OCLife20200423 by Orange City Life

FREE COMMUNITY MAGAZINE | LOCAL MEDIA IS BEST

23 APRIL— 29 APRIL, 2020

ORANGE PROPERTY MARKET

— YOUR GUIDE TO THE BEST PROPERTIES AND BEST AGENTS — STARTS ON PAGE 19

DAT E W E N

AT E D W NE

Banff Mountain Film Festival

Dance Theatre of Orange

Fables from Afar

The 91-Storey Treehouse

Queen Bohemian Rhapsody

Friday 18 September at 7pm

Tuesday 27 October at 6pm

Monday 29 March 2021

DAT E W E N

Leaving Jackson

1970: The Year in Music

The Robertson Brothers

Saturday 10 October at 7.30pm

Thursday 10 December at 7.30pm

Saturday 22 May 2021

Greatest Hits Tour Friday 30 July 2021

ELL C N A C

Melbourne

International Comedy Festival

THIS IS CORRECT AS OF 23.04.2020 Bookings: 02 6393 8111

www.orange.nsw.gov.au/theatre

Orange Civic Theatre

EL CAN C

LED

The Comedy of Errors Saturday 3 July at 7.30pm

ELL CAN C

Bonachela Lane Saturday 13 June at 8pm

OFFICIAL MEDICAL ADVICE

Coronavirus: You must take action to save lives in your community. Stay at home unless absolutely necessary. Banks, supermarkets/groceries, petrol stations, medical services and suppliers will remain open. You must avoid non-essential travel.

If you can, work from home. Use phones for meetings and stop handshaking. Tap to pay where possible instead of using cash.

Gatherings of 2 people max are being enforced, with the exception of households, work and education.

You must stay 2 arms lengths away from others and wash your hands for 20 seconds.

Exercise away from others.

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2 23 â€” 29 APRIL , 2020

CUT OUT AND KEEP

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IMPORTANT ABOUT CITY LIFEthe visible It’s goingANNOUNCEMENT to be a very different Anzac DayORANGE this year and although

To further help Orange

ToCity further helpour Orange Life keep team City employed and keepemployed Life keep our team bringing you our magazine and keep bringing you our each week, we’re inviting magazine each week, we’re community minded inviting community minded businesses to sponsor businesses sponsor us through to this difficult usperiod through this difficult in our history. Any business interested period in our history. Any in sponsoring us, please business interested in sponcontact our office on soring us, please contact our 6361 3575 or email office on 6361 3575 or email reception@oclife.com.au reception@oclife.com.au The following The followingbusinesses businesses havegraciously graciously agreed agreed toto have sponsorus usuntil until June June 30th. sponsor 30th. We are extremely grateful We are extremely grateful for for their support. their support.

ASHCROFT’S

Friends! evidence of people gathering to remember won’t be there, I have no doubt that

hearts and minds all over our Nation will pause sometime during Saturday and

A lot has happened over the last few weeks and it’s fair to say that the world as we know it will be different from here the to sacrifices made in the great wars, Gallipoli and all conflicts since. on, and forponder quite a while come. Many areLest now facing hardships that they would never have dreamed of just a few weeks back. we forget! People in safe employment last month now find themselves on unemployment queues, previously successful businesses are nowThe facing ruin. anecdotal evidence I’m hearing lately suggests that more people may be And so it goes on. reading our magazine than ever before and others who are regular readers may My wife and I, like so many other business owners at this time, are scrambling to meet Government regulations, while be spending more time pouring the out pages can say one seem thingmission trying to keep up with community expectations andover still come at theeach otherweek. end. ForIsome, this must impossible. for sure, there’s been a significant spike in our competition entries, Monday In our case, and with the unbelievable co-operation of our fabulous team, we’re going to try and defy the odds. lastI have week weuparrived at work greeted by us 185 email entries alone, before My wife and come with a strategy thatto webe hope will enable to keep all our full-time employees in work, keep producing Orange City number Life each week hopefully come outthrough at the other end. This strategy also relies on others Covid-19 that wasand more like 60-70 emails over the weekend. who we rely on, such as our printer in Sydney to survive as well. Still on trivia, here’s another fascinating fact. Our magazines hit the stands Defying the odds however will require a number of changes, sacrifices and a lot of understanding. each Thursday morning pretty anddifferent over the lastyou’ve fewbecome weeks, when I’veof the CHANGES — From this issue, Orange City Life willearly look very to what used to. Many types of stories andat features included in recent simply can’t be done under present distancing arrived workwe’ve around 8am on a issues Thursday, there’s been anthe emailed entry or and isolation rules. two in competitions that appear in the issue that came out that morning. To help us all through the Coronavirus crisis, for now at least, we’re taking a completely different approach. Someone is very keen, and lovemany it! readers now have as a result of isolation or being housebound. We’re going to try to meet the changed needsI that We’ll also make more use of our available space to ensure you have plenty to read and enjoy each issue. A lot people and businesses been severely affected by the consequences Orange City Lifeof will now provide you with morehave entertainment, more things to do, more ideas on how to keep yourself busy, all while trying to lift youramong spirits and put ahave little sunshine day. To that endnewspaper we’re including more puzzles, of Covid-19 and these been ainto lot your of people in the game. and we’re also including a serialised Novella titled Sunshine (pure coincidence) that given the extra time we all have, we Newspapers are reportedly closing all over the place and many are in regional hope you will read and enjoy. We’ll also bring you quite a bit of helpful news from local businesses who are keen to keep areas, thisbeisencouraging tragic. I have saytoon this in my comment on page 5 but serving you, and we’ll you to more send usto items include. SACRIFICES — To keep our costs to an absolute minimum we’ve had reducein thethere number of pages print and here, let me just say that Orange City Life also is hanging and withwethe suspend several regular features in OC Life that we regularly pay for, among these is our TV Guide. I know a lot of people help of the Jobkeeper payments, it appears for now at least that all my staff love our TV guide but given our present circumstances, the cost of providing this is beyond us, if we are to win this will all keep jobs full time and ourin many magazine will pick continue battle. Despite this, their there are stilland ampletheir copies of OC Life status being distributed of the usual up spots right across Orange. for some time yet. Further, I believe opportunity is knocking in the media UNDERSTANDING — It’s a shame that it takes a disaster like this to bring home to people just how important our game are right now, andofI’m feeling so supporting confidentlocal about our future, I’m considering small businesses in the scheme things, and why businesses is so important. Without dwelling expanding what wewill doknock to provide Orange on it too much, my hopeon is that locals themselves out towith spendeven every dollar they can with local businesses as we battle more throughgreat this crisis together. Please keep spending as muchlike as you’re reading each week. A comment thatable and do it at local businesses. We all need every dollar we can get right now because at the end of the day we’re all in this together.

is called a tease and that’s exactly what I intended it to be. Stay tuned!

Spirit WE CAPTURE THE

OF ORANGE

Happy reading everyone and Stay Safe!

Spirit WE CAPTURE THE

OF ORANGE

COVER

Orange will STILL remember them! While we will not be gathering at services or marches this year, there are still ways to acknowledge ANZAC Day and ensure our servicemen and Always look for women are appropriately remembered. You'll find the beauty! more information inside. During these times we encourage our readers to take each day as it comes. Find beauty in the everyday, something that you would usually take for granted. Stay safe, take care of your health, take care of your mind, we’re all in this together.

Bob 26

BOB HOLLAND bob@oclife.com.au

Published by Regional Life Group Pty Ltd ABN 28126968287

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General disclaimer: Whilst every care is taken in preparing this publication, we cannot be held responsible for errors or omissions. The publisher accepts no responsibility for letters, notices and other material contributed for publication. The submitter accepts full responsibility for material, warrants that it is accurate, and indemnifies the publisher against any claim or action. All advertisers, including those placing display and classified or advertorial material, warrant that such material is true and accurate and meets all applicable laws and indemnifies the publisher against all liabilities that may arise from the publication or such material. Opinions expressed in the publication are not necessarily those of the publisher. The editor, Bob Holland, accepts responsibility for election comment. Articles contain information of a general nature – readers should always seek professional advice relevant to their particular circumstances. Complaints: Regional Life Group Pty Ltd trading as Orange City Life has a policy of correcting mistakes promptly. If you have a complaint about published material, contact us in writing. If the matter remains unresolved, you may wish to contact the Australian Press Council. © Copyright 2018 Regional Life Group Pty Ltd. Copyright in all material – including photographs and ads – is held by Regional Life Group Pty Ltd or its providers and must not be reproduced in any form without prior written permission from the Publisher. Printed for the publisher by Spotpress Pty Ltd, 24-26 Lilian Fowler Place, Marrickville, 2204.

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OCLife

HEADER

Honour for ANZAC Day 2020

— MELISE COLEMAN —

hile this year’s official ANZAC Day commemorations are not going ahead, we, as a community and as individuals still have the opportunity to honour the sacrifices of our armed service members. As different ideas are shared across the country, its heart-warming to see so many Orange locals getting behind many of the ideas that have been shared. We caught up with one local family who will be participating in ‘the original Driveway at Dawn Movement’ an initiative in which the Orange Ex Services Club in Conjunction with the Orange RSL Sub Branch, are both supporting. 11-year-old, Ollie King would usually be marching for his great Grandfather, John Francis Fitzgerald aka Jack, he fought in Darwin during World War II. Ollie said, “My family will pay respect to the fallen soldiers and the soldiers who went to battle. I have marched ever since I was in Kindergarten, I really enjoy it and I enjoy walking with my friends.” The Driveway at Dawn movement posted, “We are asking that everyone commemorate at home by walking to their letterbox at 05:55, light a candle and share in a minutes silence for our Veterans at 06:00.” You can download the phone app- ANZAC DAY 2020 or tune in to ABC NATIONAL radio. RSL NSW has shared; ‘When times are tough, Australians have always relied on the distinctive qualities of mateship, humour, ingenuity, courage and endurance to get us through. Known as the ANZAC Spirit, these five qualities have

defined Australians ever since the first troops landed on the beaches of Gallipoli in World War I. In the current climate, we are reminding Australians that we all bear these qualities within, ready to come to the fore when we need them.’ RSL NSW have also compiled a list of ways you can show your respect from your home in the lead up to, and on ANZAC day itself. Community Ode – Participants can use the hashtags #ANZACspirit and #lightupthedawn when sharing videos of themselves reciting the Ode, or any message of support for our veterans on their social media. Participants are also encouraged to post their messages of support to the ‘ANZAC Day 2020 – Light up the dawn’ event page. Respond ‘Going’ to the ANZAC Day 2020 Facebook event and share how you’ll be commemorating privately, as well as who you’ll be remembering this ANZAC Day. Light up the dawn at 6am on ANZAC Day. Go to the end of your driveway, stand on your balcony or in your lounge room and listen to a commemorative service. Together – even while apart – we’ll remember those who served and sacrificed. You can pledge your support at rslanzacspirit.com.au Tune into live services and virtual commemorative services. This includes the 5.30am service from the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. Reach out to a mate or veteran who might be alone. Many people are alone during this time of isolation. It’s an opportunity to invoke the ANZAC value of mateship and check to see how a mate is doing. And if you know a veteran please call or reach out to them, check in on them, thank them for their service and help them if needed during this time.

Donate to the ANZAC Appeal. Donations support Australian veterans and their families in need. Donate online at anzacappeal.com.au

4 23 — 29 APRIL , 2020

On Saturday April 25, we might not be together, but we will be united. They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them.

OCLife

OCLife THROUGH MY EYES

Comment with Bob Holland

THEY STILL DON’T GET IT! The plight of the media has been in the news over the last couple of weeks and like so many, the Federal Government has succumbed to injecting $50 million dollars into the industry to help them get through the fallout of the Covid-19 crisis. To most reading this, that would seem to be a fair and reasonable response by the Government, but for this little regional publisher, it just says to me that they still don’t get it. I liken it to the car industry. The car industry in Australia was a shot duck a long time ago and anyone with a good business head knew that all the money in the world wouldn’t save it. Throwing money at it may prolong the inevitable but it would not get it back to when it needed to be on a profitable or pay its own way basis. In my opinion, the media organisations that are in trouble because of Covid-19, were in trouble before that. Covid-19 has just accelerated the inevitable here too, and this $50 million injection will only prolong their demise a bit longer.

“

‘Travelling on the most legendary road in America, taking in the nature sights Route 66 has to show us. Whilst it seems like a never-ending road through the vast desert, you never know what you’re about to stumble upon... stay tuned for next week.’

