Regional Awards Program - Mac Award

Individuals, organisations and business networks in our community have the chance to be
recognised through the NSW Regional Achievement & Community Awards.

The program is sponsored by Prime Television, Commonwealth Bank, NSW Department of State and Regional Development, Integral Energy, Kleenheat Gas, Department of Lands, The Land Newspaper, Rex Airlines and the Local Government Shires Association of NSW.

Mayor Mark Troy said “The program is about recognising, encouraging and rewarding valuable
contributions and outstanding achievements in regional and rural areas”.

“I encourage all those individuals, community organisations, businesses and groups involved in
enhancing environmental, economic or social prosperity for the Shire to stand up and be counted!

Nominate now and showcase our community’s’ achievements".

Nominations are now open in five categories:
• Business Enterprise Award
• Events and Tourism Award
• Regional Service Award
• Environment and Landcare Award
• Community of the Year Award.

Award criteria and nomination forms are available at all Sponsors branches and offices. You can
also call the local awards office on 98997251 or visit the website www.awardsaustralia.com

Nominations close on August 11.

It's been three years now since Ian ‘Mac’ McArthur entered a jewellery competition, finally
he has and he has won again.

This time it is a first place win in the Object D'Art section of the Yowah Designer Jewellery competition.

The winning piece is a diamond studded opal handle on a stainless steel lock knife.
The winning piece will be on display at the Lightning Ridge Opal Festival next weekend and
will then return to Mac's studio at East End Bello.

Congratulations Mac, we were beginning to think that you had run out of inspiration.

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Local restaurants into Catering Award Finals

Five eateries in Bellingen Shire will feature is the Regional Awards Night for the Restaurant and Catering Association in Coffs Harbour next Monday.

The Visa International Restaurant & Catering Northern Awards for Excellence are the industry’s most sought after awards indicating a level of excellence as judged by both
guests and industry peers.

Nominations were taken from voting coupons published in newspapers around the area and forms completed on the Restaurant & Catering website.

Now the eating begins and a team of trained judges are hard at work anonymously visiting establishments all over the region. The five local restaurants that will front the judges are No 2 Oak St Restaurant in Bellingen (Contemporary Australian Restaurant); Anchors Wharf Café, Urunga (Family Restaurant); Lodge 241 Gallery Café, Bellingen (Café Restaurant); and
Chan’s Chinese Restaurant, Mylestom and Manor Chinese Restaurant, Bellingen (Chinese Restaurant).

Over 100 restaurants and caterers in the Northern region are up for one of the 39 awards.

For some establishments it will be the first time they are nominated while for others they may have received nominations time and time again (and won) – indicating one of the most important elements of restaurant business – to maintain and improve standards.

“The more nominees a region receives – the stronger the indication that the whole region is getting it right,” says Restaurant & Catering NSW/ACT CEO Robert Goldman.

“Year on year, I can tell you that we have a significant increase of entries from the Northern region and competition raises standards overall.”

“The benefits to the tourism sector and the local economy is considerable with the acknowledgment of these type of awards helps the whole region attracting visitors and locals to
eat out.”

The Restaurant & Catering Awards for Excellence will be announced on Monday, July 31 at
Novotel Pacific Bay Resort in Coffs Harbour with winners going on to compete in the NSW Regional Finals later in the year.

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Denene's visit to Vietnam 6

morning darling sweetiepie. I'm sending a fax...& am about to go out and> > about with the tour group looking like a bunch of western tourists. np.i> > did the set out on my own thing early this morning wearing track suit> pants> > & my red t shirt that sez the horses are talking just listen. most> > inappropriate i thought. around here they would eat them methinks. much> much> > love to you. please reply to this email address & we'll see how we go.you> > can also fax me between now and monday morning. luv u.> > denene@vietnam.com.vietnam. ps i had the most bizarre meal of my lifefor> > breakfast. salad greens, broccoli, cauliflower, tomato, cucumber,carrot,> > salted black bean fish, cashew nuts, chili, strange sauce x 2, soy and> > sesame oil. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


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Denene's visit to Vietnam 5

9 am here, & we're checking out. Plane to Hue leaving at 12:40 from Ha> Noi.> > (Are you following the itinerary?) So. Quick email to keep you up to> speed.> > I've been told that you should have the fax by now. We should be able to> fax> > each other at these hotels & it's much cheaper for you to me than fromme> to> > you, so keep in mind.> > Went for walk. Bought rambutan + longans for 40,000 dong, & the girl got> > impatient with me because some of the change was in coin, which I had no> > idea about. I then bought water with the coins, which I regret cos Iwould> > like to have kept them. Still, plenty of time, hey. So, the water cost> > 70,000 dong. approx 70 cents. I've paid 80,000, 100,000 & been asked for> > 120,000 respectively, so I'm cottoning on. I feel like I'm just findingmy> > way around and off we go. (I know, I know, but remember I'm just finding> my> > feet & casing the joint...)> >> > Maureen (note spelling, my university- degree -jewelling -husband)should> be> > on her way to Sydney with Gwen by now................would write morebut> > this is costing me a Fortune! So. will check out now & then try to find> > internet cafes but methinks smaller towns now so will have to find thatin> > Ho Chi Minh City. Much love, the time is going very quickly for> > me..........thinking of you & your very slow replies to my emails.> > xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> > Adoring vietnamese-type wife,> > denene.


