich Evans Much has been written in these pages about my love for live music. It is one of the many great passions in my life. I love nothing more than spending a night watching a band perform, often bands I don’t know, and often in small intimate venues.

The only thing that is higher up the enjoyment ladder for me is actually performing. If you have heard my little radio bit with Craig Ross on 2LT over the last few weeks, this will come as no surprise.

I have been playing guitar since I was six years old and it is something that I enjoy immensely to this very day. However, the chance to play with other musicians is all too rare these days, with life getting in the way of fun on many occasions.

Thankfully, Lithgow has options for musicians like myself, such as the Courthouse Music sessions, on this Sunday from 4pm, and the Open Mic afternoon at the Imperial Hotel in Portland every second Sunday from 4pm.

Both events offer musicians of any level the chance to perform, you certainly don’t need to be a pro, and the supportive groups at each of the venues helps you gain that all important experience which does more for your performance than any amount of practicing behind closed doors.

The variety of music played at these events ranges from country, to blues, to rock and everything in between, often with a great mix of old favourites as well as original compositions from many of the performers.

Convenor of the Portland event, Cil Van Der Velden, has a long history of organising these events in conjunction with the Songwriter Society of Australia.

“By having our event away from the main bar, offers a safe environment for people to come along and just have a go,” she said.

All genres and performers are welcome at either event, so just turn up with your instrument, plug in and play. Who knows, I may even see you there.

Kids eat free Wednesday & Sunday Nights

Now Open For Lunch & Dinner Sundays * Each child under 12 must be accompanied by a full paying adult Free choices from kids menu only No vouchers or other offers.

Got plans? Here is what’s on around town.

Lithgow Workies Bingo - weekdays 11:05am Evenings (Tuesday/Thursday) 7pm Saturdays 1:45pm

Imperial Hotel Friday Nights - Charity Raffle 2nd Sunday of the month - Singer Songwriter from 4pm

Courthouse Hotel Friday - DJ HEWZ from 9:30pm Saturday - Allied Rock from 9:30pm Sunday - Music Sessions from 4pm

Coronation Hotel Thursday Nights - Trivia from 7:30pm

Lithgow Hotel Wednesday Nights - Karaoke from 8:30pm Thursday Nights - Trivia from 7:30pm Commercial Hotel Thursday Nights - Trivia from 7:30pm Friday Nights - Joker Poker from 7:30pm

Want to get your gigs listed in this section?

Then just give us a call, the Village Voice is a big supporter of local live entertainment. Let us know what is on, when it’s on and we will get the word out there for you.

