Chamber members hear overview of festival
Business spotlight on
Bearly Makin' It Antiques
Staff writer
Chingawassa Days buttons are available at Central National Bank in Marion and Hillsboro, Marion National Bank, Tampa State Bank, Carlsons' IGA, Marion Pharmacy, G&J Video, and Seacat Hardware, Gene Winkler announced at Friday's May meeting of the Marion Chamber of Commerce in the city building basement.
The seventh annual Chingawassa Days will be June 6, 7, and 8.
The Ozark Mountain Daredevils will perform the headline concert at 9 p.m. June 7 in Central Park. Gates will open at 6 p.m. Synergy, a popular Wichita band, will open for the Daredevils at 7:15 p.m.
Discount concert buttons, for $20, are available through May 30 at the places listed above, or by calling toll-free 1-888-382-0055.
Group discounts are available, and children 10 and younger will be admitted free.
Concert buttons also are good for admission to all Chingawassa Days events on the three days.
The schedule for June 6 is: Barbecue, 6 p.m.; ice cream social, 7 p.m.; karaoke contest, 7:30 p.m.; dance to Soul Preachers, classic rock, 9 p.m.
June 7: Bed races, pancake feed, anvil shoot, Wild West gunfighters, mule rides, polka band, pedal tractor pull, watermelon feed, and bingo, plus the two musical acts in concert at 7:15 and 9 p.m. respectively.
June 8: Continental breakfast and church service.
Amusements/carnival rides will be available only from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. June 7. You can ride all you want, unlimited, for $5, or for $1 per ride.
Susan Cooper, director of economic development for the City of Marion, said there will be a novelty division in the karaoke contest this year.
A Friday night dance will be held. Also, the River City Yo-Yo Club from Wichita will perform and offer free lessons for those who want to learn to yo-yo.
Besides the gunfighters, there'll be a fast-draw competition, with lessons offered from the world champion fast-draw artist and others.
There'll be a remote-control car-racing competition.
The Lincolnville Girl Scouts will baby sit in Central Park for a nominal fee, Cooper said.
And, perhaps the "new item" that will generate the most notice: Lawn chair check-in and check-out, so people may leave their chairs at the park when they go home each of the first two nights.
Pizza Hut supplied the meal — salad, pizza, including dessert pizzas, and drinks.
Jeff Cady, chamber president, led the meeting, attended by 26 people.
He said that Margo Yates, recently appointed recreation director, is doing "an outstanding job. Please support her."
Yates also is executive director of the Chamber.
The chamber member business spotlight was on Marion "Oggie" Ogden, co-owner of Bearly Makin' It Antiques.
Two Marion High School forensics students, introduced by their teacher/coach Janet Killough, presented the program.
Joe Svitak and Stacey Bowman, both juniors, were on the team that placed fifth among 42 teams in the Class 3A State Forensics Meet this spring.
Svitak placed first in the state in interpretation of prose, and showed chamber folks why. He interpreted "The Web Files," a humorous takeoff on Dragnet and Jack Webb, about a duck detective.
The tale also parodied well-known nursery rhymes, and poked a bit of momentary fun (Book 'im, Duck-O) at "Hawaii Five-O."
The voice of the horse by Svitak sounded like "Jim Ignatowski," the hilarious fried-brain character played by Christopher Lloyd on "Taxi" in the '70s and '80s.
Bowman did a poetry interpretation of the old three little pigs and Red-Riding Hood tales, "twisted" by the late satirist Roald Dahl in his "Revolting Lines."
Svitak also read an essay about Marion, titled "Move to Marion," by senior Jason Matz, who was unable to be present. It told of a family-friendly town with good schools, good recreation opportunities and many other assets.
Move to Marion, indeed. The piece was well-received.
