The Forrest Beach Surf Life Saving Club (SLSC) recently issued an important reminder to beachgoers about marine stinger safety and proper beach conduct.

In mid-December, the club's lifesavers safely netted six box jellyfish that were located outside the stinger net. The Forrest Beach SLSC clarified that there have been no reports of irukandji or bluebottles at the beach, nor have any been found inside the stinger net.

While a few small button jellyfish, which can sometimes be mistaken for other types, were discovered inside the net, these creatures are harmless. Lifesavers continue to urge swimmers to exercise caution and avoid touching any jellyfish. For any concerns, beachgoers are encouraged to approach a lifesaver for assistance.

On Sunday, the 15th of December, a beachgoer swimming outside the stinger net and beyond the patrol hours (9am to 6pm) was stung under the arm. Thankfully, the situation was not more severe, but it serves as a stark reminder of the importance of swimming within the designated stinger net and wearing a protective stinger suit for added safety.

Additionally, a recent incident involving fishing near the stinger net raised concerns when one of the volunteers was injured by a lure while checking the net and required medical attention. The SLSC reminds everyone that fishing is only permitted 100 meters away from the net and strongly discourages fishing in knee-deep water, especially during the January / February holiday period. Tampering with the stinger net or attempting to fish from it is strictly prohibited and could result in prosecution.

For the safety of all, the Forrest Beach SLSC emphasises that beachgoers should swim inside the net and adhere to lifesaver instructions. The club appreciates the cooperation of the community in helping to maintain a safe and enjoyable beach environment.

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.

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A Dazzling Display Of Dynamic Decorations

Throughout the years Paul and his mother have created a wonderfully merry display of Christmas lights and Paul said they make 50 per cent of all the lights themselves, in fact making lights is a hobby they share together.

“We have made a lot of handmade cone trees, handmade archers, some towers and we have also put together our nativity set,” said Paul.

Including the Nativity Set has been a tradition for 21 years, and Paul said his mother hand painted each bulb individually to create the scene.

Paul describes it as a labour of love and said it resulted in over 300 hours of work.

Paul has also made a pergola and a striking ‘mega tree’ on his property.

The Nativity Set is most important to Paul because he started a tradition with the children he teaches at school.

“With my class that I have each year I invite them out and teach them about the real meaning of Christmas, and that is about the birth of Jesus Christ,” said Paul.

“So, I actually set-up in front of my nativity scene, I get my kids with their families and all their siblings, sit down and I read them the story of the first Christmas, in front of the lights.

“I'll continue that tradition as far as I can go each year while I'm teaching.”

This year’s creation has taken over 250 hours to put up and Paul said it takes lots of individual parts to put it together.

“There is probably 300 individual pieces out here this year. I haven't done the final count yet, but there will be easily over 2 million individual fairy lights,” explained Paul.

“I use 30, 12 outlet Power Pack boards, there is over 150 extension cords, and we go through at least anywhere between 5000 to 6000 zip ties!”

Paul explained that the zip ties are not just for setting the lights up, but for repairs too.

“With the sun, they don't last forever and sometimes the frames the zip ties deteriorate on the frame. So, they need zip tying,” he said.

“We go through easily about $300 worth of zip ties each year!”

A lot of zip ties are used in Paul’s creation, but he also estimates that he has approximately two kilometres of lights and wiring on his property for this display.

Paul is a Catholic, he loves going to church, he plays the organ at the Christmas Eve Mass, and he loves everything Christmas embodies.

“For me it’s the bringing together of family, friends, catching up together and remembering that it's the birth of Jesus Christ,” said Paul.

“It’s that one special time of the year.

“This my 11th Christmas I'm hosting my family we will have a lunch and tea together, and we normally have games and things during the day.

“And we will eat, probably too much and have a food coma in the afternoon, but I am looking forward to it again!”

The light display is a wonderful feature for the community to enjoy and everyone is welcome to come and soak up the Christmas spirit.

Paul is, however, looking for volunteers who would like to help him take down the decorations this year, if you would like to contribute and say thank you for this wonderful tradition please reach out to Paul directly.

