Dino fills a gap in stories of Italian migrants
When Dino Polese was three years old, he went looking for his father Angelo in the banana crops at Naughtons Gap. He got tired and fell asleep under a tree. “They came and found me,” Dino said. “They” refers to the Italian community who settled in Naughtons Gap near Casino between 1945 and the late 1970s.
Marie and Mick blaze on with BlazeAid fencing jobs
The BlazeAid camp saga continues. BlazeAid co-ordinators Cindy and Wayne Lusted were told to pack up the camp of volunteers staying at Rappville Sportsground ... Mick and Marie Evans, who were volunteers at the first BlazeAid camp in Casino are taking on the smaller jobs on the BlazeAid list and plan to finish the fencing themselves as M&M Fencing, not under the BlazeAid umbrella.
Photos: Show of giant vegetables entices a crowd to town
Stratheden St was packed on Saturday, January 21 at the Summerland Giant Pumpkin and Watermelon Festival. And there was a line-up of giant vegetables that people had come to see.
Listen to the silence: Still no details on buybacks and land swaps
As the first anniversary of the floods approaches, residents are still wondering about buybacks, retrofitting and land swaps. They are still waiting to make decisions about their homes. The NRRC has not let residents know the options available to them.
See me, weigh me, eat me: Special pumpkin, watermelon dishes during festival
There will be pumpkins. Giant ones and they’ll be weighed at 9am on Saturday, January 21 in Kyogle at the Summerland Giant Pumpkin and Watermelon Festival in Stratheden St ... There are cafes and clubs in Kyogle offering special dishes as part of the festival and right through January.
Gone to blazes – BlazeAid to pack up and leave
With a heavy heart, BlazeAid camp coordinator Cindy Lusted announced the group would be packing up and leaving Rappville and the Richmond Valley by January 20 ... “From what I’ve heard, everyone who has had BlazeAid help said their stress has subsided because their fencing has been fixed”: Rappville Commercial Hotel publican Lisa Stewart. “It is imperative BlazeAid stay.”
Another blow for town as doors shut on clothing store
Rockmans clothing store in Casino has closed. The shop at the Woolworths shopping complex is empty ... mannequins, stripped of the clothes they wore, lean on boxes on the shop floor.
Couple set up shop in the most unlikely place
Michael and Karen Schill have set up a shop in the most unlikely place. A few kilometres along Long Gully Rd is the Drake Community Store ... Long Gully Rd is a winding scenic road following the path of Rocky River. Tourists come to pan for gold in the river.
Should BlazeAid move on or stay?
The Richmond Valley Council’s acknowledgement of the work done by BlazeAid volunteers in the past three years was more like a goodbye than a thank you at the council meeting on Tuesday, December 20. And BlazeAid isn’t thrilled about it.
Village chooses laser light show, not fireworks, for Christmas celebration
At the Rappville Christmas Party the celebrations ended with a spectacular light display – without using fireworks. Richmond Valley mayor Robert Mustow flicked the lever and turned on the Christmas tree lights outside the new community centre at Rappville, and then the laser light display began.