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Denene's visit to Vietnam 4

hey. hue fabulous. very ritzy hotel so only here one night, then coach tovung> > tau tomorrow after a small cruise on the perfume river by sampan. (Icould> > get used to this) I'll get the fax no. as soon as poss. for the next> hotel.> > I'm there for two nights. I skipped the afternoon tour in Hue in orderto> > have some time alone, write postcards, buy water, drink french wine. you> > know the score. I don't doubt that you're busy me little darlin'. & what> are> > you eating these days?> > food in Hoi An ok but nothing to write home about - well, not strictly> true.> > there's the bizarre breakfast that I had for two days running, but atethe> > strange, not-so-good smell that you hit on the streets every now andthen.> > It was in one of the pickled vegetables that I had for brekkie, so itput> me> > off & I went on to the more normal omelette type affair that you could> order> > at the 'egg station'. More wonderful signs & writings every where I go.> > Here we are asked to 'have a cleansing bath before entering the pool.'> Then> > on leaving the pool, we are asked to 'go to the toilet and then have> another> > cleansing bath before re-entering the pool'. Also, dear, don't cook and> iron> > clothes in the rooms.> > I'm going to send Jess a postcard, but I don't recall her house number,> flat> > number and postcode. Give her a ring for me, would you, find out & then> > email info. Thanks heaps.> > Right. I'm off to get an adaptor so I can recharge the battery in the> camera> > (taking lots of pics) + thinking of a dip in the pool before the royal> > dinner at 7 pm or is it 7:30 pm. The water here, (I just walked aroundthe> > block) is cheaper again. 6,000 dong for the first 1 and a half litres,and> > 5,000 dong for the second. 11,000 dong. I'm doing well.> > Much Much Adoring Love & really do wish you were here.> > I'm seriously thinking of bringing you back &, yes, I'll travel rough.> > We also have a Europe trip to think of. Me dad's running out of time,and> > we've got a girl & boy in france & italy. Oh yes, and Long Bay.> > ....xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx------


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Denene's visit to Vietnam 3

Well, finally heard from close family member in Australia. Very good to hear of news from far away land. My education in Vietnam continues. All up, I've paid $30 too much for some goods. & I think that might be very good. I've worked the water out. I was down to 500dong per 1 and a half litres in Hue.

Half the price. & on the sampan my dear travelling companionswere paying 10,000 dong for half a litre. Mind you, I think they bung a few dong on for when it's cold, which I don't want anyway.

Must admit that's it's almost worth that in order not to have to carry 4 and a half litres of water with me everytime I get on a coach or plane!!! I was carrying an overpriced bottle of bordeaux as well, of course.

One never knows when one might not be able to get what one wants. I think also that we should email each other ALL the time, even whenwe're in the same house, because the communique seems to be a bit moreupmarket.

Mind you, would help if you could type. The spelling I don't mind. In fact, it's almost charming. eg. consult, darling. As opposed to consalt. Give Maureen a ring in the spare time that you don't have. Yesterday was overload for me. Too much coach. Not enough sleep.

Visits too fast, and some of them not wanted. I'm slowing down. Most of them have gone off this morning for a walking tour of Hoi An. (ARE you following the itinerary? ARE you interested?)

Mymost ridiculous purchase is a marble mortar and pestle. I bought the medium one because of weight. Can you believe it!! I know you can. Not only that, I paid $5 US for the dashed thing, only to find that we visit Marble Mountain, and guess what theydo there. Yep. And guess what they cost. Yep. $2 US.

So. My Vietnamese education continues. Say hi to Elly especially, who knows exactly what I'm going through. Tell her that I'm off to the tailorsthis morning. I'm thinking a nice little Claudia dress might help to sweetenup Kath. Dunno what will sweeten up Annabel except for Buccrabendinni, and that doesn't seem fair. also love you mac.

It's getting interesting now. We're closing in to the military base, and one of the vets I got to talk to this morning & he don't cope with the memories. Suspect John doesn't either. We're watching a video that Sandy bought with him on one of the boys laptops this afternoonabout one of the battles. 5 or so young men in the military working with bombs and security within Australia.

whooooeeeee...................So.

Yours Sincerely, Psychologist, Denene McArthur. JWEM&C. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


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Denene's visit to Vietnam 2

Tunnels today, still no jess, maureen's back with lots to say , it all depends on her heart, the op will cost an arm and leg or more precisley a neck as that is where to the surgen will enter the body , but all dependant on the cardioligits report.

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Denene's visit to Vietnam

Food here last night magnificent.

Dinner was part of the tour, & they laid it on for us.

Prawns steamed in beer, Tamarind Crab, Fish in a stew pot......Yummy. & STill drinking the french bordeaux.

I'd love to get those labels! Rightio, this Hotel offers the first ten minutes on the net free, & my time is up. Then it's 1,000 dong a minute and I'm not paying that haha.

Much Love. I'm almost home.

Today is the military remembrance day.

Might be tough. Denene. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


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Jess (our dog) is having some problems

jess's leg it's not just rsi its floating bone the result of falling off a veranda as a young pup so she needs an operation she 's not in a fund so big bikkies and i don't mean dog type



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Mac's Animal Farm

Mac's dog has RSI. No big deal, you might think, but this dog is a running dog. She's a border collie who lives to run. She has gained two kilos in weight and a great deal of sympathy. Raw, beef bones welcome to Mac Art Jewellery Studio in the East End of Bellingen.

Mac's horse also has a lame story. He managed to get himself a very deep stone bruise wherein an area inside the hoof filled with pus and became very painful. William Horse could not put his weight on it. A trip to the vet inCoffs, (David), an x-ray and a deep cut into the foot & William is on the mend.

Mac's cat & wife all walking on four and two legs respectively, so far so good.

Be Well.

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