A BEAUTIFUL PLACE: Tidy Towns co-ordinator Roger Smith and chairman Chris Gryllis with Keeping Huntley Beautiful award winner Alexandra Rezko, she was officially recognised for her tireless effort in keeping parts of Huntley tidy and beautiful for many years. Photo: JUDE KEOGH 0307huntley4
HUNTLEY woman Alexandra Rezko is the first resident to be recognised by Orange City Council for helping to keep their environment beautiful.
She was presented with a Keeping Huntley Beautiful award by Orange City Council on Thursday for her commitment to keeping Huntley clean and beautiful.
Ms Rezko has lived in Huntley Road for 60 years and for many of those years has maintained a little slice of heaven near her home.
“I retired in 2003 and I thought I’d give back to the country ... this is my thank-you to the country and to Australia,” she said.
Ms Rezko came to Australia from Belarus, in eastern Europe, after World War II with her family when she was just five years old and said it was important to give back to her new country.
Over the years she has pruned, gardened, mowed and picked up rubbish along Huntley Road, near the Huntley Berry Farm.
“If you look after the environment people respect it more,” she said.
“It sets an example for other people.
“You live here for years and you play your part, it everyone did that the country would be really beautiful.”
A self-confessed outdoor person, Ms Rezko said she was surprised to receive the award from Orange City Council as she was just doing her part.
“It do it because I love it,” she said.
Orange City Council Tidy Towns chairman Chris Gryllis and co-ordinator Roger Smith presented Ms Rezko with her award.
“We appreciate people like Alex, it makes our job easier,” Mr Smith said.
“She is the first to be recognised with this new program.”
Mr Smith said the award was designed to recognise people who help keep their environment clean and tidy out of the “goodness of their hearts”.
He said the awards intend to recognise individuals, business and community groups that have done something special for their environment.
nadine.morton@fairfaxmedia.com.au