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Hi Everyone, and Merry Christmas Eve.

I want to start by saying Merry Christmas, I hope everyone is having a lovely time. This is our 5th edition of Hinchinbrook Life and I’m so happy to hear that everybody loves it. This is our last paper of the year, with the first edition next year coming out on the 7th of January, so Happy New Year too.

This week you will see on our front-page Paul Cavallaro’s Christmas lights. Last Monday the team and I travelled to see the lights, a huge thank you to our new Sales Account Manager Sherie Hensler-Adams for driving us out there, without her exceptional driving skills and local knowledge I think we may have got lost!

The lights at Paul’s place are mesmerising, the images we took on the night cannot do the display justice. There are moving lights, bouncing lights and flashing lights, and it definitely made us feel alive with Christmas spirit.

By the time you are reading this, I will have returned to my home-city of Adelaide to spend time with my family over Christmas and will hopefully be enjoying warm weather that isn’t wet! I haven’t seen my friends and family for several months now, so it’ll be nice to go back and catch-up.

If you read last week’s edition, you’ll know that when I get back from Adelaide I will be full time up here in Hinchinbrook, and no longer travelling between here and the Whitsundays – the driving has been exhausting so I am looking forward to making this new step, and continuing to serve the community with this paper.

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Quote of the Week
‘A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer’ – Samwise Gamgee

A heart-warming display of community spirit has begun filling digital screens across the Hinchinbrook shire and beyond with locals taking to social media to share a “Christmas for Everyone” thread.

A simple concept, “Christmas for Everyone” asks the community to comment something they may need but cannot afford or something they have but no longer need with the post reading:

“What is one thing you cannot afford but need right now? Let’s see if others have what you’re looking for lying around, and would love to gift it, or have a connection to get it. Perhaps we can help each other through tough times and make Christmas a little special for everyone.”

Commentors across various pages have shared the post, encouraging a wonderful world of Christmas cheer, kindness and generosity neighbour to neighbour, with people offering up everything from a home cooked meal to a trampoline.

Although the concept dose not directly entail any monetary exchanges, some members of the community have gone the extra mile, and have purchased items others had asked for, giving a truly selfless gift to those in need.

Opinion Piece
Katter’s Australian Party (KAP) Deputy Leader and Hinchinbrook MP Nick Dametto has questioned the LNP Government's decision to axe the Workforce Attraction Incentive Scheme (WAIS), calling it a short-sighted and untimely move that could exacerbate the healthcare crisis in rural and regional Queensland.
The scheme, implemented by the former Labor government, offered up to $70,000 to attract Queensland Health workers to critical roles in regional and remote areas. It will now be scrapped effective January 1, 2025.
Mr Dametto said the decision couldn’t come at a worse time as the state’s health system struggles under the weight of significant GP and clinician shortages.
“This is poor form from the LNP Government and instils little faith in rural and remote parts of Queensland where residents are struggling to access essential medical care, including Hinchinbrook,” Mr Dametto said.
“The GP shortage across Hinchinbrook and rural Queensland is having a severe flow-on effect on the public health system and local hospitals.
“We need to be pulling out all the stops to attract and retain health workers in rural and regional Queensland, whether that be more GPs who are in critical demand, or more Queensland Health medical professionals. They all play a collective role in delivering the universal healthcare our communities need.”
The Queensland Health Minister Tim Nicholls MP claimed that if the scheme continued until December 2026 as intended, it risked an over expenditure of $165 million. Queensland Health staff have been advised that the Government will seek to ‘realign its workforce strategy to programs offering better value for money’.
“Axing this scheme without offering a viable alternative is a huge concern for places like Hinchinbrook where we have the oldest demographic in Queensland per capita,” Mr Dametto said.
“Our aging community needs consistent and reliable healthcare services and currently there are huge gaps in our workforce that are completely unacceptable.
“I have written to the Hon. Tim Nicholls calling on him to reconsider the decision to axe the scheme, or alternatively, to urgently announce and implement the LNP’s alternative plan to ensure that medical professionals continue to be lured to work in the regions.
“I also sought a commitment from the Minister to participate in a multi-govenment discussion aimed at addressing the GP shortage. This was an issue I have raised on behalf of the Mayor of the Hinchinbrook Shire Council, Mr Ramon Jayo.
“Mayor Jayo recently wrote to myself, and the Federal Member for Kennedy the Hon. Bob Katter, seeking our commitment to address the dire shortage of GPs in Ingham. I wholeheartedly support Mayor Jayo’s request, and I am hopeful that we can bring all levels of government together to resolve this acute GP shortage.
“Although GPs fall into the federal sphere, all levels of government can work together to address the dire shortage of GPs in our rural areas. We saw a classic example of this in Cardwell last year when one of the local medical centres was saved from closure by combining management, resources and workforce contributions from all three levels of government.
“We need all hands are on deck to deal with the current healthcare crisis in Queensland. People in regional and remote areas deserve to have the same access to medical care as their city counterparts.”
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Contributed with thanks to Member for Hinchinbrook Nick Dametto.

