DC Pumpkin-Festival2012 by Shaw Media

Happiness is...

Pumpkin THE PERFECT

51st Annual Sycamore Pumpkin Festival October 24-28, 2012

Shaw Media • October 2012

| PUMPKIN FEST 2012

Schedule of Events Hundreds of “Happiness is ... the Perfect Pumpkin” entrants will be on display during Sycamore’s annual Pumpkin Festival at the DeKalb County Courthouse near the intersection of State and Main streets. Activities are planned for every day of the festival, lasting from Wednesday through Sunday, with shuttle buses planned for Saturday, the peak craft show day, and Sunday, the day of the parade.

Tuesday, Oct. 23 • Sycamore Public Library will hold a Pumpkin Celebration at 7 p.m. for children ages 3 to 6. Event includes simple stories, bean bag toss and refreshments.

Wednesday, Oct. 24 • Lions Club’s pumpkin check-in will take place from 4 to 9 p.m. on the courthouse lawn. • The opening ceremony will start at 5 p.m. on North Maple Street, adjacent to the courthouse. It will include the ceremony for the cutting of the giant cake donated by Brown’s County Market.

Thursday, Oct. 25 • Sycamore Kiwanis will host a prayer breakfast at 7 a.m. at Sycamore United Methodist Church, 160 Johnson Ave. • Pumpkin displays can be viewed on the lawn of the DeKalb County Courthouse on State Street. • The teen carnival will be open from 5 to 10 p.m. at Sacramento and State streets. A $20 unlimited-ride special runs from 5-9 p.m. on the teen carnival rides only. • The kiddie carnival for young children will be held from 5 to 10 p.m. at the parking lot at Somonauk and Elm streets. • Frightening tales will be told at 7 p.m. at the Sycamore Public Library. For ages 5 to 12.

• Entries close for the Sycamore Golf Club Scramble, which will be held Saturday. Call 815-895-3884 to register.

Friday, Oct. 26 • Pumpkin displays can be viewed on the lawn of the DeKalb County Courthouse on State Street. • The DeKalb County Shrine Club will offer pork chop sandwiches from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. • A craft show will be hosted from noon to 5:30 p.m. by Sycamore United Methodist Church, 160 Johnson Ave. Food also will be available. • Heartland Blood Center will hold a blood drive from 1:30 to 5 p.m. on South Maple Street. • The teen carnival will be open from 5 to 11 p.m. at Sacramento and State streets. • The kiddie carnival for young children will be held from 5 to 11 p.m. at the parking lot at Somonauk and Elm streets.

Saturday, Oct. 27 • Rotary Pancake Breakfast will be served from 7 to 11 a.m. at the Federated Church, 612 W. State St. • Pumpkin displays can be viewed on the lawn of the DeKalb County Courthouse on State Street. • Heartland Blood Center will hold a blood drive from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on South Maple Street. • A craft show will be hosted from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. by Sycamore United Methodist Church, 160 Johnson Ave. Food also will be available. • The 40th annual Autumn Treasures Craft and Treasures Market, hosted by Sycamore Music Boosters, will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Sycamore High School Field House, 555 Spartan Trail. • The Lions Club giant-pumpkin weigh-

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in will begin at 10 a.m. on the lawn of the DeKalb County Courthouse on State Street. • The Sycamore Golf Club Scramble will begin at 10 a.m. at the Sycamore Park golf course, 940 E. State St. Registration closes the Thursday before. • The teen carnival will be open from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. at Sacramento and State streets. A $20 unlimited-ride special runs from noon to 4 p.m. • The kiddie carnival for young children will be held from 10 a.m to 11 p.m. at the parking lot at Somonauk and Elm streets. A $20 unlimited-ride special runs from noon to 4 p.m. • The Historic Homes Walk will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets cost $20 each and are available at the Sycamore History Museum and at each home on the walk. Children 12 and younger get in free. • A beef burger luncheon will be served from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. by church members at Bethel Assembly of God, 131 W. Elm St. • Zombie Miniature Golf, a fundraiser for seating at the Sycamore Public Library, will take place from 1 to 5 p.m. at the library. Tickets cost $10 per person or $25 per family. Not recommended for those who frighten easily. • The Radio Disney Road Crew will make an appearance from 2 to 3 p.m. in the 100 block of Somonauk Street. (Sponsored by NB&T and Kishwaukee Community Hospital.) • The Kiwanis will host a pie-eating contest at 4 p.m. on the lawn of the DeKalb County Courthouse on State Street. • Sycamore Public Library will host Scary Stories at 6 p.m. in the Elmwood Cemetery, corner of Charles and Elmwood streets. Bring chairs, blankets and flashlights.