~ Melise Coleman

It also seems so grossly unfair to me that a Government should have to give such money to an industry that for so many years made megabucks, and I mean megabucks. They didn’t call the big newspapers rivers of gold for nothing and we all know the zillions of dollars television stations were known to spend paying people for stories, sporting events etc. Those were the days when they had monopolies and big audiences and could call the tune. Competition, technology, and a changing world now gives people choices and they are choosing other areas to get their

news and entertainment. So, what don’t they get? Again, and purely in my view, it’s very simple – they are no longer giving people what they want. If you offer, hamburgers, haircuts, professional advice or a media outlet, your success will greatly depend on how satisfied you can make your customers feel. If someone else doing the same thing offers a better product, service or experience, chances are customers will choose them over you. The media organisations that are in trouble have simply not delivered what people want and where they have tried, the price, quality or service is not as good as one can get elsewhere. It’s that simple. We recently heard that Australian Community Media who own the Central Western Daily, among about 170 other newspapers, is cancelling many of their non-daily newspapers. That’s tragic, especially for regional and country towns, but it’s their own fault, and certainly not totally because of Covid-19. Over many years, the owners of the CWD and other papers right across the Nation have let their publications virtually disintegrate and it’s simply been because none of them have taken the necessary time to fully understand and appreciate the people they serve, what they are like, what they want and then how to give them what they want while still making a profit. Here at Orange City Life, I like to think we’ve got it right. Pity some of these big out of town owners didn’t ask people like me what’s needed. Who better to ask than someone who produces a publication that most people who see it, like me?

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23 — 29 APRIL , 2020 5

OCLife WE'RE ADAPTING TO COVID-19

CAR DEALING IN THE AGE OF CORONAVIRUS r local car dealers fo y rit io pr a ty fe sa er om st cu d an Cleanliness The world is certainly a different place than it was a few weeks ago, but for local car dealers it’s (mostly) business as usual — just a lot more cleaning! “When people test drive a car we clean it out, we sanitise all the touch points and they take it for a drive and when they come back we clean the car again before we put it back on the lot,” said Joe Connaughton from Orange Quality Used Cars. “So there is no problems with that sort of stuff , we have all the sanitisers here to do the right thing… there's plenty of space to follow social distancing rules, all the cars are locked up and it’s only when people come into the yard and want to test drive them we open the car up. “People are still looking for cars out there and I just want them to know that it is quite safe for them to do it here at Orange Quality Used Cars!”

Artists

display resilience as exhibitions

go virtual

6 23 — 29 APRIL , 2020

While most of us are staying home a bit more these days, Joe said there are good deals to be had. “We are here, we're open and we are looking to sell some cars and it might not be a bad time to come down!” But you don’t even have to come to the yard if you don’t want to, said West Orange Motor General Manager Geremy Combis. “We can do everything over the phone. So if someone want to test drive a car, we will take a car to their house, wipe it down after we get out of it, drop the keys, they can drive the car and when they are finished, we can pick it back up and re-clean it,” Geremy said. And the same applies for getting your car serviced. Call West Orange Motors and they will pick up your vehicle from your home, have it serviced in their workshop and return it, said Geremy.

alleries and exhibition spaces may be closed but it hasn’t stopped artists finding ways to get their work into the public eye. At Orange’s Corner Store Gallery on Summer Street, the exhibitions are now being hung ‘outwards’ making the most of their large window frontage. “At the moment we've got a lot of our artworks set up in the windows because, we have really big window at the front of the shop so if people actually want to see something in the flesh they can go and quite literally do some window shopping,” said Corner Store Gallery Owner Madeline Young. Since opening in 2014, The Corner Store Gallery has been a strong supporter of local artists and makers. While all the exhibitions planned over the next few months have had to be cancelled, Madi is curating an everchanging online exhibition of her regular contributing artists. “What I’m doing for the rest of the year is having a continually rolling-over selection of artworks from my old faithfuls that I've worked with over the years, and we will do a kind of special online exhibition every now and then,” she said. “We've had an online store for years and

Even organising finance can be done over the phone. “We can do everything over the phone. People don’t have to come in… you can sit down in an armchair at home and purchase a car if you wanted to.” For those looking in person, West Orange Motors has also introduced strict safety measures on their lot. “We have definitely had to take precautions for the customers, we make sure everything is sanitised and clean, making sure social distancing rules apply, so the salesmen have got double desks to separate people,” Geremy said. “We are keeping all our cars locked now outside, so if someone wants to have a look at one, we know which have been opened so we can wipe them down and sanitise them — the same thing for our courtesy bus. “It is business as usual for us, just a lot more of making sure everything is clean and safe.”

so I've always got my exhibitions for sale online. We probably will miss a few sales, but we were already set up for this anyway. I have been overhauling it and rejigging it for the last couple of day to try and make it a bit more user friendly.” Madi is also uploading ‘virtual’ gallery tours to her social media pages, giving people an up-close look at pieces available for sale. “I’ve just filmed the on the iPhone taking people close to the artworks at different angles so they get to see the texture and the scale of the work,” she said. “It seems to be working because I posted a video of some ceramics the other day and I sold them within half an hour, which was pretty good!” Although the lockdown measures are having a significant impact on artists — including Madi, who had a solo exhibition in Canberra cancelled — she said that in many ways those in the creative fields are better prepared to deal with uncertain times “We are pretty resilient, because it is such a touch and go industry; everyone is used to working a million jobs and not having a ton of money and you have got to adapt all the time and change your ways of doing stuff. So, we'll be fine, we’ll definitely be here at the end of it.”

PROUD ORANGE BUSINESS

The importance of purpose

— JONATHAN ROE —

om Dunn knows a thing or two about dealing with isolation. In the past six years, the 24-year-old adventurer has kayaked 2,220 kilometres down the Murray River, travelled the length of the Australia’s longest river system — 3,750 kilometres along the Condamine, Darling, Murray — on a stand-up paddleboard, hiked 21-days in the Himalayas to Everest Base Camp, and completed Australia’s longest Triathlon travelling from Cape York to Wilson’s Promontory. Just four weeks ago, when I spoke Tom, he was preparing to take on another monumental

solo journey. This time Tom was about to attempt a world record triathlon, traversing Australia from the westernmost point of Western Australia to the easternmost point at Byron Bay — a total of 9,000 kilometres! The quick spread of the coronavirus and the closing of state borders has forced Tom to delay his plans — and the original story I had planned to write — but he is not one to give up on his goal that easy. “To actually make the official announcement was pretty disheartening,” he said. “There had been a lot of work that had gone into that start date, but, looking back on it, I’m pretty glad I was able to postpone the trip a couple weeks before it started rather than three days in, or even worse

OCLife

take on this journey and really spread a lot of postpone it five or six days from the finish line awareness about mental health. I’ve given up — that would have really hurt!” on the idea of fundraising through this and so I first met Tom in Bourke in 2017, around instead of trying to raise $83,000, I’m now a third of the way through his stand-up trying to reach 83,000 people. I’m trying to paddleboard journey. At the time I was get them to donate a short video of them impresses by his positive outlook and repeating LIVIN’s mantra of ‘It ain’t Weak to dedication. It had been a dry summer when Speak’ and I’ll collect all these videos and do Tom started that trip and there was little something special with that. water in the upper Darling tributaries. After “I want to show that there are all these people several days, dragging a paddleboard from talking about mental health and sharing that waterhole to water hole, many would have message that ‘It ain’t weak to given up or postponed the trip. speak’ and I think it will be a pretty Undeterred, Tom simply went amazing thing!” into the next town, bought a For all of us who are looking pair of socks and joggers and ...I WANT TO at weeks, if not months, of ran for 900 kilometres until he SHOW THAT continuing to practice social could get on the water once THERE ARE ALL isolation measures, Tom has a again. THESE PEOPLE little advice. Following his adventures TALKING “When I was out on my trips, I online ever since, I’ve seen that ABOUT MENTAL always had a goal and an endpoint Tom is someone who always HEALTH... to work towards and aim for. Each looks for a silver lining no day whether I was up in Cape York matter what is thrown his way. or whether I was on the Darling “I look at it from the River, all I had to do was get closer towards perspective that it gives me another 12 the end of the trip and that gave me a bit of months or so to prepare,” said Tom last a purpose. If I completed 20 kilometres, 40 Thursday, the day he had planned to start the kilometres or 80 kilometres, I was always able bike leg of his journey. to say I was proud of what I achieved that Starting at Steep Point in Western Australia, day,” he said. Tom had planned to cycle down the coast, “And I think that’s what a lot of people are across the Nullabor through South Australian probably struggling with at the moment; now and into Victoria, where he would complete they are not allowed to go to work or they a 260 kilometre swim leg along the Murray might have been heavily involved in a sporting River, and then run 1,700 kilometres up the club and they’ve all been closed down… So I east coast to Byron Bay. would encourage people to get out and take “Now I have twelve more months to prepare, on a goal, whether it is a big one or a little one, to get fitter, to know the trail better, to get do something to give yourself a bit of purpose more involved and hopefully have a greater to get up each day and keep going! chance of success.” “If you are progressing and ticking things Tom had planned to try use his journey off, you are going to be able to cope with the to raise $83,000 for the mental health isolation a lot better because you can be proud organisation LIVIN, but given the world events of yourself at the end of each day.” that have overtaken us all, he now just wants Tom is making the most of the isolation to promote awareness of the organisation period to complete a book about his stand-up and share their message that ‘It ain’t weak to paddleboard journey down the Darling River. speak’. “I’d love to be able to get that published and “Now is the perfect time to be talking about a share it with the greater public. I hope it gives mental health organisation like LIVIN. a good insight into how I got into the world of Coming out of this mental health is going to adventure and it might inspire others to go out be a big issue — I’ve noticed with myself on a very, very small scale, but there are going to be and take on challenges of their own!” You can find out more about Tom’s past people out there who are doing it much adventures at www.whattomhasdunn.com tougher,” he said. or find him on Facebook and Instagram @ “Hopefully, with the goal of continuing this whattomhasdunn trip at a later date, I’ll be able to go out and

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Where our customers are the heart of the community 23 — 29 APRIL , 2020 7

Your Country Andrew GEE MP Your Voice FEDERAL MEMBER FOR CALARE LATEST COVID-19 NEWS Calare Community Care Update

Calare Community Care COVID-19 initiative

Tell us about your business or service

Calare Community care is now well under way. We have started making phone calls and referring people in need to various organisations. We are also bringing together various community services available to community members in their local areas. It is not too late to register! If you would like to register yourself (or someone that you are concerned about) for a regular phone checkin, please email me at andrew.gee.mp@aph. gov.au or phone my office on 02 63617138.

$53 million for rural COVID-19 aeromedical retrievals

we have been working with the Rural Adversity Mental Health Program (RAMHP) to deliver mental health support to those in need. Pictured: Andrew Gee MP on a conference call with Sonia Cox (RAMHP)

New masks + extra flu vaccinations

The Australian Government recently announced a $52.8 million aeromedical retrieval package to support rural and remote communities during the COVID19 health emergency. The funding will help the Royal Flying Doctors Service, Careflight and other providers to evacuate initial COVID-19 cases, suspected COVID-19 cases, deliver fly-in General Practitioner Respiratory Clinics including testing for a broader outbreak, and pre-position and replenish personal protective equipment for frontline medical staff. COVID-19 is affecting every Australian no matter where they live, and we’re putting in place measures that will support regional Australians to get through this pandemic.

As part of Calare Community Care this week

Stay

The Australian Government has now received 60 million masks for the National Medical Stockpile. - 22 million have already been distributed. - This is 6 million more than we had expected, it is two weeks earlier than anticipated, and it is a very important step forward. - In particular, we have also been able to secure 100 million additional masks for between now and the end of May. - We will immediately distribute 11.5 million of those to our hospitals, our aged care workers, our general practices, our pharmacists, and our allied health workers and our pathologists. at Home

Early Release of Superannuation

We are making great progress, the curve is definitely flattening. However, we must not be complacent! We have a long winter ahead of us and it is up to all of us to help keep our communities safe.

If you have been financially affected by COVID-19, you may be able to access some of your superannuation early.

Remember to practice good personal hygiene, comply with social distancing rules, and stay at home as much as you can.

*Eligible citizens and permanent residents of Australia or New Zealand can apply for up to $10,000 in 2019–20 and up to a further $10,000 in 2020–21. Eligible temporary residents are able to apply once to access up to $10,000 of super in 2019–20. Applications are now open and can be submitted through myGov: • until 30 June 2020 for the 2019–20 year • between 1 July 2020 and 24 September 2020, for the 2020–21 year. You will not need to pay tax on amounts released and will not need to include these amounts in your tax return. *For more information on eligibility and how to apply, visit www. ato.gov.au or phone the ATO Emergency Support Infoline on 1800 806 218.

8 23 — 29 APRIL , 2020

- Significantly, we have also been able to secure an additional 3 million flu vaccination shots. That means we now have 16.5 million flu vaccinations. Book in to get your flu shot today!

