Thursday, September 9, 2004
Thursday, September 9, 2004
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Annual Labor Day weekend shows draw many vehicles, big crowds to Manistique by Paul Olson An extremely foggy start and hazy, humid conditions throughout the day didn’t hamper the attendance or dampen the enthusiasm at last Saturday’s Manistique Merchants Association Car and Antique-Vintage Snowmobile Show and Schoolcraft County Chamber of Commerce Motorcycle Show. David Vaughan, one of the car show organizers, said they set several new records, including the number of registered automobiles. A total of 121 cars officially entered the show, topping the previous record set in 2003, when 107 cars turned out. The number of snowmobiles dipped slightly this year, with 61 sleds entered, down from 74 last year . Meanwhile, up the street at the motorcycle show, 19 bikes were on display, equaling the number registered in 2003. Other activities included the sixth annual kids’ tractor pull and the always-popular car “blow up” contest, where spectators tried to guess how long an old vehicle would run without oil. A large crowd gathered to wait and watch as the Chevy Cavalier donated by Turek’s Used Car Parts ran progressively rougher, finally generating clouds of smoke and clanking to a stop at eight minutes, 42 seconds. That was less than a minute behind last year’s time but far off the record of nearly 33 minutes set in 2002. Jane Thomas was the jackpot winner, having missed the official engine-quit time by just two seconds. 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:
Zero to 300 Watts - Novice
300 to 600 Watts
- Novice
600 and Over – Novice
Pro Class The day ended with the awarding of prizes. |
In addition to the participants’ choice honors given out in the various car and snowmobile classes, the following special awards were presented: CARSMerchants’ Choice
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The Chamber of Commerce held a regular 50-50, which resulted in $114 being donated to the Manistique Public Safety Department’s K9 unit fund drive. One of the most eagerly-awaited events Saturday was the conclusion of the big chamber raffle, where the prize was a 2004 1300 VTX Honda bike. A total of 1,364 tickets were sold, with Steve Rosebush of Manistique drawn as the winner. In other activities Saturday, volunteers from Schoolcraft Habitat for Humanity worked the streets and generated revenue for their home-building mission by selling 50-50 tickets, and the Humane Society of Schoolcraft County pulled the winners of its summer raffle. In that drawing, Norma Carey of Gulliver won a quilt created by Theresa Neadow, Becky Vaughan of Manistique received the copper cattails yard art crafted by Willow Hill Farm, and Anna Sjogren of Manistique won the finch feeder built by Dan Crosby. For those who were unable to attend the show, pictures appear throughout this week’s issue. Also, the MMA has posted a gallery of photos on its Web site, showing all the vehicles that were on display and other show highlights. To find it, follow the links at www. manistiquemerchants.com Going the distance: junior peddlers square off during the sixth annual tractor pull competition The Manistique Merchants Association has announced the results of its sixth annual Kids’ Tractor Pull, which was held on Walnut Street Saturday, Sept. 4, during the MMA Car and Antique-Vintage Snowmobile Show.
During the event, 31 children competed. While it was open to pullers 5 to 11, there were no 5-year-olds entered this year. The number of competitors was down from the 40 who took part in 2003, but was still far ahead of previous years. Continuing a trend, the number of female participants grew. This year, girl pullers outnumbered the boys 18 to 13. As always, some of this year’s competitors pedaled the tractor and weight sled to “full pulls” of 45 1/2 feet. When more than one person in an age group pulled the full distance, the division results were decided by having them pull again, sometimes several times, with increasing amounts of weight added to the sled. |
The hottest competition was in the 10-year-old girls’ division, where all seven entrants achieved at least one full pull and three rounds were needed to decide the winner. All of the pullers received MMA gift certificates donated by the Manistique Area Kiwanis Club. The final results, as reported by race officials: 6-year-old girls: first place, Saige Hastings (10 feet, eight inches); second place, Lexi Carlson (three feet, six inches). 6-year-old boys: first place, Cody Donnelly (44 feet); second place, Trevor Ayotte (five feet, six inches). 7-year-old girls: first place, Alyce Krumm (13 feet); second place, Ally Clement (12 feet, six inches). 7-year-old boys: first place, Cole Gonzalez (35 feet, four inches). 8-year-old girls: first place, Taylor Edwards (full pull); second place, Makayla Tenuta (30 feet, four inches); third place, Rachel Kurian (22 feet, six inches). 8-year-old boys: first place, Ryan Jenerou (two full pulls); second place, Jordan Carlson (full pull, second distance missing); third place, Brett LaLonde (36 feet, eight inches). 9-year-old girls: first place, Niki Walters (two full pulls); second place, Miranda Belanger (full pull; 36 feet, eight inches); third place, Haleigh Chagnon (nine feet, six inches). 9-year-old boys: first place, Z.J. Gonzalez (full pull); second place, Adam LaVance (42 feet, four inches); third place, Robert Ayotte (40 feet, four inches). 10-year-old girls: first place, Tiffany Butson (three full pulls); second place, Sam Schuetter (two full pulls; 44 feet, six inches); third place, Carolyn Brazda (two full pulls; 35 feet, eight inches); fourth place, Courtney Jenerou (two full pulls; 34 feet, six inches); fifth place, Erika LaFoille (full pull, 40 feet); sixth place, Darby Demers (full pull; 30 feet, six inches); seventh place, Kylee Weber (full pull, 30 feet). 10-year-old boys: first place, Mathew Gonzalez (full pull). 11-year-old girls: first place, Nicole Tenuta (26 feet, six inches). 11-year-old boys: first place, Matthew DeRousha (two full pulls); second place (tie) William Trainor and Jacob Popour (full pull; 41 feet).
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