Ocean Beach Hotel wins business awards

Ocean Beach Hotel, Umina, took out the major prize at the Peninsula Business Awards last Friday night.

The gala presentation evening was held at the Ettalong Beach Memorial Club on Friday, July 21, with 320 guests.

Winners of category "D" for businesses of 20 or more staff, Ocean Beach Hotel proprietors Jeremy and Veronica Cusack and their many supporters were delighted when their business was named Peninsula Business of the Year.

In his acceptance speech, Jeremy Cusack thanked his wife, family, staff and those who nominated him for their recognition of the work that had gone into making the establishment what it had become.

He also recognised the effort made by the Chamber of Commerce in recent years and the many improvements to the area.

The category "C" winner for businesses with between 10 and 19 staff, Ettalong Beach Fitness Centre, was also a popular choice on the night:

Proprietor John Moore was delighted to have been selected and also thanked his many supporters in the audience.

Winner of category "B" for four to nine staff was the recently-established Watersedge Motel in Woy Woy.

Proprietors Peter and Michelle Chippendale were able to nominate many other accommodation establishments amongst the many local businesses that have helped them achieve such recognition.

Category "A" for those with one to three staff was won by Umina Beach Health Food store, Earthly Goodness.

An encouragement award for presentation and service went to Cinema Paradiso of Ettalong Beach.

Owner Jerry Altavilla was clearly pleased to receive such recognition and thanked his family and staff for their efforts.

The outstanding business promotion award was won by Fisherman's Wharf for their successful, annual Oysters' Birthday celebrations.

The Oysters' Birthday draws thousands of people to the Peninsula each year.

The excellence in service award was won by new Peninsula business owner, Pam Curley of Curley's Designing Ideas of West Street, Umina Beach.

A new award this year was for the Time Honoured Established Business and went to four businesses which between them have over 120 years of service to the community.

The winners were Bruce Kerr Real Estate, Tony McPhee Pharmacy, Jackies Hair Design and J&B Meats.

The community award for the year 2000 did not go to an individual but went to the Ettalong Beach Memorial Club for their donation of $165,000 to Community Success for their program to help long-term unemployed young people.

Club secretary manager, Mr Peter Hale, in receiving the award, stressed the importance of the program. He said how moved he was by the difficult situations that many of the program participants had found themselves in and how dramatically their self confidence had improved by the end of the program.

Mr Hale announced that the club had resolved to renew their sponsorship of the program and that they would increase their funding to $250,000 for the year, an increase of $85, 000.

Cec Bucello, July 21