Good news for Agriculture sector Aussie exporters impacted by the COVID-19 crisis now have access to business-saving loans between $250,000 and $50 million under a new $500 million capital facility to be administered by Export Finance Australia. The new COVID-19 Export Capital Facility will target loans to established and previously profitable exporters who, due to COVID-19, are unable to gain finance from commercial sources. These loans should help trade-exposed businesses, including those from our regions and businesses in the tourism and education sectors, to get through this crisis and out the other side. For more information on Export Finance Australia, including how to apply for finance, visit: www.exportfinance.gov.au/covid19.

y BETTER MOBILE COVERAGE FOR FREEMANTLE! Residents of the Freemantle area, in between Bathurst and Orange, and those passing through can now enjoy better mobile phone service and internet access thanks to the new Telstra mobile small cell base station that was switched on this week. Freemantle is the latest community out of 37 sites across the Calare electorate to receive improved mobile coverage under Rounds one 1-4 of the Federal Government’s Mobile Black Spot program. I am so pleased that local residents and businesses will now have better telecommunications in their area. The recent bushfire emergency certainly highlighted the importance of mobile phone

reception, and the benefits of this new coverage don’t stop there. Not only will this coverage allow residents to stay better connected with family and friends, but it will also assist with business and educational opportunities. Better mobile phone coverage is also vital for the continuing push for decentralisation. The Federal Government has committed $380 million to the Mobile Black Spot Program to improve telecommunications infrastructure for better mobile coverage across Australia. The program is supported by co-contributions from state and local governments, mobile network operators, businesses and local communities.

THE BUSHFIRE ROYAL COMMISSION The recent bushfires were devastating for our local communities, but during the emergency I was privileged to see the best of Australia. I will never forget the courage, determination, and commitment of our firies, emergency services personnel and volunteers. I think it's really important that the Royal Commission hears their stories. They were there and they know what went right and what can be improved upon. The need for hazard reduction burns and the management of our National Parks are examples of issues our firies have raised with me. Getting the Australian Defence Force involved in fire-fighting and support roles much earlier is another one. One thing we do know is that Australia will always have bushfires, and we need to make sure that the next time we face this kind of emergency, we're better prepared. I encourage community members to share their stories and opinions with a submission. You can lodge one online or even give one over the phone if that's easier. Unfortunately COVID-19 has meant that the Commission won't be travelling, so this is the best way to have our voices heard. Submissions are due 28 April 2020 and can be made via: https://naturaldisaster.royalcommission.gov.au/ submissions or by phoning 1800 909 826.

PREPARING FOR ANZAC DAY Australians are being encouraged to honour the service and sacrifice of our veterans and serving Defence personnel on ANZAC Day from home this year by watching the nationally broadcast Dawn Service from the Australian War Memorial and participating in the RSL’s #lightupthedawn campaign. Despite the hardships we are facing, ANZAC day remains a sacred day for all Australians. It is an important time to remember all of the men and women who have served and sacrificed so much for our country, including those currently deployed overseas.

ORANGE ELECTORATE OFFICE - we are still open Mon-Fri 1/179A Anson Street PO Box 673 Orange NSW 2800

(02) 6361 7138 @ andrew.gee.mp@aph.gov.au www.andrewgeemp.com.au

For regular updates and news, follow me on Facebook and Instagram @andrewgeecalare

Authorised by Andrew Gee, MP, National Party of Australia, Suite 1/179A Anson Street, Orange NSW 2800. Produced and printed using parliamentary entitlements. 23 — 29 APRIL , 2020 9

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The thrill of wide open Spaces — MELISE COLEMAN —

When it comes to seeing different parts of the world Grace Pitts has one requirement, it’ll be done on the back of a horse.

aving spent most of her life in the saddle from the age of 10. Grace stumbled upon a new way of ‘holidaying’ just three years ago, yep, you guessed it, it involved four hooves, two ears, a shiny coat and a heart of gold, it took just that, and she was hooked. “I’d seen the ‘Globetrotting’ agency pop up on Facebook a few times showcasing rides around the world and it became a topic of conversation between my friends and I almost immediately. Obviously, I’ve been hooked ever since my first trip,” said Grace. “So far these travels have taken me to British Columbia in Canada at Tsylos Lodge, High Country Glenorchy in New Zealand at High Country Horses and we’ve also participated in some Australian rides including Narawantapu and Cradle Mountain in Tasmania. Even more recently I participated in a mounted archery workshop in Byron Bay. “I get a real kick out of horse riding. I think most riders would agree it’s a love of building a bond and relationship with them and being able to achieve something together. Riding holidays are great to experience landscape and culture whilst doing something you love, it’s also pretty cool to have a hoon and go fast. “When it comes to riding I like new challenges and pushing

10 23 — 29 APRIL , 2020

myself to be a better rider, whether it be trying new things or learning different or more advanced ways to communicate with and train horses.” Whilst exhilarating and incredibly rewarding, Grace ensures the trips are also usually physically and mentally draining. With tour options from four to 14 days, riding each day can range between three to six hours. “I’ve made a lot of really great memories and each tour brings something beautiful and different to the table. In Canada I loved having long, slow lopes below snow-capped mountains (with no phone reception), in New Zealand I loved having a long canter/gallop with two fellow riders across a flat where Tom Cruise was filmed for Mission Impossible 5! There’s so much variation with each place you go. When I do my rides I tend to tack on a bit of other tourist activity but the rides are always the highlight of the trip. “Now that I’ve done it a few times I don’t think I’ll be able to stop. It’s just something that gets you into the nature of other countries, you’re experiencing many things people don’t ever get to see, it’s a nice change to switch off from the hectic everyday life and enjoy wide open spaces.” With opportunities endless, Grace has another trip booked in Ireland at Castle Leslie later this year, pending Covid-19.

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Sweet treats delivered to your front door

NOW THAT’S SOME VINE! — JONATHAN ROE —

he great lockdown is forcing businesses of all types to rethink the way they operate. For Kerrie Ford’s it has been the cancelling of local markets that has had the biggest impact on her small home baking business Sweet Treats Connection. “I was gearing up to the Night Markets and I had bought extra packaging and was starting to get ready for that,” said Kerrie, who like many other food business has turned to home delivery to keep the orders ticking over “It has been this massive reset for all of us really but yeah now I’m doing home delivery of my High Tea sweet boxes and that's really gaining momentum!” While Kerrie says she misses dealing with her

— JONATHAN ROE — customers face to face, being forced to push her sales online has had an upside. “I'm actually connecting with more customers now, that haven't seen me before,” she said. “I’ve had interest from Lismore, Sydney, Mudgee, Wollongong and they'd love me to deliver my high tea boxes, but I'm just one person! “People are seeing photos of my little sweet packs and they are getting quite nostalgic. There are a lot of customers saying they haven't tried goods like mine for years and lots of people are talking about my goods. So that's lovely!” Kerrie has been busy preparing Anzac sweet boxes for home delivery, featuring (as I can verify) a truly incredible salted caramel

Anzac slice. She is also promoting her High Tea sweet boxes as the perfect treat for a Mother’s Day at home, and one that also supports a small local business. “I think it is lovely that even while you are stuck at home you can still have your sweet treats for Mother’s Day!” she said. “We have them in boxes for one person, two or four, so people have been messaging me their requirements, I give them my bank details and then text them before delivery — it's a new journey!” You can find Kerrie’s goodies at www. sweettreatsconnection.com or Sweet Treats Connection on Facebook.

“I’ve been gardening my whole life. My father was a market gardener and I’ve never seen a pumpkin vine this big!” said Jean Finlay. Jean’s husband John was the one who contacted Orange City Life to make us aware of the proliferating vine that has completely overrun their backyard vegetable patch. The vine was self-seeded, probably from the vegetable scraps used to fertilise the small plot. From a small unidentified sprout amongst the tomatoes, the vine has sprawled either direction and now stretches more than 20 metres. “I measured it and it was 66 feet! The same length as a cricket pitch,” said John. Given the dry summer we’ve just had, the vine has grown mostly on recycled grey water. Jean, who just celebrated her 80th birthday (Happy Birthday Jean!) has been pollinating flowers by hand and is just starting to see the first fruit. We’re keen to see if the fruit will grow as prolifically as the vine!

RURAL HEALTH MATTERS

You CAN help… STAY AT HOME! With stricter measures in place to stop the spread of Covid-19, these are challenging times for us as individuals and a community. It’s easy to become overwhelmed by the huge amounts of information and advice being put out there, which can change on a daily basis. Medical staff, teachers and other essential workers are facing this threat head-on, while some of us can be left feeling quite powerless to help in the event of such a huge global threat. But there is something we can all do that really does make a difference to the spread of Covid-19, and that is simply staying at home. It seems easy enough, but just by rethinking your trip and choosing to stay at home can have a huge impact by drastically reducing the chance of Covid-19 spreading. The School of Rural Health has been working with local doctors, health services and regional councils to develop and distribute the ‘Stay at Home’ message throughout the Central West. Their aim is to protect the community and our rural areas with low prevalence of Covid-19 from the escalation of the virus, to slow the rate of transmission which will allow our health services to cope. Orange’s Dr Kimberley Ivory has

12 23 — 29 APRIL , 2020

been actively promoting the message and believes we all have a part to play. “We still have a window of opportunity to stem the tide of Covid-19 cases in the Central West and stop the tsunami inundating our hospitals,” Dr Ivory said. “We must act now to minimize our infection rates and protect our limited health resources and health workers. Every person in our local community needs to act to beat Covid-19.”

So what should I do? The message for us is simple… Stay at Home! Here are the top five ways YOU can help: 1. Stay at home whenever you can. Rethink every trip. The only reasons to leave home are to shop for necessities and health/medicine, to travel to work (if you can’t work from home) and to exercise once a day. 2. Do not travel outside your local area unless essential, especially not to Sydney and other areas of higher numbers of COVID-19 cases. 3. If you do need to go out, stay at least 1.5 metres away from other people and do not meet or visit others, even friends and family.

4. Wash your hands often and well, especially after going out. Take your shoes off before coming inside and wash your face too. 5. If possible, shop only once per week, and shop for elderly or vulnerable friends and relatives if needed. Always leave groceries and other essentials at their door.

Dr Catherine Hawke, School of Rural Health

What if I feel unwell? If you are feeling unwell, isolate yourself at home and call Health Direct on 1800 022 222 or your GP for advice. There are many places to find up-to-date information on Covid-19. Visit the NSW Government website for all the latest news and advice at nsw.gov. au or the NSW Health website at health.nsw.gov. au, which has information for the public, patients and health professionals. There is also the National Coronavirus Helpline on 1800 020 080 for medicalrelated enquiries, or for other inquiries you can contact the Service NSW Covid-19 Hotline on 13 77 88.

Dr Catherine Hawke is Deputy Head of the School of Rural Health, a rural clinical school with campuses in Orange and Dubbo. Dr Hawke started her career in family medicine as a GP, before moving to the UK where she trained as a public health physician. She sees public health as the art and science of improving health. As a senior clinician and with her experience in public and population medicine, Dr Hawke has been actively supporting local doctors and health services during the Covid-19 outbreak. She is passionate about working in partnership to understand and address the unique challenges presented to rural communities, particularly at this unprecedented time. The School of Rural Health campuses continue to operate with strict hygiene and social distancing procedures in place, to provide quality medical education to the next generation of doctors.

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PaulTIERNEY PaulTIERNEY PaulTIERNEY

Let’s TalkMoney Money Let’s Talk Daniel McGregor withwith Daniel McGregor Let’s Talk Money

�� Together, Online

MUSIC FOR COMPANY

A SIMPLER But … online these days ed something to keep replaced.TIME

with Daniel McGregor SAVE YOUR RETIREMENT… MUSIC FOR COMPANY hit the reset button? Need something to keep BUCKETS ARE THE ANSWER! you going in these lonely SAVE YOUR RETIREMENT… days? … stay tuned. It’s amazing how a few weeks can feel like a few months… It feels as though we’ve been living through this coronavirus nightmareTHE for a long ANSWER! time already! Life First. Money Second. BUCKETS ARE

going in these lonely is just too peachy to ignore. All you others, Is this an opportunity tois typeLike have to do in many one idea, likethese past s? … stay tuned. couple of months have been a good

