RedCab

RIVER BEND - Constantino Pietrini was the proud owner of a bright red caboose. Ed Nittoli had a lot of books. It was only natural that they eventually get together.
First, the caboose. A young man wanted to buy a lot in River Bend but was short of cash. He had a mule, a tractor and the Red Caboose .which Frank took in trade in exchange for a lot. The Red Caboose had been used as the office for a security guard and as a children's playhouse. It was even a unique apartment at one time. Connie Pietrini ended up with it in 1981.
Connie, a retired union worker, first started coming to this planned town to visit a sister several years ago. Five years ago, he and his wife retired and moved here permanently.
He was used to hard work, so after he moved south, he bought four acres of land in River Bend to run one of these small, self storage warehouse businesses, just to have something to keep him busy. An on the land he bought sat a little red caboose.
Now to Ed Nittoli and his books. A retired New Jersey junior high school principal, Ed loved everything he found in River Bend, but there was one thing he knew the community needed. There was no library.
"I started a book club from my home six years ago," he said, "I thought people would be interested in reading popular books, so I put together some I had, got some donation, and we joined several book clubs. We had 12 members, and we'd join book clubs and get the free books they offered and donate them to the library.

It was a labor of love, accent on the word "labor". The books stayed at Ed's house and, once a week, he'd lug them to the country club, where members could borrow what they wanted, and then he'd take them all back home again.
That's when the one-man library and the caboose came together.
"I was trying to dispose of the caboose," Connie said. "But then I got up with Ed, and we decided to put the library in it. We need a library, and someday we might build one, but for now I'd rather use the caboose than just get rid of it."
They scrounged labor and materials where they could.
"I'd see people laying carpet around her, and I'd go in and get them to give me their scraps," Ed said.   "Wilbur Fare donated the wood and built the shelves. Connie got electricity for the caboose. We took out the bathroom, and now we have a library.
"Someone said we had the only library in a red caboose in the country. I say we have the only one in the world. Who can say I'm wrong?"
    In 2006, the Red Caboose has become the central building in a new park which was made from the dredging of the River Bend Canal. The Library has been moved into larger and more modern quarters near Police Headquarters.

Library Hours - Monday to Saturday -
10:00 AM to Noon
Additional Hours - Wednesday - 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Emergency Numbers- Audrey Muller 633-6030
Vivian Graves - 638-4740 Jessica Smith - 636-0329

Book Fee $10.00 Per Family Per Calendar Year
No charge for Military families or for young readers under the age of 10 who do not have Family Memberships

The little red library caboose is a fine place. The walls are full of books, and good ones, too. Ed sold 40 memberships for $10.00 each and, by smart shopping, managed to pick up lot of current titles. Folks coming into the community donated their own books, as have folks moving out. It is open twenty-one hours a week and staffed by volunteer librarians, but it is a real, functioning library with sign-out cards and everything. There is even a large selection of paperback books that are signed out on the honor system.
The Town of River Bend itself is an interesting story. It is a planned community of about 2,400 people, about half of them retirees from the Northeast and Midwest. An incorporated town, it boasts four police officers, two maintenance workers, a town clerk, one convenience store, Connie's warehouse and no traffic lights. It does have a nice marina, a country club and golf course and a beautiful setting on the banks of the Trent River.

At the turn of this century, it was a 1,200 acre tobacco plantation owned by the Odd Fellows, a black fraternal organization. It was farmed collectively by black farmers, but during the depression of 1914, it was taken over by the W.S. Clark Co., a prominent farm supply firm. The Clark company took over nearly 70 farms during that period in exchange for the debts owed them.
Frank Efird bought the plantation in 1967 and began planning River Bend Plantation. He advertised heavily throughout the North and Midwest and the first resident moved in in 1969. It has grown steadily over the years.
Connie Pietrini is typical of those retirees who have moved south to the New Bern area in recent years. We were standing in the bright March sun when he said: "Up there in Connecticut, it is cold and snowing. The highways are so crowded you can't use them. You fight a losing battle up there.
"This is a serene place to live. There is no crime that we know about. You sleep well at night here."
And read well too.

The Denticos Slept Here
Short;ly after publication of the above the following message was received from Kay Dentico.
Steve Dentico's mother and father leased the riding academy from Frank Efird in the early 70's. It fell to Steve and I to run the stables (then it was a working stable and riding academy). Guess where we lived? Yes, in the little red caboose! It used to be on a brick foundation with porches on each end with wrought iron rails. Very cute and quaint. It had 3 rooms. Combination living room and bedroom (the sofa bed folded out to hit the other wall of the caboose. Then we had the kitchen/dining area. Last but not least we had a closet/bedroom combo. It holds many fond memories for two young newlyweds!.
I always hear stories about when people were first married and the little apartments and trailers they lived in. But I can beat them!. Who else can say they used to live in a caboose? I guess you could say we've come a long way together with River Bend!.

Ada Schnee and Audrey
Muller check out
publication

Kay M. Dentico

June 2000 Red Caboose Library Moves to Town Hall Annex. - The Town acquired nearly two acres of property on Wildwood Drive which included the old Riding Club stables, a barn and the Red Caboose. The stables were converted into offices which became the Town Hall Annex housing the Police Department and the Public Works Department. The Red Caboose Library moved to new and enlarged quarters in the Annex.

May 29, 2004 -

On a bright warm sunny day, Ed Nitoli's daughters from Virginia, unveiled a special plaque designed by Ray DelAcqua and assisted by Audrey Muller, River Bend Librarian. The plaque has been installed on the front of the library for all to see and remember one of River Bend's outstanding citizens.
Councilwoman Debbie Alkoff arranged the reception attended by a number of River Benders. ln addition to Ray DelAcqua, Tom Collins, Ralph Olsen and Mayor John Kirkland addressed the gathering remembering the many services that Ed rendered his community. Ed's daughters also thanked the community for the honor bestowed on their father.
In addition to his contributions of books and time to the library, Ed was an avid golfer and loved to manage the tournaments of the "Benders", a group of River Bend golfers. He made it possible for River Benders to participate in monthly tournaments held at various golf courses within a 50 mile radius of River Bend. His enthusiasm for the game was contagious and every tournament was a sellout.