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With 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 local artisans with the exceptional vocal talents of Kaitlyn Rapista spreading Christmas cheer well into the evening as well as a violinist performing further along Lannercost Street.

As well as plenty of retail goodies to browse, the Hinchinbrook Chamber of Commerce announced the winners of 2024’s spectacular Shop and Win champaign! $17,000 worth of prizes were sourced from local businesses around the Hinchinbrook region with 17 major prizes up for grabs! 14,500 receipt entries were mixed together in a children’s swimming pool with an outstanding average spend of $150 per customer at various retailors within the Hinchinbrook Shire.

“We are very proud of all the hard work that has been put in behind the scenes for this campaign to happen, and we are beyond thrilled with the participation from the local community,” shared Christina from the Hinchinbrook Chamber of Commerce.

As announced at 6pm on Thursday, Vic, Theresa, Heath, Mark, Julie, Taylor, John, Angie, Sharma, Paula, Sharon, C. Bridston, Peter, R. Ramarano, Sue, Carley, and Jorja were celebrated as the campaign’s winners with the Chamber set to be in contact with them shortly. Congratulations!

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See more pics at: https://www.hinchinbrooklife.com/social-pics/shop-win-success-at-the-late-night-shopping-event

Ingham Maraka Festival held their ‘Wash-Up Meeting’ on Wednesday 17th  December, discussing new plans for the 2025 Maraka Festival and how they wish to improve next years’ event.

President Patrick Lynch said the 2024 Ingham Maraka Festival was a success, with no hiccups but addressed that he would like to see the Cocktail Night event have a larger attendance.

Chantelle Previtera, Maraka Festival Administration Officer, said next year the Festival is going to try to promote the event more.

“Due to the low number of Festival Queens last year, it does give a lower attendance,” she said.

“We're hoping next year that things will be different, and then we will definitely increase those numbers!

“Next year we are going to work on promoting and getting a lot more of the younger ones to take on the Queen Quest.”

Participants in the 2023 and 2024 Ingham Maraka Festival were present at the meeting and spoke about what they liked most about the festival.

Runner-up Queen in 2024 Johanna Buckle said it was a fun experience.

“Mostly I really enjoyed it, I got to make new friends out of it and it was a way to get the community together,” said Johanna.

Miss Personality 2024 Rachel Hallam enjoyed the festival because it was something different.

“You don’t get to do it often and I’m looking forward to it next year,” she said.

Princess winner of 2023 was at the meeting, to ‘hand over the baton’ to this years’ 2024 winner.

“I really liked all of the community events that were hosted by the Council, I went to senior morning tea, the Tasman Turtles Big Day Out, and I went to a Christmas senior afternoon tea,” she said.

“I liked seeing everybody there in town, and there were lots of people enjoying themselves and I really like being a part of it.”

Princess winner of 2024 Hazel Cary said she liked the festival because she was able to make new friends and get out of her shell a bit more.