Sunday, Oct. 28 • Pumpkin displays can be viewed on the lawn of the DeKalb County Courthouse on

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State Street. • The 40th annual Autumn Treasures Craft and Treasures Market, hosted by Sycamore Music Boosters, will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Sycamore High School Field House. • The Sycamore Pumpkin Run 10K Road Race starts at 9:35 a.m. at the Sycamore Armory. • The teen carnival will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Sacramento and State streets. A $20 unlimited-ride special runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. • The kiddie carnival for young children will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the parking lot at Somonauk and Elm streets. A $20 unlimited-ride special runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. • A beef burger luncheon will be served from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. by church members at Bethel Assembly of God, 131 W. Elm St. • St. Peter’s Episcopal Church will host a food booth from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 206 Somonauk St. • A food booth hosted by St. Mary’s Catholic Church will be open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Waterman and Somonauk streets. • Pre-parade entertainment by Stilt Juggler Jason Kollum and Magic Matt can be seen from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. downtown along the parade route. • The Pumpkin Parade will begin at 1 p.m. A handicapped-parking area is located at the corner of Exchange and Main streets. A viewing area for the handicapped has been established at the intersection of State and Main streets. The parade route follows Somonauk, Elm, California, State and Main streets. All of these streets will be posted “No Parking.” • The Sycamore Park District Halloween Costume Contest and entertainment will be held at Sycamore Middle School, 150 Maplewood Drive, from 4 to 6 p.m. For ages 2 to 12.

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PUMPKIN FEST 2012 | Shaw Media • October 2012

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Shaw Media • October 2012

| PUMPKIN FEST 2012

Missing Mr. Pumpkin Festival moves on with Wally Thurow in mind By JEFF ENGELHARDT jengelhardt@shawmedia.com

SYCAMORE – Pumpkin Fest is one of the happiest times of the year for many in Sycamore, but Jerome Perez said it is hard not to notice something is missing this year. For the first time in 51 years, the festival will happen without the man who started it all – Wally “Mr. Pumpkin” Thurow. He died in February. Perez, who has been a member of the festival committee for 10 years, said even though Thurow had not been a part of the planning process for years, there is a different feel among committee members who know they will not see Thurow in his signature top hat wishing people a happy Halloween. “It’s definitely added a bit more somber attitude,” Perez said. But the show must go on and Perez said Mr. Pumpkin would want it to go on with smiles on faces, which is what the committee will try to deliver once again with the events residents have come to love and some new wrinkles. Shaw Media file photo

See FESTIVAL, page 5

Wally “Mr. Pumpkin” Thurow waves to the crowd at the 2010 Pumpkin Festival Parade. Thurow died in February.

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• FESTIVAL Back again are festival staples such as the pumpkin display on the courthouse lawn, the teen and kiddie carnivals, the 10K race that now attracts more than 1,800 runners and the Sunday parade. There are some new additions to the festival this year, Perez said, including a Zombie Miniature Golf fundraiser at the Sycamore Public Library that will help purchase new furniture. Tickets for that event cost $10 per person and $25 for a family. Perez said there would also be a Radio Disney Road Crew appearance at 2 p.m. Oct. 27 in the 100 block of Somonauk Road. “The goals of the committee have changed in that we try to add new things each year,” Perez said. “But we still try to put on an event that is family oriented and fun for kids.” Jerry Malmassari, who has been part of the festival committee for 25 years, said the group has worked to incorporate memories of Thurow into the festival without it overshadowing the theme for the year, which is “Happiness is ... the Perfect Pumpkin.”

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PUMPKIN FEST 2012 | Shaw Media • October 2012

From page 4

He said little changes, such as the crowd pleaser award in the parade being renamed the Mr. Pumpkin Wally Thurow Crowd Pleaser Award, will help keep Thurow’s memory alive. The Lions Club also is planning on honoring Thurow with its float and a group is planning to erect a life-sized bronze statue of Thurow on his trademark penny-farthing bicycle in the city in time for next year’s festival. “We want him to be recognized, but we’re not going to get overdramatic with it. He wouldn’t want it that way,” Malmassari said. “He was always upbeat, always thinking about the next festival.” Bart Desch, vice president for the committee, said he is confident the festival will once again be a hit, but he said planning has become more difficult as volunteers have left. He said anyone with a passion for the festival should consider joining the festival committee. Those interested can visit www.sycamorepumpkinfestival.com. “Our committee has gotten a little smaller,” he said. “We would love to get more people involved with Pumpkin Fest. You feel pretty accomplished by Sunday (Oct. 28) at 6 p.m.”

