Narromine $2.00 incl GST
Thursday, March 17, 2022
PROUDLY SERVING THE NARROMINE, TRANGIE AND TOMINGLEY REGION
HOME DELIVERY AVAILABLE: CONTACT YOUR LOCAL NEWSAGENT FOR DETAILS
Geoff Swane Remembered
There’s no place like home to have a holiday STORY: PAGE 7
Golf: A big field for Ambrose scramble SPORT
TRIBUTE: PAGE 3
Cups of kindness keep coming at Trangie By SHARON BONTHUYS A YOUNG man who loved coffee and passed away at the age of 17 has inspired a pay-it-forward, random act of kindness initiative at Trangie that is making headlines everywhere. When the Narromine Star spoke to Cafe 2823 proprietor Julie Berry on March 9, the Trangie business had given away 4200 cups of coffee as random acts of kindness in memory of a young life taken too soon. “Something kind has come out of something tragic and it’s just evolved from that,” explained Ms Berry. The initiative began in April 2020 when the grieving family of the young Australian man, Timmy,
who had taken his own life, reached out to friends on social media on the day of his funeral. The family asked friends to undertake a random act of kindness for the day to spread love and let people know that there is good in the world. Trangie local Kate Kennedy, who is friends with Timmy’s mother, Bronwyn, heeded the call. “I’m on the farm and I thought it’s pretty hard to do a random act of kindness here. “At the time, my daughter Annie was working at Cafe 2823 so I just gave her $50 and said to shout ten people a cup of coffee for my random act of kindness. That’s how it started,” Ms Kennedy said. The cafe had no person-
al connection to the young man or his family. “We didn’t know him personally. We only knew of what happened through the Kennedys,” said Ms Berry. “Kate is stoked that it’s still going and Timmy’s mum can’t believe that this has just evolved. That something so tragic has turned into something positive. While it keeps going, Timmy’s legacy will live on here,” Ms Berry said. Ms Berry said the distribution of coffee is completely random. “We don’t decide. We just give it to the next person who comes in. If there’s a coffee on the board and someone comes in, it doesn’t matter where they’re from or who they
Right, the late Timothy Owen Dalton has inspired Trangie cafe patrons to pay it forward after he lost his battle with mental illness in 2020. PHOTO: BRONWYN COURTS. are, they will get the next cup. We don’t pick and choose because that’s not what a random act is.” Ms Kennedy is astounded that something she inspired with her own random act of kindness has grown into a juggernaut. “This started with ten cups of coffee. To have so many people continue to pay it forward is just beautiful.” When she visits the cafe, Ms Kennedy loves watching the reactions of people when they are told their drink is on the house. Continued page 5
Gliders battle it out at the nationals By SHARON BONTHUYS
Gliders ready to launch.
THE national gliding championships wrap up tomorrow in Narromine following an exciting 10-day competition. Weather has been a bit fickle, resulting in a couple of days of lost competition, but overall the competitors have reported good conditions.
Contest director Jenny Thompson from the Darling Downs Soaring Club has been kept busy. “We lost the fi rst two days due to rain and started flying on March 9,” she said. When the Narromine Star dropped by to check out the launch action on March 15, Jenny reported that 21 competitors were
taking to the air that day across the two competition classes. The event has attracted some of Australia’s best glider pilots including one of the most experienced world competition pilots, John Buchanan from Queensland. “Yesterday the best flyer made 140km/hr over a 397-kilometre task,” Ms
Thompson said. The youngest competitor in the field is 22-year-old David Collins who started flying as a teenager. He is competing in the club class and his family is right behind him with his mum crewing for him, said Beryl Hartley from Narromine Gliding Club. Continued page 4
SOWING SPECIALS AVAILABLE 1 MARCH – 31MAY
The turnkey solution for all your fuel sales, handling and storage needs. LOCAL, INDEPENDENT AND COMPETITIVE IN PRICE