“I enjoyed that I was able to have new experiences, get out of my shell a little bit and try new things that I've never been able to do, and especially because now that I've won, I get the chance to promote Ingham even more. I just had a really good time,” she said.

The Ingham Maraka Festival 2025 dates are still to be decided.

Hinchinbrook, with Christmas just around the corner I’d like to take a moment to reflect on the good things that we all have in our lives. I believe Christmas is a time to come together and celebrate the blessings of family, friendship and neighbours. It’s the season for us all to share in the joy, kindness, and generosity that makes this time of year so special.

As we exchange gifts and enjoy the festivities, I think it’s only right to remember the true spirit of Christmas by extending a helping hand to those who may be doing it tough. A simple act of kindness can make the world of difference to someone who finds this time of year lonely or challenging.

For those who follow the Christian faith, this time of year we must remember to keep Jesus in our hearts, while also being respectful of alternative religions and faiths others choose to follow.

Thank you to those who will be working through the holiday season — those working in the hospitality and service industries, our emergency services, police and of course our health workforce. Your keep the lights on when we need it most, and for that we are all grateful.

Without a doubt, Christmas is the busiest time of year on our roads, and although it can be frustrating dealing with traffic, I always say it’s better to arrive in one piece than not at all. If travelling over the next couple of weeks, I urge everyone to exercise caution to ensure you and your loved ones make it there and home alive. My New Year’s wish is for a safe and happy holiday season for all.

Like most government departments and small businesses, our office will be shutting for a short break. The Hinchinbrook Electorate Office will be closed from Monday, 23 December 2024 to Friday, 3 January 2025 (inclusive). I think our amazing electorate staff deserve a moment to recharge in preparation for the year ahead.

Personally, I’m ready for a bit of time off but am already anticipating my return in the New Year. I look forward to seeing everyone out and about in Hinchinbrook in 2025. From my family to yours, I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year.

Contributed with thanks to Nick Dametto MP, Member for Hinchinbrook

The Rotary Club of Hinchinbrook, which formed from the amalgamation of the Ingham and Herbert River clubs, continues to give back to the Hinchinbrook Community.

Rotary's primary motto is "Service Above Self" and its secondary motto is "One profits most who serves best".

The purpose of Rotary International is to improve lives and communities around the world through humanitarian service, promoting peace, fighting disease, providing clean water and encouraging high ethical standards.

Rotary members are expected to be active in promoting the dignity of all people and respect for human rights. 

Rotary is a non-political and non-religious organisation that values diversity and is open to all people. The organisation's guiding principles include: 

   • Developing friendships as an opportunity for service 
   • The Four-Way Test: Is it the truth? Is it fair? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be beneficial? 

The local Rotary club has been involved with community projects that include a large Battery Drive that has helped benefit a local support organisation and support for charities such as Meals on Wheels and young local people who have taken further steps in academic, arts and sports fields.

Members can be seen assisting at events such as Maraka, ANZAC Day, Hinchinbrook Art Awards and Christmas Carols.

A couple of the big money raising charities that funds are raised for include the Rotary Foundation (that in-turn supports less fortunate people around the world) and also Polio Plus.  

Every $1 that Rotary donates towards Polio Plus the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation donates $2.

Sir Clem Renouf, Rotary International President 1978 – 1979 was actually born in Ingham. He helped propel Rotary toward its top goal of eradicating polio worldwide.

For further information about the Rotary Club of Hinchinbrook and how you can give back to our community and world speak to Peter Reitano in person or phone him on 0407 167 108.

Contributed with thanks to Peter Reitano

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Meals On Wheels Ingham has over 80 clients in the Hinchinbrook region and it is the community’s generous donations that enable this vital local service to operate all year round.  

With the community’s help Meals on Wheels has been able to instal solar panels, and buy two brand-new ovens for their brand-new building.

Meals On Wheels Ingham moved into their current building on the 18th April of this year and this impressive modern building was kindly funded by the Lower Herbert Halifax Lions Club.

President of Meals On Wheels Ingham Rita Phillips is extremely thankful for the support.