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That’s the goal! we had of themy Beatles ‘White Doing whatFor weFears, want just because Tears to Spy V Spy … it’ll It’s amazinga ‘balanced’ how a few can feel like fewamonths… It feels as thoug thatawhen downturn occurs, fundweeks within their I’ve been working in financial that goes for over 6 hours called been about 3 or 4, but I can still the cow, letting the horses out, m’ to play the songs that I called Once you know the answer to that question you canthose startgrowth working towards we believe it’s our (small g) godget played for you, no problems. investments havetime alrea superannuation. can be services since 2002, so I’vebeen seen living ‘Pure Rockto & Roll’, I was and still fondly remember begging mum we’ve through This thisplan coronavirus nightmare for a long stoking the fire (chopping some givenI typed right toindo‘Rock’ so, and hang alo Bill’ and ‘Ronky Racoon’. creating the financial to secure time thattolife. just to the see what recover. particularly dangerous for those a few financial crises during extra wood if it were needed), am, in music heaven. 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We certainly the those growth investments h This can be the way you services 2002, so I’ve seen ‘Pure Rock &aRoll’, I was and still daughter Laura was often right by else’s – which gives you the excuse will think differently about spend the Afterinvestment all, the reallysince important things in life can’t be superannuation. when we see our life savings retirement. minute to find out the name of new a lot about how ‘Buffalo Bill’ and ‘Ronky Racoon’. est and loudest stereo the as much if not his side,inshowing time to recover. particularly dangerous for those a few financial crises during am, in music heaven. The only two to say “Oh,educated, they’re not talking to markets work, so hardit’s to earn. It’s about bought. 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Nope. term implications. of current faves, relatively new opportunity to take theatime to the fire, withnormal.” Charles playing There is no mistaking the their money recover when that track when the going gets keep thingsI’m somewhat hours.his Bliss. Alone. Not lonely. alone again this week, working thehappens decisions making savings into short, I guarantee all my clients This is what often withyou our are short-term longerthere this goes on, retirement the bigger the ’ It. MyWith lovely wife made banana literally smellband the roses is aOcean thing to fiddle, or Carolyn reading a story. Aussie called Alley – and And the seriousness of the coronavi things go back up again… which tough. I can guarantee you this many appreciative messages from from home. Weird. Fun. Novel. Am I right now will have a huge medium term financial ‘buckets’ decisions. 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They were very poor, but might be aOnion little different coffees. and work set-Mama…’, Most Peculiar Skin byto what it Many people will be finding while theywant are down. those dreams will cost money. elling you. you hearMy it?computer I’ll bet that most of the things you really GiveCan @orangesupportingorange a and more appeared to lack nothing used to be? Maybe Charles and all looks like in 5, 10 and 20 ye like this happens, there is no include these are a good opportunity up (see last weeks’ column) is aces.Operawill Boom Crash (‘these here‘Mad are World’ by Tears This type of strategy ensures themselves out simply sitting in follow Instagram andwant let’s support our Good atse days, Daniel Life first. 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I’ll man betbehind that Wealth whatTrain youand want more ofthan materialFinancial Advice will get you access to a billion Music – you’reAre never lonely,Ieven de of place, and the music contains general advice which does not take into consideration any of your personal circumstances. All strategies and information provided are general advice only. Strange’. know a mate who’d possessions is to feel financially secure and free Stay safe! songs, maybe more, and there’s Daniel McGregor and Wealth Train are authorised representatives of Independent Financial Advice and Education AFSL 520963 y computer won’t ever be when you’re alone.add Turn‘Here it up.I Loud. Ifstress you’d like tomoney? find out more about how INDEPENDENT financial advice could help you manage cash flow, pay off the mortgage faster, get the mo from the of go Again on my own’ by no ads if you pay for it. 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Daniel McGregor is the man behind Wealth Train and is a member of the Independent Financial Advice and Education. This advice may not be suitable to you because it

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husband and I joked about toilet paper shortages. Our lives, have been threatened and taken away from amusement continued with my in-laws as we light us, first by bushfire and now by a virus. Things it heartedly continued to joke about “panic buying.” seemed weabout could3 take for granted have suddenly Then we read confirmed cases in orange and very uncertain.ofOf course always the become gravity and seriousness what was they happening hit us -were, It got but real.they were so familiar and longstanding that it’s easy to fool ourselves. has warned us Then events started to be cancelled,God my churches ioh, Yug jigsawsabout this inkids’ his word the shortly Bible, where everything group and program followed and r retail of board games, miniatures, paint, youth . pied occu yone ever in the world is described as being ‘in bondage to then we received the message that weekly church keep to ty Magic and Vanguard – plen services would to also be suspended also. decay.’ But need he has told us that we can cast to of things veranxiety the severity hadn’t hit home before, all our on him because he cares forthey us. So, home” we are happy toIfdeli or those “stuck atwith jolly well did now! ioh, with while we may not understand what he is doing, Yug LGA ws nge jigsa t, Ora pain the res, in r iatu min es, your doo gam il of board For reta ALEX MCFADYEN As the stood Aldishould beforebe thedoing doorsisopened with or lastoutside thing we NICK MILHAM . despairing, . I ty pied occu e out ancgua everyone distVan keep able to plen rd –side and a reason my thinking list ready to restock my pantry after being away, I ic and Mag that God has forgotten about us or been pondered about the way God will return one day and taken by surprise. is inver control, to just as he use” to deli messa happyGod l or caltho we hom Give us aFor ck atge prayed myare hardest that people would get real about se “stu always has been. “Taste and see that the Lord is LGA ngewith Him and respond with the same they stood Ora the ingood; rwhere your dooFRIDAY blessed is the one who takes refuge in him” level of urgency side. that morning. God is outwitnessing eI was anc dist able sonwaiting -6pm (Psalm 34:8). and a rea11am for us to take Him seriously, are you ready? MONDAY WEDNESDAY

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(until advi purposes

Daniel McGregor is the man behind Wealth Train and is a member of the Independent Financial Advisers Association of Australia. This advice may not be suitable to you because • Diagnostic it contains general advice which does not Hearing take into consideration any of your personal circumstances. All strategies and information provided are general advice only.

Assessment • Excellent Hearing Aid Fittings • Superior level of client service C KAY M INTOSH • Valuable ongoing AUDIOLOGIST support • Latest technology Bluetooth connection To discuss your grant application and how

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HistoryTALKING

with HELEN McANULTY

As I write this most of us are in self isolation. While very challenging it may be, as Frank Kafka said, “a way to know ourselves.” The members of the Oral History Group have responded to my call and sent me stories of their own experiences of isolation in their lives or of other challenging times through which they have lived. Di Vivers grew up in Forbes but worked in London for two years at the Sydney Morning Herald office, so she became used to living in cities. She tells her story. “We had been married for two years when my husband was promoted to sub-manager on an isolated property in south-west NSW. Our house was sixteen miles from the main homestead through twelve miles of black soil plains and eight gates once one left the main road. “The staff on the stud had been reduced because of the drought so we had the outstation to ourselves. Tim was working away at the main homestead all day and I was completely alone. “Our house was quite large, built of weatherboard and lined inside with ripple iron which dripped with condensation all winter and baked us in the summer. I had no children then so my constant companions were the baby wild pigs that had been orphaned in the paddocks. They accompanied

HARD TIMES Isolation is a way to know ourselves. ~ Frank Kafka me in my walks during the day and delighted in the fruit I picked in the orchard. I occupied myself learning to sew, reading and dabbling in paints to prevent myself giving in to loneliness. I would set the clock and perform a set task within a set time. In other words, I was playing a game with myself! “We bought a little Volkswagen so I could drive to Deniliquin once a week to do the shopping. Once I had driven through the eight gates and reached the main road, I then had to drive fifty miles to Deniliquin. There was no car radio so I had plenty of time to reflect. “The black soil and the gates were always a challenge whenever it rained. If we happened to be in town or at a neighbouring property and we heard a few drops of rain we would immediately say our goodbyes and rush for home. Often, by the time we reached the first gate, Tim would have to dig the car out of the mud. “The only sound from the outside world was a plane flying over

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occasionally, so when my husband was away, my isolation was complete. “One day a group of horsemen rode up to the homestead and called out to announce their visit. I was so startled at the sound of voices that I ran to hide. I realised then that I had become a recluse, so used to my own company and thoughts.” Di found that she could survive the isolation of the life she was living by calling on her inner reserves as we are all doing during this crisis.

doodle bugs which was really a bomb with wings. They made a sound like a lorry and flew until they ran out of fuel. Then they simply fell to the ground and exploded. Whenever there was a doodle bug, people would stand still until it had passed but if the noise stopped that was the time to worry. Over 6000 people were killed and nearly 18000 injured. John remembered: “When I was five or six my job, when I came home from school, was to go into the garden and listen and look for doodle bugs. Nooters Club A5 flyer.pdf 1 21/01/13 If I heard one, I then called John faced an entirely different my mother who called the situation. He was not isolated but neighbours, and everyone went as a small boy he saw his parents to the air-raid shelter which and everyone around him trying was usually at the bottom of the to find the strength to survive garden. It was OK if you could a world war. Britain had been hear them but when the engine fighting the war for four weary stopped, you ducked for cover.” years when the enemy launched In September 1944, the enemy almost unimaginable horror. began sending V2 rockets into In June 1944, the Germans London. started sending V1 flying bombs “It was more like a modern over London. They were called

Jokes! C

Have you heard about the lady who went to the hospital to visit a friend? She had not been in a hospital for several years and felt very ignorant about all the new technology. A technician followed her onto the elevator, wheeling a large, intimidating looking machine with tubes and wires and dials. “Boy, would I hate to be hooked up to that thing,” she said. “So would I,” replied the technician. “It’s a floor-cleaning machine.” Y

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ballistic missile, much bigger and more dangerous but not as frightening to the population as a V1 because you didn’t hear it coming and would be dead when it hit you. “When the V2s started we were evacuated to the country as they were much more dangerous. We were evacuated to Huntington, full of American soldiers and if you saw some you would rush up with the request ‘Got any gum, chum?’ It was the only way to get lollies and my mother was horrified when she found out. “My father had a heart condition so could not join the armedforces so he became an Air-Raid Warden. The Germans didn’t just drop bombs, they also dropped landmines, which were much more powerful and came down by parachute. My father told the story of being out one night and being aware of something close by. It being in the middle of a blackout, he couldn’t see much. But he was able to just make out a PM land-mine just over his head. The parachute holding it had caught in a tree! It became a family joke because you would go mad if you took it all seriously.”

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OCLife

Virtual Menu for CWA — MELISE COLEMAN — CWA members have put ‘virtual’ scones on menu to help keep assistance flowing. This time each year, CWA of NSW members from across the state would be volunteering at the CWA Tea Room at the Royal Easter Show, with no show this year, the Orange Evening Branch of the CWA of NSW is urging the community to get behind an alternative fundraising opportunity, with a very 21st century feel. The CWA of NSW has run the Tea Room at the Royal Easter Show for more than 70 years, raising on average $150,000 from the sale of about 50,000 scones, tea, coffee and products made by members. However, when the decision was made to cancel the show, the organisation began to think of ways to help bridge the funding gap, which is where the virtual menu comes in. President of the Orange Evening Branch, Dr Georgina Luscombe explained, “There’s no doubt the show’s cancellation was an enormous disappointment and not only from a fundraising perspective. The Easter Show

Tea Room is a big part of our heritage and this year would have been our 73rd year in running it, obviously it’s also a big disappointment for show-goers, too, and the organisers who work so hard to stage the event each year. “But, at the moment all of our lives have had to change and we are adapting along with everyone else. So, with technology playing such a huge role in helping us make the changes required, we decided to use it to our advantage and are now offering people the chance to buy a ‘virtual scone’ from the CWA of NSW website, or even a whole ‘virtual’ Devonshire Tea.” From Friday April 3, when the 2020 Royal Easter Show was to have opened its gates, the community can go onto the CWA of NSW’s online shop and purchase a plate of ‘virtual scones’ for $5, a ‘Devonshire Tea’ for $10, a dozen plain ‘virtual scones’ for $20 and a whole batch of cyber delicacies for $50. Anyone who makes a donation in this way will receive a PDF copy of the CWA of NSW’s famous scone recipe,

where they can try their hand at home whipping up some of the much-loved treats. “It’s certainly not the same as visiting our famous Tea Room and enjoying morning tea, but this year more than ever perhaps - we have to find new ways to fundraise because the assistance offered by our organisation and members is just so important right now. We are helping communities and individuals still feeling the impact of drought, those left reeling after the bushfires and now the whole of our state is facing the enormous challenges associated with COVID-19,” Georgina said. “2020 is going to be enormously difficult for everyone, but with the ongoing generosity of our community, and with the small purchase of a ‘virtual’ CWA scone, we can ensure the CWA of NSW grant schemes and assistance programs continue to deliver where they’re most needed across our local area.” To purchase a ‘virtual’ sweet treat and scone recipe, go to https://shop.cwaofnsw.org.au/

Jokes!

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While visiting my sister’s home recently, I walked past my young neice’s room before bedtime and observed her kneeling beside her bed, with her head bowed and hands folded, repeating the alphabet. “What are you doing?” I asked. “I’m saying my prayers,” she explained, a sweet smile across her face, “But I couldn’t think of just what I wanted to say. So I’m just saying all the letters of the alphabet, and God can put them together however he thinks best.” OOOO DAD: I was just listening to the radio on my way in to town, apparently an actress just killed herself. MOM: Oh my! Who!?

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YOUR LOCAL

COUNCIL AT WORK Work begins on Anson Street footpath lighting upgrade

Council to waive commercial rents, as COVID-19 impacts economy Local businesses which rent properties from Orange City Council will be given immediate rent relief in the coming months, following the Council’s latest response to the COVID-19 crisis. The latest Orange City Council (7 April) meeting decided unanimously to waive both rent on all Council-owned commercial properties and also waive interest on overdue rates from 1 April 2020 to 30 June. The decision will cost the Council around $131,000 for the three months (including $106,000 for rents and $25,000 for overdue rates interest). The properties affected by the change include 8 commercial/retail shops, a number of hangars rented by businesses at the airport, and more than twenty locations where outdoor dining licenses produce income. Orange Mayor Reg Kidd said the Council was setting an example that he hoped others would follow. “On top of waiving rents on Council-owned business properties, the Council also unanimously decided to encourage local business property owners, where possible, to waive or defer rent for the next three months,” Cr Reg Kidd said. “All local businesses are going through tough times, and anything we can do to help is worth considering.”

