Organizers of last weekend’s McCloud Heritage Days Celebration were very pleased with how well the event went. Normally a chamber-sponsored event, this year it was sponsored by the McCloud Heritage Junction Museum.
“We had a lot of good things going on, some quality crafts and lots of activities and great weather,” said event chairperson and museum board president Annette Spitsen. “Most of the vendors I talked to said they did quite well, and everyone had a great time.”
Food was plentiful as booths offered hot dogs, hamburgers, pastrami sandwiches, pulled pork, baja burritos and Louisiana sausage.
The Girl Scouts Troop 70221 was selling lemonade, and according to a spokesperson “was doing well.”
CAL FIRE and the Forest Service helped educate youngsters and adults about fire protection inside and outside the home. Several displays of equipment and tools were featured, and games were available for kids of all ages. Smokey Bear was a favorite among the younger set.
Musical entertainment during weekend included HomeSpun Duet, Gene and Barbara DeBarruel. With their guitar and banjo picking, the couple played and sang a variety of music including traditional, swing, bluegrass, gospel and comedy. Singer/songwriters Bruno Grossi and Gerry Smida entertained.
Saturday morning the Edelweiss Singers and Dancers performed on Main Street drawing a large audience. Evelyn Horner and the Berryvale String Band also performed from the front porch of the museum. Sunday afternoon The Houston Trio performed, singing the old classical tunes. Houston, who is a music teacher at McCloud Elementary School, was accompanied by her mom Carol and a 27 year old parrot named Fred.
A quilting show in the upstairs Great Room at the McCloud River Mercantile Building featured colorful quilts, quilting demonstrations and various types of sewing machines.
Bob and Adrienne Weider won the Picnic Quilt, made and donated by Retha Parker, along with a matching accessory packet that holds plastic silverware and matching napkins.
“I’m real excited,” said Bob. I don’t win too many things, but if it’s picnic stuff, I’m going to have to go on a picnic.”
More than 250 tickets were sold and the proceeds will go to the museum.
Sharon Jackson of Castella was set up in the hallway of the Mercantile building spinning sheep’s wool with her modern spinning wheel. She said she also spins alpaca, yak and silk.
“After the wool is spun you can either knit, crochet or weave with it,” she said. “I enjoy being here. I’m having a good time and meeting people.”
Educating people on Type II diabetes and talking about smoking cessation was the focus of the McCloud Healthcare Clinic information booth.
“We’re also inviting people to come to the clinic and get a blood sugar test that will help determine how you are in the diabetes world, and if you are a diabetic or not,” said clinic administrator Jennifer Malone.
“The screening is free,” she added.
“We like coming to McCloud,” said Rich Kenny, club secretary of the Nor-Cal Antique Tractor and Engine Club from Redding. “It’s a very nice place and cooler than down in the valley. We’re just a bunch of nuts that like tractors.”
Saturday afternoon the club paraded their tractors on Main Street.
The Law Dawgs and Pistoleros Old West Reenactors had guns blazing as they returned to entertain Heritage Days audiences with two performances Saturday.
The reenactors performed five scenarios of actual historical events, including Billy the Kid, Bank Robbery, OK Corral and Captain Jack Davis fighting off 12 outlaws.
“We enjoy putting on the reenactments in northern California,” said Lee Dummel, one of the club founders.
“I love watching the reenactments,” said Richard Foster of Anderson. “You might say I follow them around.”
Anderson was visiting relatives in the area and said he really likes McCloud and McCloud people.
Winners in Saturday’s axe throw were, kids 8-12, Gabe Garcia.
Kids 11-13 – 1st, Nicole Masciola; 2nd, Nathan Masciola; 3rd, Samantha Benedict.
Adults – 1st, Willie Thompson; 2nd, Chad Henson, 3rd, Don Henson.
Sunday’s Farmer’s Market did well, according to operator Keith Peddinghaus.
Jeff Moore, author of “Rails Around McCloud,” and Bob Gray, author of “Forest, Fires and Wild Things,” signed copies of their books.
An Art Fair in the courtyard of the Brown Dog Art Gallery featured quality crafted woodworking, bird houses and knitted scarves and hats, rustic glass and dyed yarns.
The McCloud Garden Club booth was busy with their pie and cookbook sale.
Friends of the Library sold books and accepted donations to help maintain the struggling library.
This past weekend’s 2nd McCloud Alumni Association Reunion at Hoo Hoo Park drew more than 700 McCloud High alumni from many parts of the country attending.
Friday evening about 400 alumni met for a social get-together at the Squaw Valley Riding Club for appetizers, drinks and music. Saturday evening the group had dinner at Hoo Hoo Park catered by Raymond Zanni and Joe Spini. They parted following Sunday morning’s brunch at the park.
“The first reunion was held three years ago and we had about 600 alumni attend,” said MAA president Gary Sarti. “We were very pleased with this year’s reunion; we had a great turnout.”
The event is sponsored by the MAA and is supported by membership dues, donations and proceeds earned at various alumni events. The funds raised go to several worthwhile organizations in McCloud.
The golf tournament fundraiser held Saturday had 100 players.
“Last year we gave away $6,000 to McCloud community organizations,” said Sarti.
This year’s Heritage Days Celebration was sponsored by The McCloud Heritage Junction Museum.