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| PUMPKIN FEST 2012

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Shaw Media • October 2012

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Kyla Hueber, a teacher at Southeast Elementary, places identification numbers on the pumpkin entries from her third-grade class for the 2011 Sycamore Pumpkin Festival.

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Six Sycamore students will receive a free ride during this year’s Pumpkin Festival Parade. The students have been selected as junior marshals by the Sycamore Kiwanis Club. Winners are chosen from students who participate in the Kiwanis Club’s annual writing contest, which is divided into poem, story and theme categories. The top two finishers in each category are selected as junior marshals and have an opportunity to ride in the Kiwanis Club’s float during the Oct. 28 parade. Students who entered the contest were asked to write about the festival’s theme of “Happiness is ... the Perfect Pumpkin,” or about Halloween in Sycamore. The winners also receive U.S. savings bonds. A total of 57 students from Sycamore Middle School and St. Mary’s School submitted entries. Winners were treated to lunch, followed by a picture-taking session at Johnson’s Corn Maze and Pumpkins on Route 64

in Sycamore. In addition to the Junior Marshal writing contest, the Kiwanis Club of Sycamore sponsors a pie-eating contest. In this contest, the competitors must eat a wedge of pumpkin pie without using their hands. The contest is open to the public, with age brackets of 5 and younger, 6-10, 11-15 and 16 and older. Prizes are $5 for first place, $4 for second place, $3 for third place and $2 for fourth place in each division. The contest will be held at 4 p.m. Oct. 27 on the courthouse lawn. On Oct. 27 and 28, Sycamore Kiwanis Club will host a booth serving roasted nuts to support Kiwanis projects in the community. The Kiwanis will host the 13th annual Pumpkin Prayer Breakfast at 7 a.m. Oct. 25 at the Sycamore United Methodist Church, 160 Johnson Ave. Tickets cost $7 for adults and $5 for students.

See JUNIOR MARSHALS, page 9

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PUMPKIN FEST 2012 | Shaw Media • October 2012

Six students chosen for parade honor

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Junior Marshals

Shaw Media • October 2012

| PUMPKIN FEST 2012

Curtis Clegg - cclegg@shawmedia.com

This year’s Sycamore Pumpkin Festival Parade junior marshals are seen at Johnson’s Pumpkin Stand and Corn Maze in Sycamore. Pictured (from left) in the back row are first-place winners in the Kiwanis writing contest Emilio Arroyo, Makenna Klassen and Jarrod Pritchett. In the front row are the second-place winners Kaitlyn Costello, Gavin Bryer and Courtney Mulligan. All of the junior marshals are sixth graders in Sycamore. Read their winning entries on page 9.

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Emilio Arroyo First place - Story St. Mary’s Catholic School

Winning entries Happiness is ... the Perfect Pumpkin Makenna Klassen First place - Poem Sycamore Middle School I want the perfect pumpkin, Oh how will I ever choose? I want the perfect pumpkin, Big, round, and huge! I want the perfect pumpkin, For the sculpture I desire. I want the perfect pumpkin, The one for all to admire. I want the perfect pumpkin, That will cast the perfect light. I want the perfect pumpkin, That will make the night so bright. Oh! How I wish I could find the perfect pumpkin!

Fall Trees Gavin Bryer Second place - Poem Sycamore Middle School The wind blows. The leaves fall Onto the ground Where they’ll be piled up For kids to play in. They’ll be put into bags And be thrown away. The wind blows. More leaves fall. Then to be played in And thrown away. To be put into pumpkin shaped bags And put on the lawn For everyone to see. Those pumpkins full of leaves. More wind blows. Now the leaves are headed down the street Spiraling and flying To be swept up And put into piles and piles and piles. Now winter is here. No more leaves to fall. No more piles to be made. No more leaves to jump in. No more leaves to spiral and fly.