Email us details to editor@villagevoice.net.au or call (02) 6355 4258

follow us on facebook.com/thevillagevoicelithgow

41 Williwa Street Portland NSW 2847

(02) 6355 5307

www.the-coro.com Present this coupon when dining

17

WHAT’S ON Monthly Local Market Guide Name

Date

Time Address

Contact

Lions Flea Market

1st Saturday of the Month

8:30am - 1:30pm

Lions Club Dr, Kelso

(02) 6337 1203

Mudgee Anglican Church Market

1st Saturday of the Month

9:00am - 1:00pm

6 Church St, Mudgee

(02) 6372 2336

Oberon Tablelands Way Country Markets

1st Saturday of the Month

8:00am - 12:00pm

104 Oberon St, Oberon

(02) 6335 5241

Bathurst Flea Markets

1st Sunday of the Month

7:00am - 1:00pm

Russell St, Bathurst

(02) 6331 5453

Blackheath Community Market

1st Sunday of the Month

9:00am - 1:00pm

Blackheath Public School

(02) 4787 7599

Leura First Sunday Market

1st Sunday of the Month

9:00am - 2:00pm

Leura Public School

0432 021 863

Portland Tidy Towns Market

1st Saturday of the Month

9:00am - 2:00pm

Williwa St, Portland

Mudgee Lions Club Lawson Park Market

2nd Saturday of the Month

8:00am - 1:00pm

Lawson Park, Mudgee

Rylstone Artisan & Produce Markets 2nd Saturday of the Month 9:00am - 1.30pm

Memorial Hall, Louee Street, Rylstone

(02) 6379 6202

Masonic Markets Portland 2nd Sunday of the month 9:00am - 1:00pm

Mason Hall on Wolgan Street Portland

0429 825 004

Bathurst Showground Markets

Kendall Avenue, Bathurst

(02) 6331 3175

2nd Sunday of the Month

9:00am - 1:00pm

Blackheath Growers Market 2nd Sunday of the Month 9:00am - 1:00pm Great Western Hwy

& Gardiner Crescent, Blackheath

(02) 4572 6260

Katoomba Craft Market 2nd Sunday of the Month 9:00am - 2:00pm

St. Canice’s Catholic Church Hall, 158 Katoomba Street

(02) 4782 7672

Kandos Market

3rd Saturday of the Month 9:00am - 1:00pm

Angus Ave & Jaques St, Kandos

(02) 6379 4380

Mudgee Farmers Market

3rd Saturday of the Month

57 Market St, Mudgee

0407 837 739

8:00am - 1:00pm

Blackheath Arts & Crafts Market 3rd Sunday of the Month 10:00am - 3:00pm Community Hall,

Great Western Hwy Blackheath

(02) 4782 7672

Capertee Markets

3rd Sunday of every Month

Castlereagh Hwy Capertee (02) 6359 0054

Bathurst Region Farmers Market

4th Saturday of the Month

8:00am - 12:00pm

Kendall Ave, Bathurst

(02) 6368 1104

Gulgong Markets

4th Saturday of the Month

8.30am

Mudgee

0447 417 741

Cooerwull School (Primary) Main Street

0429 829 547

Lithgow Regional Markets 4th Sunday of the Month

GET YOUR MARKET LISTED HERE

Please Note: Information has been gathered from 3rd party resources, and may not be accurate. Please contact event co-ordinator to ensure event is still on. If you would like to include your event in this listing, please contact editor@villagevoice.net.au with details.

The art of photography The PCYC Lithgow Photography Group meets on the third Tuesday of every month at the PCYC, Hoskins Avenue, Lithgow. Each month members submit images relating to a chosen subject which are displayed on a board. The subject for the month of May was “body parts” and the winner was Robyn Collins with her charming baby’s feet photo.

Other activities include interesting presentations from other photographers and recently David Spillane gave a talk and demonstration on how to successfully cut mats (mounts) for photographs.

The Photography Group has run the first of a very successful series of photographic workshops during the month of May. Local photographer, David Rawsthorne gave a “Star Trails” workshop at the Blast Furnace; Philip Ramsden gave a presentation and hands-on workshop on macro photography; Ron Irving’s “Understanding Your Camera” answered questions for many people about how to drill down into the never-ending menus in their cameras and the last workshop on HDR (High Dynamic Range) Photography

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was given by Steve Mullarkey on 31 May. The Photography Group hopes to make the month of May photography month in Lithgow – a great initiative for tourism in our area.

The PCYC Lithgow Photography Group holds an annual exhibition and this year LithgowFoto 2014 will be from 4-29 June at Eskbank House.

Other activities include monthly excursions and photography discovery walks.

The photo to the left is “waiting for the wind” by club memebr and local photography enthusiast Robyn Collins that she took at the Macro Workshop by Phil Ramsden held on Saturday 17 May 2014.

For further information, please contact Wendy Hawkes, wendyannehawkes@hotmail. com - 0400 360 355

submit your stories and read more at villagevoice.net.au

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS

Community Noticeboard

Cullen Bullen Tidy Towns would like to invite you to the Official Opening of the Skip Line on the 5th June, 10am. The opening will be followed by morning tea at the hall.