Meals On Wheels Ingham deliver hot meals to clients on a weekly basis, on Mondays they go to Forrest Beach and the Lower Herbert area with meals. On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday they service Ingham.

None of this would be possible without volunteers which Rita said are vital.

“We are indebted to the volunteers because without them, we wouldn't be moving,” said Rita.

“The volunteers come into the kitchen to help our staff there and they also deliver the meals.

“There are business houses that help us out in that too, NQIB and the Hinchinbrook Shire Council send their members once a month or sometimes twice a month, to come and deliver for us.”

Meals On Wheels Ingham run mainly on volunteers and Rita said without them their clients would really struggle.

“There are people who don't have family here and we are the only way they get their meal,” said Rita.

Rita also added that they are always on the lookout for more volunteers so if you have some time to contribute they would love to hear from you.

With my contribution to the Councillor Column falling on Christmas Eve, I feel it’s appropriate to begin by wishing you all the very best Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year, to you and your families.

Well, hasn’t another year come quickly? By the time this column is printed, we would have seen another crushing season come to a close. Again, another challenging year for all in the industry, while we can’t control the weather, we remain positive that industry stakeholders can solve some ongoing issues that seem to continuously hamper the crushing season.

The New Year will come quickly, and there are many things under my Corporate, Development and Regulatory Services Advisory Portfolio that I look forward to assisting in progressing, advocating and lobbying for. One of these is the Dungeness Sea Wall and Dredging, acknowledging the years of hard work that have been put in by previous Councillors and staff. Seeing this major improvement come to fruition will no doubt not only help drive tourism in our Shire, but will also give the Coast Guard access when needed to deploy and attend to emergencies. Such things cannot happen without funding assistance from the State and Federal Governments and to strike a fair balance to not just maintain and repair critical infrastructure, but to deliver on new projects to increase liveability in our Shire.

Having such a great newspaper that is Hinchinbrook Life, this very paper that you are reading for free, has been a very welcoming platform for the community to engage with on all things happening within our Shire. To Mayor Ramon Jayo, fellow Councillors, staff and the team at Hinchinbrook Life, thank you for having the initiative and drive to get this paper on the stands in the community.

Monday 20 July 1953, the usually calm atmosphere of the Station Hotel bar was shaken when patrons rubbed their eyes in disbelief when they witnessed an extraordinary guest casually entre the establishment—a baby elephant named Jo Dee from Wirth’s Circus.
Accompanied by her trainer, Jo Dee confidently strolled through the doors, much to the astonishment of the crowded bar. Showing remarkable composure and impeccable manners, the young elephant approached the bar, where she was promptly served a beer. With effortless skill, she used her trunk to sip her drink, gave a playful wave, and departed as gracefully as she arrived.

The greatest concern I have that may follow a disaster event is the inability to communicate with our community. As you are aware, this situation may arise following a cyclone when transmission towers and associated infrastructure are damaged.
Unfortunately as a society, we are becoming more and more reliant on social mediums and digital platforms to receive our news and to communicate with each other. Digital communication is almost totally reliant on towers for transmission.
To address these concerns, the Hinchinbrook Local Disaster Management Group (LDMG) has adopted a communications plan which essentially sets out the various types of communication methods that can and will be deployed before, during and after an event so as to maintain communications and delivery of information to the public as necessary.
Obviously, the primary source of communication at present as indicated earlier is phone and internet service due to the speed at which information can be delivered. However, other means available and which are utilised include radio broadcast services and television. Fortunately, the television and radio broadcast services are facilitated from transmitters located well away from our district which lengthens the odds of being damaged when our district experiences a disaster.
Another option and a very important component of our supplementary means of communication is the humble CB radio. As you may or may not be aware, we are very fortunate in Hinchinbrook to have the services of many dedicated people who volunteer as our Local Area Wardens. The function of a Local Area Warden is to assist the HLDMG with situational awareness of circumstances in their particular areas and to assist members of the community with information both to and from the HLDMG, particularly when other primary sources of information are not working.
In situations when primary sources are down, The HLDMG will converse with Wardens utilising Channel 9 (Mt Mercer), Channel 16 (Wallaman) and Channel 5 (Ingham). Rural Fire Service personnel can utilise Local Area Warden channels from their Rural Fire Service Queensland vehicles. The Halifax LDMG subgroup operates under normal CB radio (Channel 3).
So if you have a CB radio in your vehicle or know a neighbour or friend that has one in a car or tractor, you may be able to utilise this medium to receive information or to send information to and from the Hinchinbrook LDMG.
Other forms of supplementary communication that may be used, depending on circumstances include: door knocking, loud hailer fitted to vehicle, roadside messaging boards and pamphlet distribution.
Hopefully we do not find ourselves in that situation, but it is important for you to know how to get information when needed. Further information on communication strategies can be found on Council’s disaster management pages at https://www.hinchinbrook.qld.gov.au/community-environment/disaster-and-emergency-information.
As Christmas is almost here, I would like to take the opportunity to wish our community the best for the festive season. I hope you get the time to relax and enjoy Christmas with family and friends. I would like to also thank everyone who donated to the Mayor’s Christmas Appeal. The response was phenomenal, and I have no doubt that your donations will make someone very happy on Christmas Day. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone.