Work has begun on the first stage of a major $1.8 million project to upgrade footpath lighting in two key areas of Orange. In September last year Orange City Council awarded a $1.7 million tender to install new footpath lighting on Summer Street and along Anson Street to the new DPI building. The tender was awarded to Dubbo-based lighting firm JLE Electrical (Large Industries Pty Ltd). Funding for this project comes from:

BRIEFS w Meetings The next Orange City Council meeting will be held on Tuesday 5 May 2020 at the Orange Civic Centre

• $900 thousand from Orange City Council • $700 thousand the NSW Government’s Stronger Country Communities Fund • $200 thousand from the Australian Government’s Safer Communities Fund In the first stage of the project, contractors have begun digging a trench to install conduits along Anson Street, which will be followed by the installation of pole-mounted lights from the CBD to Prince Street. The work in Anson Street is expected to be completed by May. Poles will be installed about every 15 metres along the footpath on the eastern side of the street. Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW John Barilaro congratulated Orange City Council on getting shovels in the ground and said the upgrade would make a big difference to everyday life for people in Orange.

w Recent decisions Last Orange City Council meeting held on April 7 supported a mayoral minute to investigate the installation of a “playmat” surface at the old Moulder Park netball courts.

More netball courts, new youth hub to benefit from grant funding Orange City Council has secured NSW Government funding for an extra two netball courts at Anzac Park and a new Youth Hub for the local community. Nationals Upper House MP, Sam Farraway was in Orange to announce a $612,212 from the NSW Government’s Stronger Country Communities Fund (SCCF) for the Orange region. Mr Farraway said round 3 of the SCCF put community based infrastructure and opportunities for young people front and centre. “While COVID-19 affecting many aspects of our lives, the NSW Government and regional councils are doing their best to ensure these projects are delivered for communities to enjoy once these uncertain times are over.”

Margaret Stevenson Park playground gets replaced Orange City Council contractors are removing the current playground at Margaret Stevenson Park. The 25 year old playground is being replaced with new state of the art equipment which is set to be located in a more user friendly location in the park, near the outdoor gym equipment. The new design includes two play elements, a 6m high activity net suitable for children aged between 5 and 12, and a double swing to cater for children aged 2 years and up. The total project cost is $60,000 and has been designed to include an indigenous theme. Construction on the new playground is set to be complete by May 2020.

www.orange.nsw.gov.au

Orange Mayor, Cr Reg Kidd welcomed the funding announcement. “Orange City Council is delighted to be working in partnership with the NSW Government to boost the quality of local sporting facilities and develop a new service for local young people,” Cr Kidd said.

FAQ’S Q.

HOW CAN I STILL PAY MY RESPECTS THIS ANZAC DAY? Orange netball players have welcomed funding for two extra courts at Anzac Park. Pictured are (l. to r.) Cara Dennis, Jane Dennis, Mayor Reg Kidd, Freya Keegan Eva Keegan and Sam Farraway.

Orange City Council is supporting the Australian Government Department of Veterans’ Affairs recommendations: Australians are encouraged to privately commemorate Anzac Day, in-line with the latest health advice, and to watch the service at the Australian War Memorial. While the Service is not open to public attendance, the Service will be nationally broadcast, to enable the public to watch from their own homes. There will also be a range of other commemorative activities that will be broadcast throughout the day.

Find us on social media @ Orange City Council 23 — 29 APRIL , 2020 17

with AMANDA SPALDING

How to get the BEST out of OUR COUNCILS

WHAT WILL BE IN

ORANGE CITY COUNCIL’S

BUDGET

FOR 2020 – 2021?

By the time you read this I understand that Orange City Council’s proposed budget for 2020 – 2021 will have been considered by the Council meeting on 21st April 2020 for approval to go on exhibition for community comment. It will be interesting to see what proposals Council has for economic stimulus. Last year Put Orange First made a submission suggesting (among other things) that Council employ a CBD Place Manager to facilitate engagement and speed up planning processes. The Place Manager would also work with local property owners over lease costs and customer service training because of concerns from local business people a year ago about the difficulties being faced, particularly by CBD retailers. The economic situation and outlook is now much worse. Section 404 of the Local Government Act requires that each council must have an annual Operational Plan, adopted before the beginning of each financial year, outlining the activities to be undertaken that year, as part of the Delivery Program. The Operational Plan will include the Statement of Revenue Policy and must be publicly exhibited for at least 28 days and public submissions can be made to the council during the period. The annual statement of revenue policy is essentially the annual budget and includes details of: • Estimated income and expenditure • Ordinary rates and special rates • Proposed fees and charges • The council’s proposed pricing methodology • Proposed borrowings. The exhibition must be accompanied by a map showing where the various rates will apply within the local government area, and I am particularly looking forward to this as it has proved impossible to obtain this information during the last year. The council must accept and consider any submissions made on the draft Operational Plan before adopting the Operational Plan. I am also interested to see what engagement processes Council uses to seek community feedback at this unusual time. The Office of Local Government has published an Engagement Guide for Local Government that can be found at: https://www.olg.nsw.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/COVID-19-Guideline-ForLocal-Govt-engagement.pdf

The introduction to the Guide says: ‘Our world has changed. The public health restrictions associated with the management of COVID-19 mean that we need to do things differently. For councils, this means that in some cases we need to temporarily change the way we engage with our communities and stakeholders. We have prepared this engagement guide to help you navigate your engagement options under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (EP&A Act).’ The Guide also states: ‘Before you do anything! As a council, you have an opportunity to reach out to your community and stakeholders and seek to understand how they can engage with you. This is not the time for assumptions. Reach out to your communities and stakeholders and ask the question.’ It is disappointing that the Guide only refers to councils’ Planning engagement responsibilities, not those under the Local Government Act, but the Guide is equally applicable and includes the following proposed methods of engagement: • Virtual public information sessions, workshops, meetings and focus group • Webinar • Mail out and other postal services • Gamefication • Graphic recording • QR codes & augmented reality • Blogs • Research • Incentives to engage

• Live/work/ play maps • Interactive mobile apps • Virtual post it note walls • Alternate radio • Polling / voting • Live chat • Community notice boards — radio and TV • Feedback cards • Front window display • Surveys

I look forward to seeing how Council intends to engage with the community. Next week I will analyse the contents of the draft Operational Plan and budget 2020-2021.

I have received feedback that many people find these columns informative and I am happy to receive comments from readers about this column and other issues you would like me to cover so please either contact me at Orange City Life or aes@amandaspaldingconsulting.com

18 23 — 29 APRIL , 2020

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$199,000

29 GALA CRESCENT

$790,000

NEW PRICE

This immaculate home is just 200 metres from Orange’s CBD, nestled in a tree lined street amongst some of the best period homes in the city. Meticulously maintained, this unique property has only had 2 owners in its lifetime. The home is of grand proportions with north facing casual and formal living and dining areas, 4 double sized bedrooms, 2½ bathrooms, a modern kitchen with quality inclusions. The large wrap around verandah leads to another entertaining area. Perfectly positioned on a huge 1233m2 block with a beautiful established low maintenance garden. CONTACT: ADAM SAVAGE 0419 232 416

Tucked away at the back of a well kept complex this unit has a new bathroom, a peaceful colour scheme and modern carpet. The block is bigger than usual for a unit this size making is perfect for those with a pet or a keen gardener. Recently and consistently rented for $250 per week this unit offers a great return for the astute investor but would also make a lovely home for someone on a budget. A great starter home or brilliant investment. CONTACT: LIZ MCATAMNEY 0417 696 987

1554 PEABODY ROAD, MOLONG

$199,000

Located just 1.5km from the Molong town centre and an easy 25 minutes to Orange this large block is 5,133 sqm or over an acre in size. This block provides an excellent chance to build your dream home with an acreage feel and town convenience. The block is fully fenced and has some large established trees as well as some cleared areas ideal for a house site. A larger adjacent block may be available if preferred. CONTACT: JACOB EVANS 0428 130 789

22 23 — 29 APRIL , 2020

This beautiful home is a clever fusion of classic style and contemporary features. The gorgeous open plan living area has a fresh colour palette, lovely flooring and many windows to capture the northern sun and is the perfect place for the family to gather. The kitchen is a dream and you will love the luxurious bathrooms. The lounge room is cosy, the bedrooms comfortable, the laundry perfect and the plantation shutters complement the home. The huge garage, with attic storage, is connected to the house via a breezeway. CONTACT: JACOB EVANS 0428 130 789

45 MOLONG ST, STUART TOWN

$199,000

If you are looking for something offering good value and a peaceful location, stop and look no further. Located in Stuart Town on a 1,686sqm block is this surprisingly spacious brick veneer home. There are 3 good sized bedrooms, a roomy eat-in kitchen and the generous living space is well equipped for perfect climate control. Outside there is good shed space and a studio which, with some TLC, could become a granny flat. Water storage is a feature with a reliable bore and 2 rainwater tanks. CONTACT: JACOB EVANS 0428 130 789

1195 BUNDALAH RD, EUCHAREENA

$320,000

North of Orange at Euchareena, this 75.29Ha bush block is set up to live off the grid with a 3.7Kw solar panel system and inverter with deep cycle batteries for power storage. It also has 94,000 litres of rainwater storage for domestic use and an extra 44,000 litres of water storage for stock and the veggie garden. There is a greenhouse and a 12m x 18m workshop. A smaller, separate shed houses the wood stove and simple kitchen. Build your own home to take advantage of sweeping views across the valley. CONTACT: MICHAEL WRIGHT 0421 360 948

$860,000 - $880,000

142 ROSSI DRIVE

YOU’VE FOUND IT Carefully designed, located on 5 acres, on town water and only a short drive from Orange; this gorgeous home offers the very best of lifestyle living. The master bedroom has space for a king and a reading corner, there is a walk-in-robe with heaps of storage. The ensuite features a stunning freestanding bath and generous layout. Open plan living with a focus on entertaining is a key feature of this home, with the kitchen featuring a waterfall island bench and modern appliances. The home features large bedrooms with builtins and a huge rumpus central to these, perfect for the kids. Outside, there is 5 usable acres, with three water tanks, playground, chook yard and two-bay shed with carport. There is absolutely nothing to do here, just move in and enjoy. See pfisher.com.au for full list of features CONTACT: MICHAEL WRIGHT 0421 360 948

20 TORULOSA WAY

$285,000

It’s hard to find a brick home in Orange under $300,000 and with new flooring and fresh internal painting that’s a real bonus. The northern aspect guarantees Winter sun in both the dining and living areas for most of the day. The main bedroom has a built-in wardrobe and there are two other bedrooms. The bathroom has a bath, shower and a separate toilet. There’s a private courtyard area with a built-in brick BBQ perfect for entertaining. You’ll also like the South Orange location close to the hospital, Cadia mine and James Sheahan High School. CONTACT: ADAM SAVAGE 0419 232 416

42 NUBRIGYN STREET, EUCHAREENA

Nestled on a lovely garden block this home is in perfect order with an open plan kitchen & living area. There is already a great shed but there is lots of space for a larger shed too. The home is next to the local public school and there is a school bus service to Molong and Orange. Located within 30 minutes of Orange, Molong and Wellington and only 20 minutes from Mookerawa Waters you could be perfectly placed for work, rest and play. CONTACT: LIZ MCATAMNEY 0417 696 987

PIECE OF PARADISE Tucked away down a private laneway in the very tightly held Canobolas valley is this little piece of paradise. Private, serene, on 3595m2 with gorgeous views over the neighbouring dam and surrounding countryside yet only an easy 10 minute drive into Orange, The lounge is the hub of the home with it’s beautiful high ceilings, cosy wood fire, expansive bar area, ideal northern aspect and relaxing rural views. Entertaining is a breeze with a large dining area and another family zone, outside is a lovely long pergola area adjoining the house and another pergola area at the back of the garage looking down the picturesque valley. Beautiful established gardens, chook shed, veggie garden, 4 car garage and workshop area. This truly unique property offers a fabulous lifestyle and is not to be missed. Escape to the peace and quiet and natural beauty today. CONTACT: ADAM SAVAGE 0419 232 416

$969,000

This superb home sits resplendently on a hill with sweeping views of Orange from the back. Superior in quality and size with grand living spaces and spacious bedrooms. Well-equipped kitchen with a wonderful butler’s pantry. Entertain in the formal and informal living areas, fully enclosed indoor/outdoor room and a lovely deck. Downstairs the huge rumpus room could easily be converted into 4th and 5th bedrooms with enough room for another living space. The large workshop shed is a real bonus and there is room for the caravan and plenty of yard. CONTACT: JACOB EVANS 0428 130 789

$749,000

35 MANCHESTER LANE CANOBOLAS

139 GORMAN ROAD

$199,000

2.5

$799,000

36 VALENCIA DRIVE

This stunning family home, built to exacting standards, is really something else. From the gorgeous double doors in the entry and beyond the home is spacious and inviting. With big rooms, big windows and plenty of family living space there is so much to enjoy here. The interior is beautifully finished with a relaxing colour scheme creating a feeling of sanctuary. This feeling continues outside with the well-established trees, gardens and privacy hedges. A large carport and huge 11m x 9m shed round out this perfect package. CONTACT: JACOB EVANS 0428 130 789

123 WOODWARD STREET

$389,000

$199,000

48A SHARP ROAD

Looking for a house in a good location with not too many renovations and well priced? Within walking distance of the CBD and zoned for the popular Calare Public and Orange High Schools, this property has a brand new kitchen, 2 new bathrooms, new carpet and flooring. It has been recently painted inside and out and it’s ready to move in and enjoy straight away. There are 3 bedrooms, the main with a walk in robe area and ensuite, a large lounge and family area plus an office.

