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Island Identities
PADDLERS COVE
This is a story about a very special person; RON MASKIELL.
When we explained to him that we were going to write about him on the web and tell people about his volunteer work he was quick to deflect his own contribution towards others, which of course is typical of him.  
Ron does not own a computer and to the best of our knowledge has never laid eyes on the website.

Ron and Anne have lived on our island for over 30 years. Anne passed away after a long illness and he cared for her until the very end.

Ron now lives on his own with his two dogs Lucky and Lily to keep him company.
About halfway through last year a group of kayak enthusiasts obtained a small grant from the Shire Council to build two ramps fitted to the boardwalk at the bottom of Fifth Parade, to allow easy access to the Lake for their kayaks. They promptly named the small beach “Paddlers Cove”.
A job well done by a group of islanders. That might have been the end of it.

       Enter RON MASKIELL
Ron liked what he saw and decided to make Paddlers Cove his own. Since then he can be seen working there almost every day, his two canine friends keeping him company.
He has widened the beach, rearranged rocks, removed rubbish and added two rubbish bins, two tables and two benches. He also laid a crushed rock footpath and planted couch grass to bind the soil. Ron regularly mows the grass. He organised for R.I. Landcare to plant native grasses along the pathway. After the last New Years Eve’s fireworks, he was there early the next morning, with his wheelbarrow, picking up EVERY bit of rubbish.
                         
He takes pride in improving his part of Raymond Island.

RON, THANK YOU
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Click on photos
 
Oh, we forgot to mention; he just bought himself a kayak at a garage sale ( enough room for his two dogs )