Before opening the vibrant community sewing hub, Barnes Sewing Centre, owner Sue Beatts was a nurse and midwife at the local hospital, but she has always had a passion for sewing.

When she retired, Sue began helping out the previous owner and her dear friend Elma at Barnes Sewing Centre, so taking over the store was a natural transition.

For Sue, sewing is a hobby as well as a profession and that’s what makes her friendly store such a relaxing environment.

“I like it, it's creative and is something I could do by myself,” said Sue.

“It’s not something you have to have other people with you to do and I find it relaxing.

“You can set yourself up at home, in your own little area of the house, and it's all yours.”

Sue’s favourite things to make are patchwork items and she loves making bags, purses, and quilts.

To make quilts easier to produce, Sue decided to invest in a new piece of equipment, the long-arm quilting machine, it took her some time to master it because of the complexity of the technology, but now she loves using the machine.

At Barnes Sewing Centre, they offer a variety of services from machine repairs to material supplies, work wear logos, a range of fabrics, and quilt making.

Sue expressed that the store does very well, and she even gets visitors from Cairns and Townsville.

Sue also said stores like hers are becoming rare, many are closing down, and she is proud to offer a unique and charming space for sewers from across the region to enjoy the love of fabric and sewing together.

Come and explore her haven of sewing bliss, it’s always a wonderful experience chatting with Sue who has expert advice on almost any question you may have about sewing.

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Local business SpinFX Electrical has all your electrical and air conditioning needs and in the last six months owner Jesse Spina says they have added solar panel installation and maintenance to the business.

“"We got into solar as a lot of our clients were enquiring about it and have had numerous reports of their power bills going up",” he explained.

“And what better place to do it other than North Queensland? We have the best sun in the world, and there's an abundance of it,” said Jesse.

“Solar wasn’t really affordable a few years ago but prices have since dropped and with government incentives, it is much easier to afford it and we also provide finance options to help cash flow"

SpinFX also install solar batteries, that store energy generated by solar panels that can be used later, this in turn reduces electricity bills and can be used for a period of time if power goes out.

Solar is new to SpinFX, starting only six months ago, and before that, the company focused primarily on electrical and air conditioning.

SpinFX are experts in installing air conditioning units and adept at maintenance, electrical renovations and repairs.

Jesse said that they sell what they think is the best air-con, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, to help beat the humidity and heat here in North Queensland.

SpinFX cover a large area including Hinchinbrook Shire, Etheridge Shire, Croydon Shire, and the Shire of Carpentaria.

Jesse is a local guy, and he loves the Hinchinbrook Region, and when he first set up his business, it was important to him that all customers are completely satisfied with their work.

“We strive to make sure all of our customers are happy,” shared Jesse.

“We won't leave a site unless the customer's happy and I have based my business around that since it started.”