Once upon a time – excuse me – once upon a pumpkin, there was a huge farm. On that farm, a farmer was planting pumpkins, gourds, squash, and in his new flower box he built, he planted a bed of pansies. Every day he would go outside right before he went to bed and play his guitar and sing songs to his fall garden. Rain or shine, he would sing joyful songs to his plants to help them grow. Another farmer came by one day and asked, “Why sing to these old plants when you could use water and fertilizer?” The other farmer replied, “Because if you use that ... then the plants don’t have fun growing.” The word spread about the farmer and that week, each day, a fellow farmer would come by and play another instrument. Monday, a middleaged woman who owned a farm not too far away came and played the flute with the farmer. Tuesday, a big strong man came and played the trumpet with them, not saying a word. Wednesday an older man, 80 maybe, came and played the triangle. Thursday another with a keyboard, and Friday, a harmonica. Saturday morning the farmer woke up and looked out his window at the biggest pumpkin he had ever seen! As a cool breeze blew, he smiled. He walked outside and patted the huge pumpkin. He thought to himself “Happiness is the perfect pumpkin.”

Pumpkin Smiles

Jarrod Pritchett First place - Theme Sycamore Middle School Pumpkins are fun to play with and decorate. The theme is Happiness is the Perfect Pumpkin. Decorating the pumpkins is the first part. The second part is to cut the pumpkin a hat. Carve something that would make you happy or whatever the theme is. The reason why we have Pumpkin Fest is to sit together and celebrate Pumpkin Fest. Sycamore has a parade with floats and a lot of people come. Our neighbor has a float in the parade. And he parks it at his house in the grass. To have a great time at Pumpkin Fest. If you decide to enter a pumpkin or more, they are displayed on the courthouse lawn. Children of any age can do a pumpkin, and even ADULTS can do it too. Pumpkins are entered by age and categories like happy, scary, fancy or even a carved pumpkin. Me and my brother have entered the contest. Even though we did it, we didn’t win, but our neighbor got first. I would recommend it to everyone.

What I Like About Fall Kaitlyn Costello

Courtney Mulligan

Second place - Theme Sycamore Middle School

Second place - Story Sycamore Middle School A 5-year-old girl named Suzie was going with her mom to Hank’s Pumpkin Patch. She was picking out a pumpkin to decorate for the annual Sycamore Pumpkin Fest. Suzie was creating a smiley face pumpkin, because the theme was “Happiness is ... the Perfect Pumpkin.” Once they got to the pumpkin patch, she started looking for the perfect pumpkin. There were tall, short, and tilted pumpkins. She couldn’t find the right one. Then she saw a perfectly round, bright orange pumpkin in the back of the pumpkin patch. She knew it was the right one! Suzie held it all the way home. When she got home her mom got out the paint and squirted it on a plate. She painted the face yellow, and the eyes and the smile black. She let it dry. Suzie and her mom dropped off the pumpkin at the Courthouse.

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I always love fall. I love the weather. I love the color and the feel of fall. I love how people can come together with people that they see and don’t see. I know what I like about fall is Pumpkin Fest, in my family Pumpkin Fest is a big deal. We always enter a pumpkin, last year we won. Another thing is we always go see the pumpkins. We also always go to the pie eating contest and eat, after that I’m really full. Then, last but not least, we go to the parade. We get really good seats because my aunt lives right on that street. We see everything. Fire trucks, Mr. Pumpkin, and lots more. So that’s a big thing in our family. Then after that it’s Halloween and we go trick-or-treating with my cousins in their neighborhood. Then we go to my house and sort out our candy and swap. I always get Butterfingers, Then it’s winter, brrrr, that’s why fall is the best season ever!!!!

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PUMPKIN FEST 2012 | Shaw Media • October 2012

From page 7

The next day they went to the Courthouse to see if Suzie had won. She didn’t, but Suzie was glad she had decorated a pumpkin! She had done her best and that’s all that mattered. A smile makes a difference! Happiness for Suzie was her perfect pumpkin!

Shaw Media • October 2012

| PUMPKIN FEST 2012

State champ named grand marshal By CAITLIN MULLEN cmullen@shawmedia.com One of the youngest grand marshals to ever lead the Sycamore Pumpkin Festival parade said he’s honored to be chosen. Austin Culton, 17, is a senior at Sycamore High School who plays football and wrestles. In 2012, he became the first Sycamore resident to win the state title in his wrestling class, and his name and achievement are mentioned on signs that welcome people to the city. Culton, who lives in Sycamore with his parents and younger brother, joked that he knows he’ll be riding in a nice car and waving to people, but doesn’t know much about the job other than that. “I obviously know it’s a great honor to do this,” he said. Culton said he typically enjoys checking out the array of decorated and carved pumpkins that blanket the DeKalb County Courthouse lawn during Pumpkin Fest. He said he’s been going to the festival for as long as he can remember and always takes part in or watches the parade. “It’s just like one of those tradition things. It’s just something that Sycamore does,” he said. “It’s an honor. I’ve worked really hard my whole life to accomplish what I have.” Marianne Vogel, Sycamore Pumpkin Festival committee member, said the committee was looking for a grand marshal who made an important contribution to the city’s history, and Culton did that with his state title. “So he is our champion,” she said. Jerry Malmassari, president of the Sycamore Pumpkin Festival committee, also said the committee hopes Culton connects with the younger crowd that attends the parade.