We are proud to offer this 447m2 vacant block with town services connected. Located in a great south Orange location. Surrounded by a reserve, next to Brabham playing fields, walking tracks and cycle paths. Right near space to run and children’s play equipment. Great school catchment area – Orange Public School, Orange High, Anson Street School and James Sheahan. Walking distance from the hospital. Ready for building; enjoy having a new build in an established area.

CONTACT: ADAM SAVAGE 0419 232 416

CONTACT: MICHAEL WRIGHT 0421 360 948

23 — 29 APRIL , 2020 23

OCLife

ORANGE CITY

UNITE — MELISE COLEMAN —

When it comes to rallying together, Orange City Rugby Club takes lead. In December last year the club lost an overwhelming estimated $25,000 when their grounds were vandalised and grandstand set alight, determined to rise above, the club was eagerly awaiting to tackle the new season head on. With the 2020 season at a halt, the rugby club have been adapting to find new ways to support one another, their sponsors and the community. Club board member, Tamara Grant explained, “Without local business support we wouldn’t have our club, so it’s our turn to try and do our bit and support them when they need us most. We are all in this together and we as a club, can do our bit by purchasing our coffees,

wine, our dinners and general business needs from these businesses that have always donated to our club when we needed them. It’s the months and years ahead where they will need us and we will ensure we can do what we can to help.” The club is also keeping a focus on player wellbeing during this time of social isolation, “With further restrictions on outside gatherings individuals are left to their own devices with home gyms and fitness. So, for us it’s just about keeping communication open and reaching out to players regularly with what’s going on. Sport is a big part of our small community and for many, it’s their social lives, so it’s important our members know and we constantly ensure not only players, but any member of the club that they can reach out to, at any time.”

23 — 29 APRIL , 2020 25

Cadia sponsors meals for COVID-19 response team NEWCREST COMMUNITY SUPPORT FUND Orange Health Service’s COVID-19 response team is now receiving free family meals at the end of each shift, sponsored by Newcrest Mining’s Cadia Valley Operations, to support these health professionals and their families, as well as providing patronage to local catering companies. This initiative is part of Newcrest’s Community Support Fund, which is providing financial support to its host communities to assist them with the challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Through conversations with the Orange Health Service, Cadia became aware that the health professionals in the COVID-19 response team were required to isolate at home following each shift, meaning they had no opportunity to stop for groceries on the way home from work or pick up dinner. Acting General Manager, Aaron Brannigan, said that Cadia decided to step in and show its support for the valuable work of these health professionals by providing them with family meals, provided by local catering companies and delivered to the hospital to be taken home at the end of their shift. “The health and safety of our people and the community is our most important focus and through sponsoring the provision of these meals, we hope to support the work of the COVID-19 response team through helping care for the members of this team and their families,” Aaron said. The first round of meals is being provided by Delish Catering and going forward, the catering provider will be facilitated by Orange360 and rotated regularly to support a range of local businesses in the community.

Scott Turner from Delish Catering delivering the family meals to Orange Health Service, sponsored by Ne wcrest Cadia. Pictured nurse Tris ha Hansen receiving the daily meals.

For more information on the Newcrest Community Support Fund and our focus on local support, please visit the Cadia Valley website, www.cadiavalley.com.au. #cadiacares

SAVE YOUR RETIREMENT! CHANGES. CHOICES. DECISIONS.

Be proactive... have a plan. Book a free financial checkup with Daniel McGregor, your local independent financial adviser. .com.au

or call 0411 484 464 Daniel McGregor (1253135) and Wealth Train (1258202) are authorised representatives of Independent Financial Advice and Education AFSL 520963

26 23 — 29 APRIL , 2020

Today, my son asked “Can I have a book mark?” and I burst into tears. 11 years old and he still doesn’t know my name is Brian. OOOOOO

It is completely normal to feel unsettled right now, but how you handle fear and the money moves you make have never been more important.

Book online at

Jokes!

Family meals for health professionals sponsored by Cadia.

DEATH NOTICES in Orange City Life

Letting people know about the passing of a loved one is never easy, but people do appreciate hearing of such losses, each having their own reasons for this. You can now share your sadness in a thoughtfully presented Death Notice in Orange City Life.

Did you know the first French fries weren’t actually cooked in France? They were cooked in Greece.

Notices will be presented with dignity and at low cost $25 for words only and $50 if you include a photo. It’s worth noting that a lot more people read Orange City Life than any other local publication, and it’s Free.

OOOOOO If a child refuses to sleep during nap time, are they guilty of resisting a rest?

To place a Death Notice in Orange City Life, you have two options –

OOOOOO

Ask your Funeral Director to arrange it.

The secret service isn’t allowed to yell “Get down!” anymore when the president is about to be attacked. Now they have to yell “Donald, duck!”

Call us on 6361 3575, email reception@oclife.com.au or visit our office at Suite 3/241 Lords Place, Orange for more information.

We capture the Spirit of Orange

APRIL 23 — 29, 2020 27

PUZZLES…. PUZZLES…. PUZZLES…. We’ve again included extra puzzles to keep you amused during those times of isolation we’re now facing. OC Life sincerely thanks Auspac Media for their generosity in providing these puzzles to us at no cost, all for the added enjoyment of our readers.

which word? Win 5 x $2 Scratchies

Find the Phrase!

For a little extra time-consuming fun, have we got an interesting challenge for you?

It’s called Find the Phrase and to be in the running to win 5 x $2 scratchies each week, all you have to do is tell us where in our magazine you found the phrase of a few words that we’re looking for, then send in an entry to be in the draw. The phrase you’re looking for this week is...

AMBROSIA (a) An eager desire for distinction (b) The food of the gods (c) A sperm whale secretion used in perfumery

BENIGN (a) Unenlightened (b) Helpful (c) Of a kind disposition

CALOTTE (a) A priest’s plain skullcap (b) An apparatus for measuring quantities of heat (c) A thickened part of a plant

DECORUM (a) Interior decoration (b) Propriety of behaviour (c) A formal announcement

EFFLUENCE (a) Abundance of material goods (b) Effectiveness (c) Outward flow

FEMORAL (a) Relating to the thigh (b) Of women collectively (c) Having windows

GANTRY (a) A ship’s passageway (b) A spanning framework, as on a crane (c) The whole scale or range

HELMINTHOID (a) Shaped like a worm (b) Steering (c) Infernal

IMPUNITY (a) The state of being impure (b) Exemption from punishment (c) An impelling action or force

“and I mean megabucks” Send, deliver or email entries Find the Phrase, OC Life, 3/241 Lords Place Orange NSW 2800 or reception@oclife.com.au Entries close each Monday at 5pm.

Find a Word N O M E L S U R T I C R N

A P R I C O T T A T H I P

G R A P E I E U E I P A L

D N E N U R P N M P S Y F

A H N E P A A S I O C I Y

T O E R T E V P L H G W N

E J O P O P U E E L P A D

M E L O N H C E I P A P R

H L I M O A S W O L W A A

A P V E L G I K C U P P T

W P E L H K N R C M A A S

TAHC 2.

SEE THE CLASSIFIEDS FOR ANSWERS 28

APRIL 23 — 29, 2020

KEEP THE DOCTOR AWAY

K B A N A N A D M D B A C

Allspice

Haw

Pear

Apple-john

Hip

Pippin

Apricot

Kiwi

Plum

Banana

Kumquat Pome

Buck’s

Lemon

Prune

Horn

Lime

Raisin

Bullace

Lychee

Uva

Citrus

Mango

Costard

Melon

10 JOUST (a) Combat between armoured knights (b) A chaffing remark (c) A supporting length of timber

Date

Nut

Durian

Olive

Fig

Papaya

Grape

Pawpaw

13 NOETIC (a) Relating to the mind (b) Having nodules (c) Injurious

ALFAKODO

Letter A to Z have a number value Letters to Z have a number value Some are A shown in the right hand cells Some are shown in the right hand cells cells Create remaining values using clues in centre Create remaining values using clues in centre cells

A B C D E F G H I J K L M

Z×U Z×O Y-J H-S J-C G+U M+U F-P U+U K+Q I÷U V-L O+H

N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

U×U L÷K L+K V+D V+C I+C J+I M-A W+Z X÷K W×K D+T A÷U

LANIGEROUS (a) Lacking in spirit or interest (b) Adapted for tearing (c) Wool-bearing

12 MALADY (a) Awkwardness (b) A bodily disorder or disease (c) An evil deed

alfakodo

exploraword Can you find the hidden meaning in the picture puzzles below?

T A U Q M U K A U U W Y O

4 17

14 OLIGARCHY (a) A deep shade of green (b) The ruling few in government (c) The ultraconservative members of a group 15 PERFIDIOUS (a) Indifferent (b) Of necessity (c) Treacherous 16 RETIARY (a) Netlike (b) Withdrawn (c) Involving retribution 17 SOMNIFEROUS (a) In a way not as yet determined (b) Inducing sleep (c) Gloomily dark 18 TESTUDO (a) Canopy or support over a bed (b) A Roman movable shelter for the protection of soldiers (c) A formal declaration

19 UMBILIFORM (a) Bosslike (b) Having the form of a navel (c) Affording shade 20 VERIDICAL (a) Rich in fresh greenness (b) Using too many words (c) Truth-tellings

Your Space

SUBMISSIONS—EMAIL: reception@oclife.com.au // FACEBOOK: ORANGE CITY LIFE // instagram: #ORANGECITYLIFE

Orange and the Influenza Pandemic of 1919 (Published in the April 2019 edition of the Orange Family History Group newsletter)

Group of Australian Red Cross Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) members during the influenza epidemic. Image courtesy Australian War Memorial P01102.007.003.

As the First World War drew to a close and Australian soldiers began to make their way home a new and equally deadly threat accompanied them: Spanish influenza. This highly infectious disease was first reported in March 1918 at Camp Funston (now Fort Riley) in Kansas, USA. The disease was transported via troop ships to the Western Front, spreading rapidly throughout Europe and around the globe. The disease became known as “Spanish flu”, because the press in Spain was not censored and the disease’s progress was widely reported there. The 1918-1919 influenza pandemic infected some 500 million people worldwide and caused between 50 and 100 million deaths (almost five percent of the world’s population). This is a considerably larger number of people than the 18 million who had died as a result of the First World War.

slightly below the nation’s average of 0.2%.

to people wishing to make their own masks.

The disease first appeared in Melbourne on 9 January 1919. There was some uncertainty as to whether the first victims were suffering from the Spanish flu, or the previous winter’s seasonal flu virus. Unchecked, the infection soon spread to New South Wales and South Australia, and on 27 January New South Wales became the first state to officially proclaim an outbreak of pneumonic influenza.

The first influenza case in Orange was reported

The NSW Department of Public Health issued instructions for people to avoid crowds and public places. People returning to their homes were advised to wash their hands and face and change their clothes upon arrival. Those suffering from the illness were to stay in bed until their full recovery and not be permitted visitors. Race meetings were cancelled and restrictions placed on train travel.

It is estimated that 15,000 Australians died from the Spanish flu, signifying a death rate of about 0.2%, one of the lowest recorded of any country during the pandemic. New Zealand, by comparison, experienced a death rate ten times that of Australia.

Orange Municipal Council swung into action. Extra nurses were employed and contingency plans made for a temporary additional hospital at the Orange Showground should the need arise. Townspeople were inoculated at the Town Hall and issued with disinfectant. By 4 February 1,182 people had received one inoculation, with 31 people receiving a second injection.