The Courthouse Hotel hold their monthly music sessions get together this weekend at the Courthouse Hotel.

From 4pm Sunday till late.

All welcome to come along and play or just listen. Bar Snacks Provided.

The Portland Spring Fair committee is calling out for volunteers to assist with the annual Spring Fair in October.

If you would like to be involved please email info@myportland .com.au with your detalis and they wiill get in touch.

Willing Workers

The Wallerawang Junior Rugby League Club are holding their Annual Ball on Saturday 31st May at Wallerawang Bowling Club, Mackenzie St Wallerawang. Cost is $30 per ticket which includes a meal and entertainment by The West Brothers. The dress is formal and the theme this year is “BLUE” so come in your finest blue attire.

If you have a community or charity event to promote, please send it to us via email - editor@ villagevoice.net.au and we will include it here for you.

There is no cost for community announcements, it’s our way of helping you get the word out about the good work you are doing.

JOBS GUIDE

Your Local Guy Handyman Services The Small Job Expert

Good Old Fashioned Values and Service - just around the corner!

Painting Gyprock Carpentry Pressure Cleaning Door & Lock Fitting

Decking Gardening Irrigation Lawn Mowing Rubbish Removal

Gutter Cleaning Fencing Glazing + 100’s of other jobs you don’t have time for!

Call for a free quote and remember - we offer pensioner discounts!

Call Guy on 0490 10-22-41

Are you looking for a tutor for your children?

Kindergarten to Year 12 - Mrs Gleeson Ph: 0414 276 999 Advertise your job with us and reach 7000 Lithgow Homes Every week, not to mention over 500 online viewers.

Contact Kellie on sales@villagevoice.net.au or Phone 6355 4258 to place your job ad from just $21 per week follow us on facebook.com/thevillagevoicelithgow

Lithgow Community Transport is a not for profit organisation that is staffed mainly by volunteers. Presently, we are growing quickly, so we have some vacancies for volunteers. We offer well maintained vehicles for you to drive as well as generous reimbursement for your out of pocket expenses. If you would like to become a volunteer, please call Kathy at Lithgow Community Transport on 6352 2146

WANTED: Book Keeper The Village Voice is looking for an experienced book keeper for a parttime role.

You must be familiar with online accounting software such as freshbooks and xero, be detail focussed and able to attend our office in Portland.

Role would suit someone with previous experience, or a local book keeping service looking for a new client.

Email editor@villagevoice.net.au for further details or call us on (02) 6355 4258.

19

PUZZLES

Puzzle Time!

Welcome to our all new puzzles page. There is a great deal of scientific evidence supporting the old adage ‘if you do not use it you lose it,’ so we decided, in the interest of keeping us all sharp in the mind, we would bring to you a range of puzzles each week for your enjoyment.

The crossword does not, perhaps, rival the New York Times, however, the einstein level Sudoku had everyone in our office challenged until we cracked out the answer sheet.

The answers to all puzzles will be published in the following week’s edition, so be sure to look out for the answers to this week’s puzzles next week.

Let us know if there are other puzzles you would enjoy and we will see what we can organise for you.

Rich Evans.

Crossword ACROSS 1. Untitled 4. Reproductive organ 7. Circus performer 8. Of past times 9. Provided with personnel 12. Thought of 15. Physically demanding 17. Rasping 18. Egg shapes 21. Fatigued 22. Singer, Buddy ...

23. Absorbed (water) DOWN 1. Utmost 2. Climb 3. Adds soundtrack 4. Upon 5. Enduring 6. Tired reflex 10.Finger or toe 11. Giggle 13. Relied 14. Sun umbrella 16. Underground hollow 18. Solemn vow 19. Move to & fro 20. Money rolls

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Get all the answers in next weeks Village Voice to see how you did!

submit your stories and read more at villagevoice.net.au

YOUR FAMILY

Fibre Facts

Winter Sports

Interesting links between fibre and the immune system

By Sara McKinney, Anytime Fitness Lithgow

Photo: shutterstock.com

By Carol Stevens, Lithgow Physiotherapy Australia is a sports-loving nation, as both participants and spectators. Australia’s mild winters mean that in most parts of Australia, participation in outdoor exercise and sports can occur all year round. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), over 60% of Australians participate in sports and exercise programs.

