Richard Butcher is the new vice-president, Kirby McPhee is secretary, Jill Blanch assistant secretary, Graham Ross is treasurer and committee members are Brian Seaman, John Osborne, Michael Inwood, Scott Seaman, Col McPhee, John Dwyer, Stuart Kelly and Nick Fogarty.

Final plans are being put in place for a coach trip to the 2017 Melbourne Cup, to cover four days with overnight stays at Albury and Seymour. 

Inquiries to any of the BMA office bearers or Panorama Coaches on 6337 2393. 

All members, family and friends are welcome.

RESIDENTS who worry about owning an unregistered firearm should take the opportunity to hand it in during the current gun amnesty. 

Many of us have acquired an unwanted rifle or gun over the years and would hate to have it found by the checking police. 

We know that some sections of our society own and use illegal guns and of course they won’t hand them in, but most of us are law abiding and don’t want to do the wrong thing. 

Please ring the police station for details of handing in before you arrive with the gun.

A RECENT Facebook post from Mumblebone Merino Stud at Wellington should have been of interest to many producers.

The post featured video of some of the 8000 merino ewes owned by the Martin brothers at Cassilis and Coolah. 

These ewes are shorn each six months, are not crutched or mulesed and I believe that they produce typical, white Mumblebone-type wools. 

A well-known Tablelands producer who ran about 5000 merinos once told me: “If I went out on a Monday morning and found that I owned 5000 unmulesed merinos, I’d ring Ray Mullen to find me a good butcher and I’d start again.”  

The Coolah/Cassilis flocks are shorn by a team from our district on their regular run.

WINTER 2017 has declined from a “she’ll be right” scenario in early May to a pretty serious pastoral scene by early July, with livestock producers making some tough decisions. 

We can be hopeful of good rain during July/August, but we also have to consider the “what-ifs”in case  winter stays very dry and very frosty.

One old hand told me “thank god for global warming or I’d have died of the cold on the motorbike on that minus 8 morning”. 

Local plumbers have been repairing burst pipes on many mornings and I know Matt Hundy was still working on repairs in the dark after 8pm last Saturday.

A CHEER for Mick Muldoon Motorcycles in Bradwardine Road. 

A lady customer who needed a bike battery parked 250 metres from the store and talked to a staffer. 

He walked to the lady’s vehicle to collect the old battery, sourced the new one and delivered it to the vehicle. 

The lady really appreciated the old-fashioned service with a smile and asked me to thank the Muldoons of Polaris and Kawasaki fame

BRAD and Mel Morris are the proud parents of a little daughter, Clare, who is added to the extended family of Anne and Barry Morris of “Reedy Creek”, The Lagoon and to Bathurst’s Conroy family.

A LARGER offering and stronger Aussie dollar put the wool market under pressure this week with all merino wools losing around 35c/kg.

The falls came mainly on the first day of selling but firmed up on the second.

The fine crossbreds lost around 10c/kg while the broader wools gained around the same money.

The northern market indicator finished the week on 1578c/kg, down 21c/kg.

There are only two sales now before the three-week mid-year break and the market could be under some pressure again with offerings of 50,000 bales in the first week and 40,000 the second week.

THE German tourist dived into the Macquarie River and rescued an apparently drowned dog and revived it. “Are you a vet?” a lady asked and he gasped: “Ya, I’m a bloody soaking.”

OFFICE noticeboard: In an effort to spread the work more evenly, would all staff please take advantage of the stenographers earlier in the day.

GEORGE had his annual checkup and doctor said: “Your hearing has got worse, and I think you should give up drinking, smoking and love-making.” George was dismayed and asked: “What, just so I can hear better?”