A total of 203 cases of influenza were reported in Orange. Fifteen people succumbed to the disease, representing 0.18% of Orange’s population of 8,214 at the time. This figure is

Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) ladies fashioned masks from wire and mosquito netting and saturated them in disinfectant to sell to the public as well as issuing instructions

30 23 — 29 APRIL , 2020

on 22 March 1919. Authorities ensured that infected houses were quarantined and marked by flags. Police guards were set up to ensure that the inhabitants remained isolated. People failing to observe the quarantine conditions were liable to a penalty of £20 (about $1,600 today). The Council called for volunteers to join the Influenza Administrative Committee to assist with the isolation of contacts, and to help prevent the spread of infection. By mid-April there were more than 100 cases of the flu in Orange, with nine deaths. As winter progressed the epidemic waned. The last case of influenza in Orange was reported on 14 August 1919. However it was not until 7 October 1919 that Orange was officially declared to be free of infection. A total of fifteen people had died: five women and ten men. Spanish influenza was unique in that, unlike other diseases, it did not affect the usual victims of illness: the very young, the elderly and the infirm. The vast majority of victims were otherwise healthy adults in the prime of life: breadwinners who left left behind widows and young children at a time when the community was attempting to rebuild following the decimation of their youth and manhood in war.

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solve this

VIA I R T F O T I B A

FIND MORE HOGSTERS!

Beryl Jackson would like to share a photo with OCL readers. A pic of what she claims to be the biggest Rose Bush in Orange. It’s called Buff Beauty and is located at Beryl’s home at Byng Street. It originally came from England in the 1800’s.

WIN 5 X $2 SCRATCHIES

D R E S S I N G

For further time-wasting entertainment during these times of home isolation, we’re inviting you to see how many hidden Hogsters you can find throughout this issue of OC Life. To be in the draw to win 5 x $2 Scratchies just tell us how many you found. You don’t have to say where, just tell us the number. To make it more interesting, the Hogsters you’re looking for this competition are different to the one we use in our regular Find Hogster competition.

The one you’re looking for this looks like this Entries close next Monday at 5pm. Text or email entries to 0459 022 084 or reception@oclife.com.au

MEALS FOR FAMILIES

PRESS RELEASE

7 letter words Battles Bending Tallest Wedding

5 letter words About Salty Scarf Taxes

8 letter words Contrast Dressing Enclosed Pronouns

6 letter words Aboard Energy Ignore Report

13 letter words Consideration Possibilities

MEALS FOR FAMILIES

of the freezers Catering Racheal Bastick loads one Caption: Owner of Coco’s Café and with pre-prepared meals for families. at Ronald McDonald House Orange ……. role supporting families important its continuing is for Ronald McDonald House in Orange Among the many ‘wrap around’ services of sick children at Orange Hospital. of pre-prepared frozen meals. families with a sick child, is the provision that while House Orange, Rebecca Walsh said due to Executive Officer of Ronald McDonald hold on put been have to prepare frozen meals group working bees in the house kitchens are 19 virus, as an alternative, commercial the restrictions related to the Covid are collected and distributed to families. now preparing food for families which for the purchase donors have come forward to pay “We are so appreciative that generous has been Coco’s Café and catering in in Orange of food, and Rachael Bastick from meals,” Ms Walsh said. preparing a delicious selection of families to prepare any food for need the eliminating at She said the initiative is aimed in a shared space. , here at times for everyone in the community “While these are extremely challenging to a call out for we are heartened by the response Ronald McDonald House in Orange Ms Walsh said. help with our pre-prepared meals,”

Ronald McDonald House in Orange is continuing its important role supporting families of sick children at Orange Hospital. Among the many ‘wrap around’ services for families with a sick child, is the provision of pre-prepared frozen meals. Executive Officer of Ronald McDonald House Orange, Rebecca Walsh said that while group working bees in the house to prepare frozen meals have been put on hold due to the restrictions related to the Covid 19 virus, as an alternative, commercial kitchens are now preparing food for families which are collected and distributed to families. “We are so appreciative that generous donors have come forward to pay for the purchase of food, and Rachael Bastick from Coco’s Café and catering in in Orange has been preparing a delicious selection of meals,” Ms Walsh said. She said the initiative is aimed at eliminating the need for families to prepare any food in a shared space. “While these are extremely challenging times for everyone in the community, here at Ronald McDonald House in Orange we are heartened by the response to a call out for help with our preprepared meals,” Ms Walsh said. Ms Walsh said the community of Orange is incredibly generous in the way it supports RMH including the wonderful team of volunteers who are on roster at the house 24-hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. “Providing frozen meals for families is an important part of the support we provide, as families find themselves spending long hours at the hospital and may not leave until late at night. “Having a pre-prepared nutritious meal they can just pop into the microwave is just one of the initiatives to deliver on our Mission to support families in need,” Ms Walsh said. If you would like to donate to Ronald McDonald House in Orange to support the pre-prepared meal program, please do not hesitate to contact Rebecca Walsh on 63 63 1960 or 0418 681 352. Or: Please donate and help make our House a home. https://fundraise.rmhc.org.au/orange-sponsor-a-meal

4 letter words Eyes Logs Tell Ugly

soduku The objective is to fill a 9x9 grid so that each column, each row, and each of the nine 3x3 boxes (also called blocks or regions) contains the digits from 1 to 9. A cell is the smallest block in the game. A row , column and region consists of 9 cells and the whole game consists of 81 cells.

4 1

2 3

Owner of Coco’s Café and Catering Rachea l Bastick loads one of the freeze rs at Ronald McDonald House Orange with pre-prepar ed meals for families.

Solution – Classified page.

23 — 29 APRIL , 2020 31

A brief, incomplete tribute to the post-apocalyptic fiction that shaped me... JONATHAN ROE

I never really expected to live through a pandemic. In an abstract way I have long known that the possibility was there, but still I never truly felt it would happen in my lifetime. And I certainly never imaged it to be anything like what we are currently living through. Books, comics and films had given me to imagine a lot more chaos, military trucks, lots of hazmat suits— that kind of thing, they didn’t prepare for this reality of days inside making baked treats while checking work emails and home-schooling a 7-yearold! Growing up in the 1980s, it was nuclear war that was the overriding threat. The tensions between the USSR and the USA permeated through popular culture into the movies of my childhood: Red Dawn, Top Gun, War Games, Russkies, Rocky IV, not to mentions half the James Bond franchise. Maybe it was growing up with this constant — and quite real — threat of world-wide annihilation that sparked my interest in post-apocalyptic fiction… I don’t know. But it is an interest that started young and certainly hasn’t gone away. Given we have found ourselves in an apocalypse of sorts, I thought I might indulge myself in putting together an incomplete list of some of my favourite pieces of postapocalyptic fiction.

Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior CAUSE OF APOCALYPSE: NUCLEAR WAR Sure, I could have said the whole Mad Max franchise, but I wanted to single out this movie in particular. Not only was it the first of the series I ever saw and a movie that had a big influence on me (you have no idea the amount of hours I spent cutting up car tyres to make suitable costuming for the apocalypse!) but I’d argue that this 1981 George Miller classic almost single-handedly spawned a whole sub-genre that many others tried to emulate. The 1987 Patrick Swayze film Steel Dawn certainly comes to mind as well as the much-maligned Waterworld in 1995. While not a great movie overall, Waterworld was an incredibly ambitious film. It is visually stunning, even today, and the scale of the sets is impressive! Mad Max 2 is an action rollercoaster with a simple plot and superb execution. In my mind it’s only topped by the fourth film in the franchise, Mad Max: Fury Road, which is a master class in the genre! I just hope George Miller keeps making them for as long as he is still standing!

The War of the Worlds CAUSE OF APOCALYPSE: MARTIAN INVASION Can an alien invasion story be considered post-apocalyptic? Well, I think the complete destruction of Great Britain by invading tentacled aliens wielding poison gas and heat rays counts! This book by H.G. Wells was

32 23 — 29 APRIL , 2020

actually one of the earliest novels I can recall reading and lead me to devour more in the science fiction genre. Written in the 1890s it is a powerful comment on British Imperialism and its deadly impact on Indigenous people around the world. It is also the archetypal alien invasion story. Now, I’ve not been impressed by any film adaption of the story so far, but I’m keen to see the 2019 BBC television series — the first to actually set it in the period it was written!

I am Legend The Omega Man

CAUSE OF APOCALYPSE: VAMPIRIC PLAGUE I confess I don’t have strong memories of Charlton Heston’s 1971 The Omega Man. I once had a housemate who was slightly obsessed with Charlton Heston films and we went through most of them in that time. But there is something haunting about the idea of being the last man alive on earth that makes it an appealing story. The 2007 Will Smith version, while entertaining, was not all that great in my opinion. It is only that I went on to read the original novelette I am Legend, by Richard Matheson that I decided to include it on this list. It is far from a perfect book, but one rich with ideas and I found it kind of stays with you. Plus, you finally get to understand the whole point of the title ‘I am Legend’.

The Planet of the Apes CAUSE OF APOCALYPSE: NUCLEAR WAR Is it a spoiler to include 1968’s The Planet of the Apes in a list of post-apocalyptic fiction? Probably. But the image of Charlton Heston collapsed in front of the broken down Statue of Liberty is so iconic and has been satirised so often, I find it hard to imagine there is anyone out there who isn’t aware of the twist in this movie. It’s dated, but the idea has such a powerful appeal. I mean, it spawned four sequels, a TV series, a remake, and more recently three reboot films!

12 Monkeys CAUSE OF APOCALYPSE: VIRAL PANDEMIC Continuing with the monkey theme, we come to the truly amazing Terry Gilliam 1995 film Twelve Monkeys. A non-linear, time travelling epic about a bid to retrospectively stop a viral pandemic that wipes out most of humanity. A movie that feature deep themes and powerful performances from Brad Pitt and Bruce Willis. Putting this list together made me realise it has been far too long since I last saw it!

The Matrix CAUSE OF APOCALYPSE: WAR WITH INTELLIGENT MACHINES Now, this is sure to upset a few people, but looking back at The Matrix, I find a lot of it incredibly cheesy and there is a lot about the aesthetic of the movie I just don’t like. But in saying that, stylistically this was a genre-changing action movie, that popularised comic-influenced cinematography and Hong Kong martial arts ‘wire work’ in countless movies that followed. I was blown away when first seeing it at the cinema! It is definitely worth the praise that it gets, but I just can’t say I find myself ever itching to rewatch it.

The entire zombie genre CAUSE OF APOCALYPSE: ZOMBIES OK, so I’m cheating here by naming an entire genre instead of one single book or film, but hey… It’s my list. Now, I came late to the horror genre as a whole; it never really held much appeal to. I believe it was only after watching Danny Boyle’s terrific 2002 film 28 Days Later that my fascination with the zombie genre began. Then followed the 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead, 28 Weeks Later (the equally great sequel to 28 Days Later) and I was hooked. I devoured all the George A. Romero (the Godfather of modern zombie films) movies — Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, Day of the Dead, Land of the Dead, Diary of the Dead, Survival of the Dead — and then moved onto the comic book and television series of The Walking Dead. If you have any interest in the genre and haven’t read The Walking Dead Comic, I heartily recommend it! But the television series… I have mixed feelings about. When it is good, it’s great! Unfortunately, that is only half the time. The zombie comedies Shaun of the Dead and Zombieland are good fun, and special mention needs to go the Australian-made Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead, and the fantastic Korean film, Train to Busan!

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FOR YOUR READING PLEASURE

Sunshine

ORANGE CITY LIFE IS PLEASED TO BE ABLE TO BRING YOU A SERIALISED VERSION OF THE ACCLAIMED NOVELLA, SUNSHINE, FROM MILLTHORPE’S

KIM KELLY

It’s 1921 and the Great War has left in its wake untold tragedy, not only in lives lost but in the guilt of survivors, the deep-set scars of old wounds and the sting of redoubled bigotries. In the tiny hamlet of Sunshine, on the far-flung desert’s edge, three very different ex-servicemen – Jack Bell, an Aboriginal horseman, Snow McGlynn, a laconic, curmudgeonly farmer, and Art Lovelee, an eccentric engineer – find themselves sharing a finger of farmland along the Darling River, and not much else. That is, until Art’s wife Grace, a battle-hardened nurse, gets to work on them all with her no-nonsense wisdom. Told with Kim Kelly’s inimitable with and warmth, Sunshine is a very Australian tale of home, hope and healing, of the power of growing life and love, and discovering that we are each other’s greatest gifts.

Stave IV

SNOW ‘Good morning!’ At first he thought it was only the birds, mocking him; he’d been standing a few yards’ distance from the house, planning out where he’d build his own packing shed, and imagined that those birds, so restless in their branches, were telling him with their laughing black-andblue eyes and their cackling, honking beaks, not to get too far ahead of himself. There was a great flush of blooms all over the lemons and on a fair few of the oranges, too, but it was early days yet – the trees were far too young, and he’d have to pluck off any fruit from the oranges this year anyway, to encourage more for next. ‘I say, it’s Mr McGlynn, isn’t it?’ the voice became a woman’s ¬– that woman from up the road, his neighbour, who’d been around pestering before, knocking on his front door, Hello, hello, anyone at home? No: Snow had sat at the kitchen table, hunched over the latest edition of The Australian Fruit Grower, pretending he wasn’t there, not that he needed to do all that much pretending; he’d stared at the back of his hands, splayed out as they were on the tabletop either side of his magazine, and willed her to go away until she did. There was no chance of that happening this time; he’d been seen. Of course, he knew he would have to face the neighbours eventually, but even still he was scarcely prepared. He touched the brim of his hat and began walking slowly towards her for want of any other option.