The Medibank Private Safe Sports Report found that their member’s main motivation to exercise were: general health and fitness, weight loss, to have fun and enjoy social benefits The report also revealed that ‘individual’ rather than ‘team-based’ activities were the most popular. This is consistent with published data from the ABS Year Book. Walking, aerobics, fitness, swimming and golf ranked among the top five participation sports/physical activities.

According to the Monash University Accident Research Centre approximately 5.2 million Australians suffer a sports-related injury each year! Surveys indicate that the most common injuries are to the knee, ankle, foot, back and shoulder.

Statistically, sports injuries peak in the months of May, June and July. This is not surprising because cold muscles, tendons and ligaments increase your risk of sustaining injury.

The fear of sustaining a sports injury should not deter someone from participating in winter exercise/sport. Regular exercise has been shown to reduce the probability of developing heart disease, diabetes, mental illness and many types

of cancer (particularly breast and colon cancer).

The benefits certainly outweigh the risks.

Dr Peter Larkins is a noted sports medicine specialist (as well as being an Olympic athlete and media personality) in Australia.

In order to reduce the risk of a winter sports injury, Dr Larkins recommends: • Get the correct advice on the right activity program for you • Warm up and cool down • Have the correct equipment for your activity • Begin slowly and gradually build up to the challenge • Keep hydrated • Listen to your body • Give yourself one or two recovery days each week • Rest an injury, don’t try to ‘work through’ the pain Progress at your own pace and don’t overdo it Before beginning any exercise program, it is advised that you visit with your Physiotherapist, especially if you have had a previous injury or musculoskeletal condition. Your physiotherapist is trained to assess/evaluate your body and offer valuable advice to assist you in preventing winter sports injuries.

Regular exercise and Physiotherapy care are recommended for a healthy lifestyle.

Fibre has many benefits, its main role being to keep the digestive system healthy. What many of us don’t realise is that fibre can be extremely beneficial for the health and maintenance of our immune system.

Many people know that fibre is important for keeping us regular, however, they don’t know that fibre can keep certain inflammatory diseases at bay, such as asthma and type 1 diabetes.

In Western diets, we have slowly started to consume less and less fibre, and as a result are losing the benefits that come with it. Fibre triggers the production of immune molecules in the gut. Studies have found that short-chain fatty acids, produced by the fermentation of fibre in the colon, bind to a genetically determined protein receptor that can regulate the body’s natural anti-inflammatory response.

It is important to include soluble fibres in your daily diet. They support the health of the colon and the immune system, maintaining healthy amounts of positive bowel bacteria. The fibre should come from a variety of sources including, grains, fruits, vegetables and seeds. A simple day including all of these sources would include for example, a bowl of oats for breakfast sprinkled with linseed and almonds, an apple or banana with your mid- morning coffee or tea, a salad sandwich on wholegrain bread for lunch, an orange and some mixed nuts for afternoon tea, and a dinner made up of meat, various vegetables, and a small serve of wholemeal pasta or sweet potato on the side.

Make sure you are getting enough in your diet each day, and getting the right amount of nutrients to maintain optimal health. Keeping the types of fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and seeds varied each day is key. Do some research for some great recipes that include a balanced combination of each and you are set to fight all colds and flu this coming winter!

Sara McKinney is a Personal Trainer and the Manager of Anytime Fitness Lithgow

Carol Stevens is a Physiotherapist at Lithgow Physiotherapy - Phone: 02 6352 2288 www.lithgowphysiotherapy.com.au

Got health & fitness questions? email us at editor@villagevoice.net.au

STILL BULK BILLING - NO CO-PAYMENTS CHARGED - BUSINESS AS USUAL Dr Shawki: Mon- Friday 9am - 5pm.

