Festiv Arty: The new venue for the craft and schools section of Festiv Arty is perfect to show off the colour and lines of this year's entries. If you haven't made your way to the old Target shop yet, you have until Sunday to check it out. It is well worth a visit, and the school displays show what a wonderful job is being done by our teachers. The art and photography entries are on show at the Collie Art Gallery, with this exhibition continuing for another 5 weeks. You can walk an art trail between the two venues, checking out shop windows and this year's mural on the lane way wall of the Red Cross Shop.
Workshop: The Target shop is also being used as a venue for some of this year's workshops. On Saturday afternoon, a rainbow weaving workshop will be held there. There's still time to book in for Chatterbox sessions at the library Friday night and Saturday morning. A pleasing aspect is the very small fee (just $5) for the workshops, keeping them well within the range of most people's budgets. Night at Museum: From 5.30pm today you can wander around the Coalfields Museum, and to the background of live music, see a comprehensive display of photographs of the 1964 floods, maybe identifying people and places. Tickets at the door - $5 (adults); $2.50 (children). Wine and cheese nibbles will be available. Garden competition: The annual Keeping Up Appearances Garden Competition is coming up in October. The judges are re-designing the entry forms to include a guide to their judging methods. This should be most helpful for all entrants. As soon as they complete this process, the entry forms will be available. A new section this year is for the best and most imaginative use of recycled materials to beautify your garden. This competition is now over 20 years old. Sportsperson of the Year: Nominations are now open for this year's Sportsperson of the Year awards. For details, check Facebook or go to the Shire's website. Nominations close on October 22. Music at the Shell: A fund raiser is being organised to help Liam, with a day at the Music Shell in Central Park on October 19. As well as live music, there will be a number of attractions, including a bouncy castle and face painting. Food on offer will include sausages, curry, donuts, popcorn and slushies. All proceeds to help Liam. Central Park: Central Park is proving its worth with events organised there. This year's Festiv Arty street fair combined with Collie's Got Talent and the Goods Shed markets to make Forrest Street a hive of fun and free activities last Sunday. Beautiful spring weather made for a very pleasant day. As adults wandered the stalls or watched the performers on stage, youngsters lined up for face painting or enjoyed the climbing walls, bouncy castle and "jump swings". It was also a good place to catch up with friends and family, and quite a few dogs, all safely on leads which was good to see. Book sale: The Collie Library is the venue for a second hand book sale, from 9am on September 14. These sales feature a wide range of books, from reference to fiction, adults to children, at very low prices. Kids in crisis: The Collie CWA is seeking help to make up backpacks for kids in crisis. They are looking for donations of backpacks, drink bottles, lunch boxes, undies, pyjamas, toothpaste, sticker and colouring books, and playing cards. All items must be new. Donations can be dropped off at the CWA on Tuesdays between 10am and 1pm. Bowling Club garage sale: The Bowling Club is holding a garage sale on October 12 from 9am-2pm. There will be heaps of goods, collectables and books. Enquiries to Kath, 0439 092 331 or Glenice, 0488 553 312. Walk for Premmies: The 10th annual Walk for Premmies will be held on October 27, with an event planned for Collie. Lyn Garforth and Jennifer Roberts, grandparents of premmie babies, will be walking 5kms in Soldiers' Park, and they are inviting local people to join them, or to just support Team Collie. Funds raised go to Life's Little Treasures Foundation, which provides hospital resource folders, NICU breakfasts, dads' dinner nights, smart phone apps, premmie packs and runs a parent support network. Go to walkforpremmies.org.au or contact Jennifer on 0447 342 714.
Send it in: Items for not-for-profit organisations are welcomed for this column. Email info to nrg@highway1.com.au by 5pm on Mondays.
