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2010-02-09

2010-01-19

Agriculture

Lifestyles

Thursday, September 24, 2009 12:00 PM

Photo by Elliot J. Sutherland/The Ottawa Herald

Tony Holtwick, Wellsville, fastens a banner pole to a parade float Wednesday morning at the Wellsville home of Clint and Hope Burns. The theme of this year’s Wellsville Days parade is “The Magic of Make Believe.” The inspiration for the float was “Embracing a child’s unquestioning beliefs and imagination,” Hope Burns said.

Wellsville Days: Building the magic

Embracing imagination

By BRIAN WILLIAMS, Herald Staff Writer

Photo by Elliot J. Sutherland/The Ottawa Herald

Clint Burns and his wife, Hope, partially obscured, uncover a parade float Wednesday morning at their Wellsville home. The two have been working on the float with help from congregation members at Wellsville Community Worship Center.

There’s something magical about this year’s Wellsville Days.

When the parade rolls down the bricks of Main Street at 11 a.m. Saturday, the theme, “The Magic of Make Believe,” offers to leave spectators spellbound.

“We thought it would encourage all different types of entries and be helpful to small groups and large groups,” Barbara Kearney, Wellsville Days committee member, said about the parade theme.

For Clint Burns, who moved his family to Wellsville from Chicago in July, small-town life, he said, has been like a fairy tale.

“We can walk across the street here and enjoy ourselves. Where we came from, you’d have to run and duck,” he said during a break from working on the Wellsville Community Worship Center’s float.

Burns said working on the church’s float, which has the theme “Embracing a child’s unquestioning beliefs and imagination,” was a way to get to know people and become involved in the community.

“We’re so grateful to be part of this. We’ve met so many wonderful people,” he said.

Life in Wellsville has been great for his children, who are 5 and 17, Burns said.

“It’s so much better for my kids here,” he said.

One of the staples of Wellsville Days doesn’t involve a glass slipper but celebrates the passing of a crown.

“It’s a chance to be a princess,” Becky Dodd, Wellsville City Library director, said about the Sweet 16 contest.

The contest, which has raised more than $20,000 for the library since it began in 1991, always has been popular among young girls in Wellsville, Dodd said.

“There’s something to look forward to being 16,” she said.

Contestants decorate containers that describe a little about themselves and place them in the Wellsville Bank and the Patriot’s Bank of Wellsville, where people can vote for their favorite contestants.

The containers stay in the banks until Friday, when they are moved to Wellsville Family Worship Center, 601 S. Locust St., and to a booth on Main Street where voting will end at 3 p.m. Saturday. Proceeds will be used for public computers for the library.

The reigning Miss Sweet 16, Anna Neis, will crown the new Miss Sweet 16 at 6 p.m. Saturday on Main Street.

The eight candidates this year include Jennifer Nicole Calvert, daughter of Ed and Melody Calvert; Samantha Holtwick, daughter of Jack and April Wilhite and Tony and April Holtwick; Emma Janel Joy, daughter of Robert Joy and Lori Tarwater; Hannah Michelle O’Dea, daughter of Tim and Sharla O’Dea; Mackenzie Pfeiffer, daughter of Steve and Valerie Pfeiffer; Jayci Prough, daughter of John and Jan Prough; Caitlin Skiles, daughter of Dave and Brenda Skiles; and Nicole Elizabeth Thoele, daughter of Christine Cook and David and Melissa Thoele.

Activities on Main Street other than the coronation include a Kiddie Zone, which will be open from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. It is an area of games and activities that are geared for children younger than 6.

For the older children and those who are “kids at heart,” the Fun Zone will be open from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. Twelve featured items will include two mechanical rides, five “midway” games and a tire-changing contest called the Pit Stop Challenge, Kearney said.

A complete schedule of events includes:

• 8 a.m. — 5K Run/Walk, 507 Main St.

• 8 a.m. — Parade line up, Wellsville Elementary School, 218 Ash St.

• 9 a.m. — Booths and exotic petting zoo opens.

• 9 a.m. — Bake sale.

• 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. — Art Show, Wellsville City Library, 115 W. Sixth St., and Wellsville Historical Society, 517 Main St.

• 9:45 a.m. — Judging of Floats, Wellsville Elementary School.

• 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. — Quilt Show, Baptist Church Family Life Center, Third and Main streets.

• 11 a.m. — Parade: “The Magic of Make Believe.”

• 12:15 p.m. — 3-on-3 basketball tournament, City Park, Fifth and Locust streets.

• 12:15 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. — Wellsville High School cheerleaders.

• 12:50 p.m. to 1:10 p.m. — Wellsville High School dance team.

• 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. — Fun Zone.

• 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. — Midway games and trackless train.

• 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. — Kiddie zone.

• 1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. — Children’s songs with Alan Cunningham.

• 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. to 4 p.m. — Balloon sculptures by LuLu Bell the Clown.

• 1:20 p.m. to 1:40 p.m. — Gardner Dance Studio.

• 1:45 p.m. to 2 p.m. — Wellsville elementary classes perform.

• 2:05 p.m. to 2:55 p.m. — LuLu Bell the Clown Magic Show.

• 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. — My Dog’s Got Talent Show.

• 4:40 p.m. to 5:40 p.m. — Wellsville Idol Contest Winners perform.

• 6 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. — Sweet 16 Ceremony.

• 6:30 p.m. — Quilt Show raffle.

• 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. — Concert On The Bricks: BOOMERZ.

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