Skin Cancer Clinic: Tue 2 - 5pm Pathology: Weekdays from 8:30 - 11:30am

Get the medical advice & services you and your family deserve!

Psychologist: Weekly Podiatrist: Fortnightly Diabetic Educator & Dietician: Fortnightly

PORTLAND

MEDICAL PRACTICE For Appointments

Call 63 555 174 20 Green St, Portland

Reg. Nurse Accredited for Pap smear & womens health

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21

YOUR FAMILY

How to create a Lolly Buffett

Photo: shutterstock.com

By Lane Crowe & Laura Collins, Partie Boutique Choose the size

The first thing to decide on is the size of your Lolly Buffet which depends on the number of guests you will be having. As a general guide we recommend to allow around 150 to 200 grams of lollies per guest. For example, if you are having 80 guests you will need approximately 12 to 16 kilograms of lollies or for 100 guests it would be 15 to 20 kilograms and so on.

We recommend to stick to the upper amounts if you are having take home packs for your guests.

This will allow for some guests taking more than others and also leaving a little extra for display in the jars.

Choose your lollies

The next step would actually be to choose the type of lollies you would like to use in your buffet and based on the number of varieties chosen you can work out how many glass jars you will

need. Most people choose the lollies based on their colour theme, whether it is a single colour or a combination of two different colours. For example an all pink Lolly Buffet or a Pink and White Lolly Buffet…both look equally as stunning.

Some people choose rainbow colours or pastel colours for their Buffets. The choices are endless we do however recommend sticking to two or a maximum of three colours to create a visually appealing impression. If you would like to use more than three colours then perhaps a Rainbow themed, bright or pastel, buffet should be considered.

To create an impact and a visually appealing Lolly Buffet we recommend choosing between eight and ten different types of lollies. This will not only allow for different tastes but also provide an ability to combine colour themes whilst still giving your guests a variety of sweets.

Choose your vessels

and colours of lollies you will be using, you need to decide on the glassware to display your sweet selection of lollies and create a visually appealing Lolly Table.

Anything can be used from small glass bowls and martini glasses to the decorative apothecary jars with lids. Your imagination is the only limit.

The glassware does not all have to match in order to create a stunning Sweet Table. In fact glassware of varying heights and shapes can make your Sweet Table more interesting. The thing to remember is that lollies come in a variety of shapes and sizes, some are heavier and some are lighter and will therefore take up a different amount of space in your glass jar. For example 1kg of Marshmallows will take up a lot more space than 1kg of Jelly Beans so you will need to choose your jars accordingly. Add finishing touches by styling with tags so you guests know what lollies they are eating and scoops and tongs with matching coloured ribbon.

Once you have decided on the amount of lollies you will require and how many different types

To make sure you are up-to-date with the news and views… join Craig Ross and Rich Evans from the Village Voice each Thursday on 900 2LT at around 2.30pm 22

submit your stories and read more at villagevoice.net.au

SPORT

Lots of crunch after Sunday lunch

Local boys hitting heights in big hockey games Story by Peta Gillard

A very proud demo derby winning Dad,Andy Jag displays his trophy with his children atop his mangled Magna.

Story & photo by Les Taylor A large gallery of spectators came from far and wide to witness the sensational seven car Ferris Scrap Metals demolition derby contested on a water soaked track in front of the grandstand as the last event of the 2013-14 season.

Cars reversed into each other with metal mangling results and pirouetted on the slippery surface to add to the eye popping spectacle last Sunday.

After the fifteen minute battle to the last car standing Andy Jag of Narellanvale reigned supreme,with Australian flag proudly flying,even after his Magna had not only shed it’s drive tyre and spat the tube out but continued on it’s bashing way on the alloy rim.

