With countless cars making the drive out to see the infamous Christmas lights at Paul Cavallaro’s house, this lively and extravagant display has become a Hinchinbrook family tradition during the merry season, dating back 21 years. Paul and his mother Mary began creating a lights display for Paul’s nephew and discovered that they enjoyed it so much they continued expanding their collection and, as the years went by, their reputation grew. Continued on page 3 Paul Cavallaro and his mother Mar
Read the full storyWith unpredictable weather attempting to dampen the festive spirit of the region, the Hinchinbrook Chamber of Commerce and Markets at the Mosaic organisers assured the second 2024 Late Night Shopping event would go ahead, rain, hail or shine! On Thursday 19th December, a wonderful turnout filled Mercer Lane and surrounding precincts, with stalls retailing handmade delights, delicious treats, beautiful plants, fantastic florals, and more for all to enjoy. Shoppers flooded the streets, supporting
Read the full storyIngham will soon be treated to another wonderful celebration of Italian culture with the return of the Australian Italian Festival scheduled for Saturday 7 June, and Sunday 8 June 2025! An annual celebration of all things food and culture, the Australian Italian Festival continues to make headlines across the state, with the atmosphere beautifully complimented by Ingham’s gorgeous TYTO wetlands and parklands. Since its establishment in 1995, the festival has grown exponentially with the suppor
Read the full storyOn Monday 9 December the Hinchinbrook Emergency Service Cadets had their graduation, acknowledging the hard work they have dedicated to the service. 18 Cadets received their end of year graduation certificates marking the completion of the 2024 Program, while one Senior Cadet who is now over 18, graduated the whole program, having been a cadet for the past four years. On the night all Cadets graduated the year and some received special awards. Keldon Fletcher was awarded the Don Prichard mem
Read the full storyThe Russo brothers have been active members of the horse racing community for well over thirty years and show no sign of slowing their successful roll anytime soon.
Charlie, Angelo and Joe reflect on their trail of success with pride, and even following on from a lengthy twenty-year hiatus, the Russo’s are more than eager to jump back in the saddle, with big plans already in motion for 2025.
The Russo’s entered the industry in the 1990’s and made quite a name for themselves with their star stallion, Mr Rogers winning many races across the state, as well as a record place in the Sydney limelight.
In the beginning of the Russo’s horse racing career, Charlie trained each of the horses, with the trio all having a hand in the preparation process. However, more recently, Joe has picked up the reins and trains the horses himself down at the local club.
In the past couple of years, the Russo name has returned to the spotlight, particularly following last month’s Gold Cup celebratory win at the Herbert River Jockey Club on Saturday 19 November.
“He’s not a bad horse and Zouhope has won about four or five races for us, and this year he won the cup!” explained Joe.
“His win wasn’t a surprise; we were pretty confident – he’s a good horse.”
Although Saturday saw the Russo’s first Gold Cup victory, the brothers have celebrated many prestigious wins over their career, including several feature races such as 1998’s Cleveland Bay Handicap whilst also championing a Cluden training premiership, and Townsville Amateur Cup.
With 2025 on the horizon, the brothers hope to add an additional ten horses to the stable, bringing the total to fourteen stallions under the Russo name.
“We won just about everything all those years back from Townsville, to Brisbane, to Sydney – we do really enjoy our racing – we love it really,” added Joe.
The Russo’s with their winning horse Zouhope and jockey Lacey Morrison on the Ingham track (Photo Credit Christopher Spencer).
Jockey, Lacey Morrison raced Zouhope over the finish line on 16 November (Photo Credit Christopher Spencer).
Joe, Charlie and Angelo Russo were confident Zouhope would take home a win (Photo Credit Christopher Spencer).
Jockey, Lacey Morrison and Zouhope being led by Charlie Russo (Photo Credit Christopher Spencer).