CLOSED!! The Rivers Banner will be closed from August 24 to August 28 for Summer Break. No newspapers on August 28.

Friday August 14, 2026

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Weekly news becomes rainforest Geckoest Gecko

There’s a huge greenish-blue lizard on the roof of Cornerstone Family Worship Centre in Hamiota. What’s up with that?

Vacation Bible School is coming up and the lizard, actually a Gecko, is a creature of the program ‘Rainforest Falls’.

Nadine Slimmon is the mastermind behind the making of this handsome fellow on the roof. She’s turned the news of the week (many old copies of the Rivers Banner and Empire-Advance) into ‘big greenie’ - the gecko that kids will formally name at VBS.

Day after day Nadine could be found, her hands gooey with glue and newsprint, building layer after layer on the gecko’s frame. Then layer after layer of paint with a whole lot of patience in between. She worked on the beast for nearly four weeks, doing a bit every day.

“It took Pastor Orland and I a couple of hours the first day to get the base made. I then began the paper mache of the gecko,” says Nadine. “The first layer of paper mache took over six hours to put on.”

She gave it 20 hours to dry.

The next layers of paper mache took at least three hours to apply.

“It had about four to five layers (paper mache newsprint) on it. Once it had enough layers then it was time to put an undercoat on it to prep it for painting.”

Painting took several hours and after the top coat was applied, she weather proofed her creation with acrylic.

Each year Nadine finds joy in preparing the surroundings at the church for the kids who come to VBS. She doesn’t take credit herself for the ideas or the means to do it but says, “God gives each of us abilities and gifts. God is a creator and he has shared that ability in each of us.”

Rainforest Falls starts Aug, 18. Information about the three-day program can be found on Cornerstone Family Worship Centre’s Facebook page.

Newspapers do play a very important role in weekly life, sharing community happenings, business developments, local government information, advertising, recipes, then lining the bird cage or better yet, creating the mysterious creatures of a rainforest.

Recycling at its best.