His fight to the finish with young Mitchell Duggan was of epic proportions with other great car crunching skills coming from third placed Slade Anlezark in the promotional Ford Telstar,Dave Moffitt in an XF Falcon wagon,John Spicer at the wheel of a Nissan Pintara,Peter Simmons in a Magna and Kevin Spencer who only lasted a few minutes in his diminutive Ford Festiva.

Duggan also had the best presented car before it was bashed into an unrecognizable pile of scrap metal on a battle field littered with tyres,bumper bars, mufflers and other assorted paraphernalia.

In other events at the Cullen Bullen Raceway hosted by the Portland District Motor Sports Club Sue Healey dominated the Lithgow City Council Four Cylinder Sedans to post one heat victory and a good win of the ten lap feature in husband Ray’s Honda followed closely Mitchell Duggan who racked up one win chased by Mudgee’s Nigel O’Neill also with a win until his Honda suffered a failure.

Also putting in strong performances were Kevin Coleman,Slade Anlezark and John Spicer all from Orange along with Bruce Bradley of Blayney and Kylie Noy of Bathurst.

The Atlantic Lubricants Series Production class also saw some tremendous dices with three different heat winners in Kevin Spencer of Mudgee who won the pointscore,Patrick Parker of Orange and Dave Rapley while Lindsay Foster of Goulburn won the feature in a Falcon shared with brother Doc. Great drives came from Oberon’s Peter Simmons,Portland’s Kevin Sawdy both driving Commodores plus Mudgee’s Chris Warnock in a Falcon.

As in the past the Coates Hire RSA Street Stock Class was yet again the standout racing category with David Giffin of Sydney returning and eventually winning the pointscore.

Giffin and Andrew Blackley each posted a heat victory but it was mum Jodie Blackley who ran riot this time taking a heat plus the ten lap feature in

her Commodore while Kevin Blackley was forced to battle it out with eldest son Martin after some handling changes to his Falcon went pear shaped.

Young Jed Anson came from Nowra and was in devastating style at the wheel of a Toyota Corolla in the Stones Pest & Weed Control Junior Class notching up one heat win but was never unplaced in the other two or the feature.

Mitchell Brown of Bathurst and Keiren Doherty also of Nowra each claimed a heat win apiece while Cullen Bullen debutant Steven King of Bathurst won the feature.

Orange driver Reece Robinson at the wheel of his Corolla,Shanyn Duggan of Portland and Scott Bradley of Blayney all put in spirited drives.

The fabulous thirty six race program not only featured the stars in the tin top stock cars but also open wheeler classes including the Allweld Services Quarter Midgets contesting their NSW titles,Go kartsDwarf cars and the super fast Compact Speedcars.

Paul Rietdyk drove like a man possessed to claim all three heats but when the crunch came NSW Quarter Midget champion Darren Todd reigned supreme to hold on to his crown after a torrid fifteen laps chased by Brett Hall and Portland’s Rob Stephenson.

Jamie Dicker,Garry Biner,Warren Vassall,Alisha Vassall and Rachael Holt were all tied up in some great dices.

The Cullen Bullen Hotel Compact Speedcar class was just sensational as Rob Eyeington took a heat as a lead up to winning the ten lap feature while Cyril Robinson and Carl Yenne each claimed a heat win persued by Mitch Biner,Alan Day and Steven Hawksworth who kept the happy with his infield rotations.

The Sita Environmental Solutions Dwarf Cars gave Rob Swain two heat wins but he was pipped at the post by Gaby Yammouni who bowled over the remaining heat and that all important feature race followed by Kenny Brooks, Bruce Adams and Steve Hine.

Luke Story was the standout McFadden Ice Go Kart driver with two heat victories and the same in the feature with Kim Wallis the other heat victor.

Strong drives also came from Jamie Dicker,Rodney Kable,Portland’s Kayla Duggan, Troy Bellamy and Wade Pilgrim.

