# THE REDGUM HOLLOW GAZETTE ### Est. When It Was, Volume Who's Counting, Edition: Mon–Thu, This Week *Printed, edited, typeset, and delivered with varying success by Marge Holloway* *Conditions: bone dry, northerly, 34 degrees by Wednesday. The petunias outside the post office have given up entirely.* --- ## NEW BLOKE WATCH: A COMMUNITY PROGRESS REPORT By now the eastern fence line of the Henderson place has been worked harder than most of us have worked in a calendar year. Ray — surname still pending; your editor is on it — has been out there every morning, no radio, no theatre, just a man and a purpose. Bruce Kettleton confirmed at Tuesday's counter lunch that he has supplied a *second* run of heavier fencing wire, describing the arrangement in the manner of a man who has always known this would happen. This paper takes the wire as near-conclusive. You do not upgrade to heavy gauge if you are leaving. Deb Forsythe waved to Ray on Thursday afternoon. Deb doesn't wave at people she hasn't assessed. This is effectively a character reference. The child's shoe continues to sit on the fence post. Priya has now slowed past it twice. Current majority theory: Ray found it somewhere on the property and has left it prominently displayed in case someone comes asking. The town finds this *decent.* Your editor finds it *interesting.* These are not the same thing. A parcel from Cairns, Queensland was received at the post office some time prior. Lorraine Apps mentioned this in the course of her professional duties, as she always mentions things, in the course of her professional duties. **Ray. Heavier wire. Queensland. A child's shoe.** Your editor is simply reporting. --- ## CLARRIE BURTON SAYS A THING; TOWN CHEWS ON IT On Wednesday, from the bench, Clarrie Burton offered the following observation regarding the fencing activity: *"A man working that hard on a boundary is either keeping something out or keeping something in."* Bruce laughed. Several others laughed. A few others went quiet in a different way. Clarrie has, in this editor's experience, a way of saying the thing that stays with you longer than the laugh does. Whether there is more to the Henderson fence line than industry and intention, your editor cannot say for certain. What your editor *can* say is that Clarrie Burton has lived in this district for seventy-one years and has not yet been wrong about anything that mattered. *[Ed: Print in full. Clarrie, as always, earns his column inches. — M.H.]* --- ## BICENTENARY UPDATE / ALSO: WHERE IS TASH'S BREAD? Tash left the general store without her bread again on Wednesday. This is now the third such occasion. Lorraine Apps has indicated, to two separate parties, that the issue involves Tash's application for a stall at the Bicentenary festival. Deb Forsythe is coordinating the festival. "We want it to represent the district," Deb said, in a context your editor is reconstructing from available information. Nobody who has spoken to Deb on this matter has suggested she is wrong. The bread remains unresolved. The festival stall application remains unresolved. Your editor wishes both parties a productive conversation and notes the Bicentenary is months away, which is either plenty of time or no time at all depending on how you're placed. --- ## LETTERS TO THE EDITOR **From Clarrie Burton, Redgum Hollow:** Marge. Saw your notice about the feature on new residents. Good idea, long overdue. This town has always been better to people who got a fair introduction. Give the man a page. — *C. Burton* *[Ed: Wise counsel. We are working on it. — M.H.]* **From Name Withheld, Redgum Hollow:** Not pointing fingers but the side entrance of the café closes at six and it's not a short cut to anywhere. **From Bruce Kettleton, Redgum Hollow:** Pub did well on the weekend. Footy helped. Just wanted that on the record. — *B.K.* *[Ed: Noted, Bruce. Noted. — M.H.]* --- ## AROUND THE DISTRICT — Macca's numbers up. The footy draw is doing what the footy draw does. — Still no rain. Tank levels not discussed openly, which means they are being discussed privately. — Lorraine's tone at the post office on Thursday, regarding the proposed new-residents feature, was described to this editor as "not readable." Your editor is reading it anyway. — Steve-o. Side entrance. Wednesday evening. A thing that is being noted is being noted here also. *Next edition: Friday to Sunday. Letters, corrections, and information of any kind to Marge Holloway, the Gazette, or the bench.*