November 4: Huntley Berry Farm enjoyed a bittersweet win at the CGU Banjo Business Awards when it took out the award foe excellence in community service. The win came a day after the season's first crop of strawberries was wiped out, forcing the business to temporarily shut their gates. 

November 6: Opponents of the north Orange McDonald's development say they're bitterly disappointed by the Land and Environment Court decision to allow the fast food chain to build at the contentious Farrell Road, Northern Distributor intersection. 

November 7: It was announced that Orange City Council has plans to convert a park into a car park that will be used primarily by Orange High School students. Councillors voted to convert part of Esso Park on the Woodward Street side into a car park with a single entry and exit point to create 40 parking spaces. 

November 9: The management of the embattled Duntryleague Golf Club took a major step forward in its plan to return the historic building to its former glory this week by launching the Duntryleague Foundation. According to club president John Cook, the organisation was to raise money and apply for grants to be used to fund the restoration and operation of the iconic club house.

November 12: Young people stood shoulder to shoulder with veterans at the annual Remembrance Day service at the Cenotaph in Robertson Park. an impressive number of people came to pay their respects to those who fought and died in battle.

November 14: It was feared that proposed changes to the way small schools operate would result in a loss of autonomy and financial security. President of Borenore Public School P&C Jason Vials said the radical changes would mean small schools such as Borenore would be matched with larger schools in the area, resulting in key financial and organisational decisions being made by the principals of the larger school. 

November 15: Orange resident Prue McCarthy was one of only 19 people in NSW to be chosen as ambassadors for the Don't DIS my ABILITY campaign, held as part of International Day of People with Disability. Ms McCarthy has cerebral palsy, but this hasn't stopped her from becoming a true role model. 

November 18: A major tract of land south of the western rail line was set to become the city's newest suburb. The land was re-zoned for smaller residential blocks this year, making way for a possible 1000 households. 

November 19: According to health officials, patient care would not be affected by voluntary redundancies being offered to staff at orange Health Service and other areas of the Western Local Health District to make up a $19 million loss in the last financial year. 

November 21: A man who was on parole for manslaughter when he viciously attacked Sonia Eldridge, blinding her in one eye and inflicting horrific injuries, could be out of jail in five and a half years. 

November 22: The NBN rollout in Orange hit a road block with Orange City Council deferring a decision on a wireless broadband tower at Springside for the second time. The decision could land the council in a legal fight with NBN Co if it decides to pursue the development in the Land and Environment Court. 

November 26: A last-ditch attempt by members of the Errowanbang Public School P&C to stop the removal of a demountable classroom proved unsuccessful, after the Department of Education and Communities ruled it couldn't justify keeping the facility because the school only has 11 students. Around 12 members of the P&C tried to convince workers and department representatives to leave the building intact, at least until the end of the school term. 

November 27: Six months after the sudden closure of a medical ward at Orange hospital that cared for terminally ill patients, the Orange Health Service was still waiting an any benefits of a $35 million state wide palliative care package. The package was designed to provide support for people who wish to die at home.

November 29: It was announced that repairs to to traffic light sensors at the Peisley Street and Summer Street intersections to improve traffic flow will start in January. In June 2012 the intersection was dubbed the worst intersection in the state by a Roads and Maritime Services official. 

November 30: Brindabella Airlines' future in Orange looked uncertain, with representatives from the carrier unable to say when the Orange/Sydney service will resume after all flights were "temporarily" suspended. The suspension comes less than a week after the Civil Aviation Safety Authority grounded four of the airline's planes after the airline admitted routine inspections were overdue.

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5. McDonald's development gets the go ahead

6. Car crashes into house, man arrested

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9. Eastern Brown caught in the act

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THROUGH MY EYES: NOT A REDUNDANT MATTER

By JANICE HARRIS

RUMOURS circulating in the community that between 200 and 300 jobs would be cut from the Orange Health Service as part of plan by Western Local Health District (WLHD) to rain in health costs were scotched by the region's executive officer Scott McLachlan.

Describing the rumours as "inflamatory and wildly inaccurate" Mr McLachlan did concede however redundancies were being offered to some staff members not affected by front line patient care.

A few weeks earlier Mr McLachlan had launched the strategic plan for the WLHD at Molong saying the biggest challenge for health services was to provide appropriate care and at the same time manage costs in an environment where health costs were taking an increasing slice of the state and federal "funding pie" - costs which would continue to climb in the future.

Despite the assurances staff and unions would be part of the consultation process before any redundancies were offered however, the announcement the WLHD had to find $19 million in savings, which was a carry over from the previous financial year, has created an air of uncertainty with the health service yet to fully announce the final figures for job cuts.

Staff at Orange hospital and unions had already expressed their anger in July at the sudden shut down of the medical ward at Orange hospital cared for palliative care patients, and the redeployment of staff to other areas citing the lack of consultation as a major concern.

Orange has a magnificent health facility on Forest Road which is now a major trauma centre for the region.

Nursing staff levels have grown enormously since the hospital relocated to the new site in 2011 with new units and medical services developed at the new site.

However the challenge in Orange and at other health facilities around the state will be to deliver the most appropriate care while all the time keeping an eye on the dollar - it is an unenviable task considering community expectations and the reality of working within tight health budgets.