Eight year old Jaiden Healey was the only go junior karter to take to the track.

The 2013-14 speedway season finalises with the 26th annual trophy presentation night on Saturday June 28th commencing at 6.30pm with a 1980’s theme an all enquiries should be directed to Sue Healey at Portland Automotive Services.The new season commences in September.

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The U/15 Lithgow boys hockey team went to Moorebank last Sunday to compete in their carnival which is a lead up to the State Championships which are on this weekend at Wagga.

In hot conditions the boys were up for a big day of hockey. They played in a round robin of 20 minute games and played 6 games over the day.

In the first game they played Goulburn.

Lithgow started off slow but came away winning 3-1.

The next game saw them play Macarthur.

This was a much stronger team but the boys played extremely well coming away with a 2-0 win.

After a bit of a break the boys were up against the very strong Sydney No 1 side. Lithgow got off to a good start leading 1-0. Sydney bounced back making it 1-1. Lithgow scored again with Sydney scoring just before the bell making the score 2-2.

Lithgow were on a high playing so well against a well drilled Sydney side.

Their next game was up against Sydney 2.

This game saw Lithgow coming away with a 3-1 win.

After another break Lithgow were up against Central Coast. Lithgow won this game 3-0.

To win the carnival overall Lithgow had to beat Newcastle in the final game.

All the boys were tired and the sun was setting as the game began. It had been a long day for the boys with their first game being 9.20am and their last at 4.20pm.

Lithgow scored first giving them a 1-0 lead but then in the dying minutes Newcastle scored to make it 1-1.

This then made Lithgow equal first with Sydney 1 but due to Sydney having a better goal average, the boys had to receive the runners up medal.

All boys played extremely well and coaches Michael Charlton and Trent MacDonald were very happy with the team.

The team now plays in the state championships at Wagga this weekend in division 1.

The team consists of: Jackson Alhovirta, Mitchell Brain, Jarryd Clark, Bill Eustace, Campbell Ferguson, Brodie Fergusson, Sam Gray, Logan Hunter, Jake Lewis, Joss Luka, Dean McMahon, Brody McManus, Dalton Medcalf, Murray Stewart and Jake Zammitt.

Remember, no matter what your sport, we want your story, email us editor@villagevoice.net.au

23

SPORT Junior rider Zach Hutchison : Photo by James Fisher

Riding down the mountain Riders travelled from Mudgee, Penrith and the Blue Mountains to join the locals competing in the latest round of the Central Tablelands Downhill Mountain Bike Series, held on the popular “Pony Express” trail at Lithgow.

The prolonged dry spell has left the trail dusty and loose and the riders enjoyed the challenge of coming to terms with the track in the slippery conditions. Throughout practice tyre pressures were adjusted and refined to find the fine line between having them high for faster rolling and low for better grip.

Come race time, local knowledge came to the

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fore and when Joel Willis laid down a first run time of 1:56.93 with no one else going under the 2min mark every one thought he had it in the bag.

But in the best of the 2 timed run format Lyndon Nugent went all out in the second run to post a 1:56.43, taking the win by half a second and relegating Willis, who opted out of a second run, to 2nd.

Visiting rider, Daniel Seidel, slipped into 3rd in 2:00.6.

After dropping off a bit over the last few years it’s good to see the junior field growing again at club level and there are certainly some fast and

stylish riders amongst them.

Zach Hutchison lead the way with a fast and clean run posting a 2:05.2, a time that would have seen him top 10 in the seniors.

Harrison Dobraworski, 2:19.1 and Lauchlan Pye, 2:20.8 kept the rest of the locals off the podium in 2nd and 3rd respectively.

The next club round is scheduled for the 22nd June and, with round 2 of the State series to be held on the track in September, riders are looking to get as much race experience on the “Pony Express” as possible so hopefully the club will continue to attract good numbers.

submit your stories and read more at villagevoice.net.au