34 23 — 29 APRIL , 2020

‘Hello, at last. I’m Grace Lovelee.’ She looked like she’d stepped off the cover of one of those women’s magazines: from her whitestockinged ankles to her rosebud lips. And her dress was the colour of ripe lemons, the material slightly shimmering, crinkled in such a way that it might actually have been made from the skins of that fruit. She was such a sight, he might have asked her, What the hell are you doing out here? But he was too struck for a moment by the thought that she was some kind of spirit of citrus come to bless his trees. He mumbled something that sounded near enough to, ‘Yeah, McGlynn,’ and supposed he nodded in good day. ‘I’ve brought you some bread,’ she said, holding out her basket, its contents covered by a crisp white linen cloth. ‘I’m no expert at baking, but it’s fresh.’ She winked at him then: ‘Perhaps eat it sooner rather than later to avoid the possibility of breaking a tooth.’ He took the basket from her as if compelled to, under a spell, and made some attempt at, ‘Thank you.’ He didn’t quite trust that she was real: there was a gloss to her all over, not just that garden-party get-up on her and the starched linen napkin on the bread, but something else. Besides, he’d eaten the last of his bread yesterday, and all through eating his breakfast just this morning, all through his breadless eggs and tomato sauce, he’d been battling the urge to make a trip into town for more. He didn’t need to go into town, and he didn’t want to go into town; he was only craving the bread: he could go without. And now here it was. ‘You’ve put in some oranges and lemons?’ she asked him, and he nodded again for the obvious, wondering how he might get out of further conversation, as she went on: ‘My

husband, Art, he’s going to establish a nursery here, for fruit trees – all sorts. Perhaps you two should be in cahoots.’ Not likely. Snow hadn’t met the man, hadn’t seen him as anything but a tall, brawny bloke in a singlet hauling lengths of timber off the back of the Bradley’s Hardware utility truck down by the riverside track three days ago. It wouldn’t have mattered who or what his neighbour was, he wasn’t interested in cahooting of any type. Still, she went on: ‘There’s all manner of exciting talk in the town about Bourke becoming something of a fruit-growing centre in years to come. We’ve heard there’s even going to be a cool store built at the rail head, so all the fruit can wait there for the best market prices. A cooperative of Far Western farmers, they hope it will be, and they’re going to …’ She chirped on about pipe dreams Snow didn’t want a bar of. Cooperatives sounded too much like trade unions to him, which sounded like Bolshevik bulldust, which reminded him that if the Russians hadn’t pulled out of the war for their stupid, maggotty revolution, Moz might still be alive today. Snow would pack and cart his own fruit to the rail; he would bargain his own prices; and that was all a long way away. ‘Doesn’t it sound wonderful?’ Grace Lovelee was a dream all on her own. ‘Yeah.’ Snow gave her another nod. ‘Now, we must have you around to our place for a meal, Mr McGlynn.’ This woman was relentless. ‘You must meet Art. When do you think it might suit you?’ Never. ‘Ah —’ ‘Don’t be shy.’ ‘Not shy. Just busy.’ Just an angry, hate-filled bastard you really don’t want to know. ‘Thank you for the invitation all the same, Mrs Lovelee.’

FOR YOUR READING PLEASURE

Please, leave me alone. ‘And thanks for the bread.’ He began to turn away. But her voice pulled him back as if she’d laid a hand on his shoulder. ‘My pleasure, Mr McGlynn.’ She raised an eyebrow at him; her eyes were grey, a soft rainy-day grey, but they held him steadily. ‘Most people are too busy for dinner with friends,’ she told him with that stare, one that said she was somehow used to issuing instructions, direct and straight. ‘I want you to know that I’m not most people. I’m just Grace, and I’m never too busy for friends. Understood?’ He mumbled something that sounded like, ‘Good of you,’ and he turned his back, finally, taking two or three paces away from her, towards the verandah, placing the basket there on the boards, his breath loud in his ears. Sure that she remained, watching him, he glanced back, but she was gone: making her way down the skinny bush track that strung their fields together. Disoriented by the intrusion, he’d forgotten what it was he’d just been doing, and he walked out into his field of lemons, none the wiser as to what he should be doing now, except that he inspected all his trees twice daily, sometimes thrice, sometimes more. He walked between the first row of trees, looking for signs of aphids or any other distress to leaf or branch: there were none. The leaves were so alive, so shiny with health and all his good care, he could almost see his face in them, see them silently working water and light through every tiny vein. Each of the trees had grown these past five weeks, an inch or two at least; not bothered in the slightest by their transplantation, all now stood hip high, and each of them was covered with clusters of pale purple buds, bursting into starry white blooms, their centres swelling here and there into small green beads, the ovaries that would grow into his fruit. He crouched to see a hand of six – no, seven – of these beads deepening their colour, lengthening their shape. Eureka: the name of the variety came to him with a picture of all these trees soon hanging heavy with gold. All was happening as it should – no, all was exceeding any expectation – and yet no bounty, no such picture-postcard view of plenty, could ever really be claimed by him as any sort of success. The sky pressed down upon the back of his neck, never his friend; only his judge: nothing he could ever do would make up for how he had failed. Something disturbed the birds and they rose as a flock, a great wave, a shrieking stain against the blue and, higher, two separate clouds travelling at different speeds, one smeared and racing, the other seemingly static, confused him as he stood up from the crouch. His world spun drunkenly. At the misted edge of his perception he saw a boy, a small, fair-haired boy, running through the rows beyond, towards the oranges – so real, he was, Snow could hear his boots squelching in the mud of the irrigation channels. Get out of there, he could hear his father growling across time,

calling him to stop mucking about. The boy was only a memory; he knew that. The mud was only a memory; he knew that, too. It was different mud; a different river. And yet the sound it made under foot … ‘Jeez, Snow, look at the hole in you,’ Moz had gaped down at the wound, as though he’d never seen such a thing before. The shrapnel from the mortar had sliced into Snow’s side, ripping him open some six inches long and wide, exposing rib and flesh, convincing him he was going to die. As he’d never suffered much more than a graze before, he didn’t know that this wound was really not all that much worse – that it would be the infection that followed which would almost kill him. He didn’t know that the majority of the meat covering the front of his tunic belonged to his C.O., his lieutenant, who had borne the brunt and been obliterated. There in the black blood mud of Flanders, on the river flat of the Lys, surrounded by the entrails and severed pieces of men and the staring eyes of their death, it was easy to be convinced that he would soon be with them. He’d felt very little pain, considering, and that had only served to convince him further. ‘Leave me,’ Snow had yelled back at Moz, unsure if it was in fact his friend or some wishful apparition: Moz was supposed to have been in the platoon behind his. ‘Nah, mate,’ Moz had yelled back, moving only closer, on his elbows. They stayed there together for what must have been some minutes, though it had felt like hours, as machine-gun fire from both sides slashed the air all around them; three German planes swept low to strafe a British tank; two men wrestled a few yards off, so filthy, so savage, it was impossible to tell which side either of them belonged to. This battle for Messines, which last year had ended in victory for them, for the Allies, would this time end only in loss. And loss. And loss. ‘Go – please,’ Snow had begged him when the guns had momentarily stilled. Neither of them had any idea where Stu was by then; a crackshot sniper, he’d been shifted off at the behest of the brass once the attack was on, and had that afternoon found his way to a casualty clearing station not a mile off; he was having a stitch put in a cut above his left eye and a splinter of metal tweezered from his cheek below it, the Canadian nurse telling him the whole while: ‘Oh boy, oh boy. You don’t know how lucky you are.’ But for all Snow knew, Stu was dead too. He didn’t want Moz to join them. ‘Please – bugger off.’ But Moz had grinned. In all that, he’d grinned. That grin of his that was always keen for anything. He’d pushed himself up on his arms, raised his head to judge the distance back to their fast disintegrating line. ‘We can —’

OCLife

They were the last words he said before the spray of bullets tore into his face, with such a force it blew his helmet off the back of his head. Whose bullets? Theirs or ours? In that untold mess of advancing and retreating, who would ever know? Snow saw the face of his mate disappear in a mad red rush; he watched Moz become suspended briefly by the impact, then slump forward beside him, breathing mud, already one with the mud. Ashes to ashes, mud to mud. The war would be over in six months; most of their company, what was left of it, would see little action from that day until the end. ‘Alive!’ Or so Snow had been declared by the stretcherless stretcher bearer who found him, dragging him by the boots through that day’s version of hell; he’d blacked out somewhere along the way, and he hadn’t yet woken up. He knew it wasn’t his fault, not really; oh, but how it was. If he hadn’t been stunned brainless by the wounding, if he hadn’t lost his head at the precise moment it was most required, he could have crawled himself back to safety. He could have crawled with Moz back to their trench line. They would have made it. ‘Yaark!’ A bird swooped down through the rows, where the boy had been just a moment ago, rustling among the young branches, wings slapping. ‘You bastard,’ Snow spat into the mud at his feet, this rich red mud of the Darling, churned only with the flesh of hungry worms: alive. Alive. And he turned back to the house for his rifle.

Stave V

NEXT WEEK IN ORANGE CITY LIFE

Sunshine was first published 2019 by Jazz Monkey Publications, copyright © Kim Kelly 2019. The moral right of the author has been asserted. This edition for Orange City Life is publ ished with permission of the author. Som e phrases and words have been altered from the original, for a general audience. All rights reserved. No part of this publ ication may be reproduced, stored in a retrie val system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior perm ission of the author. The characters in this book are fictit ious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

23 — 29 APRIL , 2020 35

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THUMBS DOWN

to OCL for publishing an ad for puppies for sale with no Microchip numbers - it’s illegal. EDITOR: Oops, sorry! THUMBS UP OCLIFE for their brilliant input into not just our survival in this strange historic time but also to our on-going human development and enjoyment. BIG THUMBS UP to Derek from Aldi Orange for his very generous act of kindness shown this week to an elderly regular customer. I was very shocked and appreciated the gesture very much! Thankyou!! Truly a good deed from a truly great guy!! THUMBS UP to Orange Health Service Surgical Ward for their great care when I had to have an emergency procedure, and a special thumbs up to the RN Mary who was so kind to my mum and I. THUMBS UP to Mullion Produce for their great drive thru service, I didn’t even have to get out of my car to make my purchase. They are doing a great job of protecting staff and the public. THUMBS UP to Dencol very efficient service delivering gravel for our lockdown long weekend yard activities, very much appreciated, kept our minds and bodies busy.

A HUGE THUMBS UP to Kate and Tim at Terry White Chemmart, they are so caring of their staff and the public, such a great asset to our community. THUMBS DOWN and shame

on the person or persons responsible for the barbaric & inhumane killing of a poor, innocent stray cat which was found without its head on Ophir Road recently. I strongly believe in karma and when it comes back to bite you, I hope the punishment you receive will be a thousand times worse than what that poor cat went through! The appropriate authorities have been contacted about this act of animal cruelty. THUMBS UP to Gemma at Bunnings for her awesome customer service! I did an online order and was a little confused at which store it was coming from, and she sorted it all out for me within the hour. THUMBS UP to the young lady from Super Cheap Auto who I was speaking to 5 mins before closing on the Thursday before Easter. I needed a new battery and she was prepared to wait until after closing to help me out. They didn’t have the battery in stock, but her efforts were much appreciated. BIG THUMBS UP to Debbie and Shane at Pet’s at Peace in Orange for taking care

of our little angel Sassy. THUMBS UP to all the Health Service frontline staff, but unfortunately frontline staff are also cleaners and wardies etc, but disappointing not too much is mentioned about these people. They are part of the team but rarely recognized. THUMBS UP to the great people from the Senior’s Gym who sent the wonderful Connor to our homes to check we are okay while the gym is closed. Thank you Michael, Leonie and the rest of the team at Uniting for caring and for the big bag of Easter Eggs. The contact was very much appreciated. THUMBS UP to the kind lady who brought me in some flowers after a customer abused me for not having any of the supplies she needed. THUMBS DOWN

to the women working for a local business in a shared complex, not wanting to share ‘’their toilet’’ with the other women in the same complex. Shame on you, as if the toilet paper phase wasn’t bad enough. THUMBS UP to Live Better and my carers Kim, Connie and Kath who come and care for me. I don’t know how I’d survive without them. My utmost gratitude to these three wonderful musketeers.

THE THUMBS REPRESENT THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS OF READERS AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THOSE OF ORANGE CITY LIFE STAFF. EVERY CARE IS TAKEN NOT TO PUBLISH THUMBS THAT ARE CONSIDERED DEROGATORY OR DEFAMATORY IN NATURE

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