March is one of Orange’s biggest months on the tourism calendar so it’s important the city is looking its best when thousands of visitors flock to the region, according to Orange City Councillor Chris Gryllis.

This Sunday is national Clean Up Australia Day and participants have the chance to win $250 worth of equipment for their sporting or community group courtesy of McDonald’s restaurant.

Cr Gryllis is encouraging all residents to take part and anyone who joins in will receive free McDonald’s food vouchers.

“We all know Orange is a beautiful city and we want to make sure that everyone else knows it as well,” he said.

“We’ve got three designated clean up areas this year and everyone who comes along to help out can stay and have a free barbecue”

“Participants are encouraged to sign up from 10am at Elephant Park on Woodward Street and the Carriage Cottage in Spring Street where there will be a free barbecue lunch at each of those locations. The Rotary clubs of Orange will tackle Rotary Park.

“Bring a pair of gloves if you have them but don’t worry if you don’t we’ll provide everything you need to help clean up Orange,” Cr Gryllis said.

“We chose Moulder Park, Hill Park and Rotary Park because they are popular spots with both tourists and locals.

“This month we have the Brass Band Celebration, the Spirit of Anzac Centenary Exhibition, the Rotary District Conference, the NSW Triathlon Cub Championships, the Glow Hard Fun Run at Moulder Park and the start of FOOD Week, just to name a few.

“Not only do we want to make a good impression for those thousands of visitors but let’s clean up Orange so our kids and grandkids can play safely in clean parks and reserves.

“Even if you can’t make it for the official Clean Up Australia Day event, please spend some time over the next week at your nearest park and pick up a few bits of rubbish.”

McDonald’s restaurant is a major sponsor of Clean Up Australia Day and this year everyone who registers at any of the three Orange locations, and returns with a collection bag full of rubbish will receive free McDonald’s food vouchers.

Also local sports clubs or community groups can win one of two $250 equipment vouchers. To win, competitors must dress in their club uniform, take a photo of themselves collecting rubbish and upload that photo to Instagram using the hashtag #CUADORANGE17.

The two best images, chosen by McDonald’s, will receive the prize.

DIRTY JOB: Orange City Council's Natural Resources Coordinator Roger Smith with Cr Chris Gryllis clean up ahead of Sunday's Clean Up Australia Day event.

People from all walks of life gathered at the New Residents Welcome Lunch on Sunday with Orange Mayor John Davis, Cr Ron Gander and Cr Russell Turner.

More than 70 people attended the free lunch at the Orange Botanic Gardens where new residents had the opportunity to meet people in the same boat, ask questions of councillors and learn about the various services, amenities, clubs and community groups Orange has to offer.

Mayor John Davis said it was great to meet a range of people who chose Orange as their new home.

"There were people from places such as Sydney, Lismore, Melbourne and Cobar. There were retirees, families and young professionals," Cr Davis said.

"It was great to meet them and we're lucky to have each and every one of them. The New Residents Welcome Lunch is one of the events of the council calendar which I truly look forward to because it is always wonderful to meet people who have chosen to move here and speak with them about the various reasons why they have done so.

"Many people have moved here for work at places such as the Orange Health Service and many have moved here to be closer to family.

"But Orange's reputation as a thriving regional city where you can have everything you need but without the traffic and the stress, is spreading further and further and you find that many people are moving here for the lifestyle."

WELCOME: Dozens of people gathered for the New Residents Welcome Lunch on the weekend.

The Orange Regional Museum reached a milestone yesterday with the first school group touring the facility and participating in one of the many educational workshops on offer.

The Year 9 and 10 History class from Red Bend Catholic College in Forbes, was, yesterday, guided through a hands on workshop about the gold rush and the impact it had on the region.

Orange City Council’s Services Committee Chair Cr Ron Gander said the museum had a range of hands-on activities designed to enhance students’ knowledge about the history of the central west.

“When I was in school you sat in front of a blackboard and wrote lines, now learning is so much more interactive and the museum is a fantastic way to get kids fully involved in hands on experiences,” he said.

“Kids are far more likely to remember what they’ve learned if they can discover something for themselves and that’s what the educational programs at the museum are designed to do.

“Students are guided towards discovery and encouraged to think for themselves, interpret history for themselves and use critical thinking tools.”

Orange Regional Museum Public Engagement and Education Officer Jess Dowdell said the first workshop was received well by both students and their teachers.

“During the activity section the students engaged well with the source material, we talked about John Lister and the Tom brothers, who are quintessential Aussie underdogs and their campaign to be recognised as the discoverers of payable gold,” she said.

“They enjoyed reading the firsthand accounts of the discovery of gold and making comparisons between modern and historical characters.”

Ms Dowdell said school bookings were going well given the museum opened late November last year, when teachers had already finalised their term one commitments.

But she was looking forward to the next group of students to come through on Friday from Year 1 and 2.

“All of the educational programs were developed with teachers to ensure the content linked closely with the curriculum in order to enhance the student’s experiences at school,” she said.

Ms Dowdell said she had contacted about 100 schools in the central west region and was aiming to have about six school groups through the museum per week next semester.

Cr Gander said the school group coming through on Friday would be visiting the newly refurbished Orange City Library as well as visiting the exhibitions at the Orange Regional Gallery.

“We’ve got this wonderful cultural hub and it is great to see our city’s young people utilising the area.”

Fire review

Orange Mayor John Davis OAM is inviting new Orange residents to come along to a free lunch, an opportunity to meet people “in the same boat” and to find out more about the services and amenities offered in Orange.

The New Resident Welcome lunch was last held about two years ago, and next week’s meet and greet, February 26, is open to anyone who has moved to Orange within that time.

“People tend to move to regional areas to be a part of the community. People want to get involved and join sporting groups, for example, so this is a great chance to learn where to find those groups and how to contact them,” Cr Davis said.

“Sometimes it can be hard to crack open a community and it can be a little daunting to make new friends. The New Resident Welcome is a casual get together where I’ll be there to answer any questions you might have.

“You might want to talk about childcare options, where to find the best walking tracks, how to meet up with fellow cyclists, runners or car enthusiasts, or just meet some new families in the same boat.

“It’s a great chance to speak with other people who have recently moved to the area about what experiences they’ve had and perhaps make a few new friends.”

The lunch is on at the Orange Botanic Gardens, at Yellowbox Way from 11am to 1pm, Please RSVP to council’s events officer by Wednesday 22 February 2017 by calling 63938000 or emailing council@orange.nsw.gov.au