Record turnout, great weather spell success for vehicle shows
Organizers pleased with Labor Day weekend event

by Paul Olson

The local summer festival season wrapped up in grand style last Saturday, with the annual Manistique Merchants Association Car and Antique-Vintage Snowmobile Show and first-ever Schoolcraft County Chamber of Commerce Motorcycle Show.

Thanks to sunny skies and mild temperatures, the combined events drew a large crowd to downtown Manistique throughout the day.

David Vaughan, one of the car show organizers, said they are very happy with the way everything went, and noted that new records were set in every category, with 107 registered automobiles and 74 snowmobiles, both easily surpassing the previous high marks.

Vaughan said 67 of the cars and 16 of the snowmobile exhibitors came from outside Schoolcraft County, proving the increasing draw of the Labor Day weekend event. Competitors came from as far away as Appleton and De Pere, Wis., and the downstate cities of Fruitport and Dearborn.

The vehicles started arriving in the early hours and kept coming all morning long. Snowmobiles packed Triangle Park and cars lined both sides of Cedar Street, while to the north, motorcycles filled Five-Points Park near the high school.

Chamber Director Alice Burkholder says she was extremely pleased with the response to the inaugural motorcycle show.

"I’d been hoping for at least 10 bikes, and we ended up with 20," Burkholder said. "There was so much enthusiasm, and we got lots of good ideas. Everyone’s looking forward to bigger and better things next year."

Other activities included the fifth annual kids’ tractor pull and the always-popular car "blow up" contest, where spectators tried to guess how long an old vehicle would continue to run without oil.

In the end, the Oldsmobile donated by Turek’s Used Car Parts didn’t survive quite as long as last year’s car, which kept going without oil for nearly 33 minutes. It did fairly well, however, finally dying at nine minutes and 18 seconds, making Shirley McFall of Manistique the 2003 winner.

Also returning this year was the Outlaw SPL (sound pressure level) Contest, sponsored by Midwest Sound and Security. The contest pitted audio enthusiasts against each other to see whose vehicle system could generate the biggest sound.

The winners of that event were:

1. Brian LeBoeuf

2. Nancy Irie

1. Chris Smithson

2. Josh Demers

1. Todd Smith

2. Zach Hawkins

Wayne Ryerse

There were also many prizes awarded for the vehicles on display. In addition to the participants’ choice honors given out in the various car and snowmobile classes, the following awards were presented:

CARS

Merchants’ Choice

Jack L’Huillier, Marquette, 1969 Chevy Camaro

Kewadin Casino Choice

Tim Bosanic, Manistique, 1971 Chevy Chevelle

Mayor’s Choice

Ralph LaVigne, Indian River, Mich., 1950 Chevy pickup

Creighton Ford Best Ford

Don Benoit, Wells, Mich., 1935 Ford Deluxe

Curran Chevrolet Best GM

Ken L’Huillier, Marquette, 1969 Yenko Camaro

Ken’s Auto Best Mopar

Eric Sundling, Manistique, 1973 Barracuda

People’s Choice

Larry and Debbie Brown, Bark River, 1926 Ford T Sedan

SNOWMOBILES

Merchants’ Choice

Larry Mersnick, Manistique, 1975 Suzuki

Mayor’s Choice

Joe Francis, Manistique, 1976 Rupp

Kewadin Casino Choice

Aron Schroeder, Engadine, 1970 Mercury

Fish and Hunt Shop
Best Snowmobile

Tim Neadow, Cooks, 1972 Arctic Cat

People’s Choice

Tim Neadow, Cooks, 1969 Wee-Lark

MOTORCYCLES

People’s Choice

Dan Purcell, Manistique, 2003 Harley

Classic

Nickey Schnurer, Manistique, 1978 SLH

Custom

Ronald Orwig, Mt. Pleasant, 1993 Goldwing

Stock

John Boudreau, Garden, 2000 Valkyrie

Rat

Layne Neddow, Manistique, homemade 5-horsepower two-wheel drive

Farthest Distance Ridden

Ronald Orwig, Mt. Pleasant.

The Manistique Merchants Association has announced the results of its fifth annual Kids’ Tractor Pull, which was held Saturday, Aug. 30, during the MMA Car and Antique-Vintage Snowmobile Show.

During the event, 40 children competed in age groups from 5 to 11. That marked a substantial increase from the 21 who took part in 2002 and set a new record for the tractor pull. Also up was the number of female participants. Last year, only one girl entered.

Many of this year’s competitors pedaled the tractor and weight sled to "full pulls" of 46 feet. In those cases, the division results were decided by having competitors pull again (sometimes multiple times), with increasing amounts of weight added to the sled.

In the end, several divisions were decided by a matter of inches

.

The final results were:

5-year-old girls: first place, Saige Hastings (10 feet, eight inches); second place, Madison Beeker (six feet, 10 inches).

Also competing in the division were Leah Stock (five feet, eight inches), Allie Burns (two feet, five inches) and Alyssa Arnold (two feet).

5-year-old boys: first place, Brandon Metty (45 feet, six inches); second place, Jordan Ramey (six feet); third place, Nick Gould (four feet, six inches).

Also competing was Trevor Ayotte (three feet, two inches).

6-year-old girls: first place, Kelsi Stapleton (five feet, two inches).

6-year-old boys: first place, Paul Nelson (five feet, two inches); second place, Todd Hranek (two feet).

7-year-old girls: first place, Courtney Burns (three feet).

7-year-old boys: first place, Ryan Ramey (full pull); second place, Brett LaLonde (45 feet, two inches).

8-year-old girls: first place, Niki Walters (three full pulls); second place, Calley Rusticus (two full pulls, 11 feet); third place, Ashley Burns (full pull, 33 feet, six inches).

Also competing was Darby Demers (10 feet).

8-year-old boys: first place, Cory McCabe (three full pulls); second place, Max Nelson (two full pulls, 30 feet); third place, Robert Ayotte (39 feet).

Also competing were Thomas Rogers (five feet, six inches) and Austin Drew (two feet).

9-year-old girls: first place, Rainn Metty (full pull); second place, Caroline Brazda (27 feet).

9-year-old boys: first place, Matthew Lange (two full pulls, 27 feet, eight inches); second place, Rocky Creager (two full pulls, 27 feet, four inches).

Also competing were Zak Jeyer (two full pulls, 26 feet, eight inches) and D.J. Peterson (full pull, 39 feet).

10-year-old girls: first place, Katelyn Roddy (full pull).

10-year-old boys: first place, William Drew (two full pulls); second place, Matthew DeRousha (full pull, 40 feet, six inches).

11-year-old girls: first place, Katie Tosill (33 feet).

11-year-old boys: first place, Mike Jenerou (two full pulls, 29 feet, four inches); second place, Cole Demers (two full pulls, 25 feet); third place, Nick Rusticus (two full pulls, 24 feet, eight inches).

Also competing were Lucas Scherer (25 feet, four inches), Josh Roe (25 feet) and Cory Rethman (two feet).