Colton Harvest Potluck and Sasquatch Celebration
On Sunday, Sept. 20 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. the Colton Farmers and Crafters Market will conclude its successful first season with a celebration of “Sasquatch in our Community.”
“We are inviting people to bring any memorabilia they have; Mike Litherland is bringing casting of footprints. We want people to come with their best Sasquatch stories and costumes are encouraged but not mandatory. Of course, the first part of the day will be dedicated to the market with the harvest at its peak; there will be a great selection of local produce and food items and our local artists and crafters,” said market coordinator Kendra Kimbirauskas.
Starting at 3 p.m. there will be open mic performances and from 4 to 6 p.m. there will be a community potluck, live music and dancing.
“Just bring a hot dish to share and your own utensils. Drinks, salad and dessert will be provided. No alcoholic beverages are allowed,” Kimbirauskas said.
The first recorded sighting of Bigfoot in the Colton area was as early as 1973; the latest was in 2004. There have been numerous recountings of sightings between those years, including a few dozen during the “summer of Bigfoot in 1991.”
Speech not heard in Colton schools
According to Colton School District Superintendent Linda Johnson, the recent first-day- of-school speech by President Obama was not shown in the Colton schools due to lack of facilities for student viewing and the short notice for the event.
“We had our school day planned for weeks and did not have the time to rearrange our first-day procedures and schedules to accommodate the time needed for the president’s presentation. The decision not to show the speech was based solely on time constriction. If any teachers in our district would like to include the Obama speech in their curriculum as a comparison to past presidents’ school speeches, we would not have a problem with it,” Johnson said.
School enrollment dips slightly
Colton schools have reported their student population count for the new school year.
Colton High School has seen an increase in numbers, with 255 students registering, showing an increase of 29 students from 226 at the end of the last school year.
Colton Elementary is showing a decline of 36 students, going from 283 to 247.
Colton Middle School is showing a reduction of 6 students, from 167 to 161.
Large classes have moved from the eighth to ninth grade, where the district is showing 80 freshmen registering, and from the fifth to sixth grade.
The school district has realized a decrease of 13 students overall, easing fears of a declining enrollment.
Last chance to “buy local” is Sunday, Sept 20
My Christmas shopping is almost finished and most of my gifts have been purchased from crafters at the Colton Farmers and Crafters Market. Besides an array of wonderful produce, you can shop for local honey and jams, fine art, aprons, jewelry, purses and bags, cards, an assortment of wonderful soaps, bath and body pampering sundries, hand-carved wooden spoons, rustic bird houses, wood carvings, cutting boards, ceramics, home decor and numerous offerings of eclectic merchandise.
I will not have to brave the parking lots of malls or department stores this year, having found and purchased “perfect gifts” in Colton on the first and third Sunday of the summer months.
And my shopping pleasure was enhanced by the rolling mountain backdrop of the grounds behind the Colton Fire House, the sounds of local musicians and visits with friends and neighbors.
Hunter’s Breakfast
The Colton Fire Department has scheduled its annual Hunter’s Breakfast for Saturday, Oct. 3. Breakfast will be served from 4 to 10 a.m. at the Colton Fire Station. All hunters and non-hunters are invited to stop by and enjoy breakfast. Donations will be accepted.