Kyle Bursaw – kbursaw@shawmedia.com

Sycamore’s Austin Culton, who won the individual state wrestling title in the 152-pound weight class this spring, is the grand marshal of the 51st annual Sycamore Pumpkin Festival Parade. Malmassari said the grand marshal position can be a difficult one to fill because the committee can’t afford big-name celebrities. But numerous local people have generously donated their time in the past. “They’ve always just helped out like that,” he said. Previous grand marshals have included former DeKalb Municipal

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Band director Dee Palmer and Sycamore educator and football coach Pete Johnson, as well as Ronald McDonald and former Cubs sportscaster Jack Brickhouse. The biggest responsibilities of the grand marshal: “Grin and wave,” Malmassari said with a laugh. Other than that, he said the committee hopes the grand marshal has fun

leading the parade through Sycamore. Brian Bemis Automotive Group provides a convertible and driver for the grand marshal to ride in. The parade kicks off at 1 p.m. Oct. 28. The route begins at Somonauk Street, turns onto Elm Street, California Street, State Street and ends at Main and Lincoln streets.

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PUMPKIN FEST 2012 | Shaw Media • October 2012

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Shaw Media • October 2012

| PUMPKIN FEST 2012

Pumpkin Run results posted online SYCAMORE – The 34th annual Sycamore Pumpkin Run 10K Road Race, presented by Kishwaukee Community Hospital, will begin at 9:35 a.m. Oct. 28 at the park just east of the National Guard Armory on Route 64. “We are proud to announce that in an effort to ‘go green’ we will be posting the race results online only and offering recycle bins. You would be amazed how much paper it takes to post 2,000 runners’ race results,” Rose Treml, executive director of the Sycamore Chamber of Commerce, said in a news release. “Each year we use over 5,000 plastic cups and hand out almost 3,000 water bottles.“ This year, the race results will be posted online by noon that day on the www. sycamorepumpkinrun.com website. However, the top three finishers of each age category and overall winners will be posted inside the Armory as they come in, so runners can pick up their awards immediately. “Most large races are going in this direction, and we simply thought that it was a good thing to do,” Treml said. Runners can still register online at www.active.com, and registration forms are available from the Sycamore

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The 34th annual Sycamore Pumplin Run 10K Road Race will be held Oct. 28 , starting at 9:35 a.m. at the park just east of the National Guard Armory on Route 64. Chamber of Commerce at 407 W. State St., Suite 10, by calling 815-895-3456, and online at www.sycamorepumpkinrun.com. Online registration is available for $25 and closes on Oct. 24. Registration also is available on race

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State Street at Kishwaukee Drive, and the course runs west to Somonauk Street, south to Bethany Road, east to Airport Road and then north to Sycamore Park where it ends near the west park entrance.

For those who preregister, runner shirts and bibs can be picked up at the chamber office, 407 W. State St., from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Oct. 25 and 26 or at the Armory from 7 to 9 a.m. on race day.

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SYCAMORE – The Sycamore History Museum will present the annual Pumpkin Fest Historic Homes Tour, also known as the House Walk, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 27. Previously run by the Friends of the Sycamore Library, this event has been a favorite of festival goers for many years. Tickets cost $20 per person and are available in advance at the Sycamore History Museum or Sweet Earth Jewelry and Gifts. Day-of tickets will be available at any home on the tour. • The Old East School, 410 E. Elm St., is owned by Joe and Raechel Bassett. It served Sycamore children from 1880 until 1976, when it became a private residence. James and Margaret (Baack) Tucker were instrumental in restoring the property and remodeling it into living quarters. • St. Alban’s Cottage, 726 Somonauk St., is home to Steve and Pat Faivre. This home was designed and built by the owners in 2009 in the style of the classic American bungalow. It sits almost on the footprint of the chapel of the old St. Alban’s School.

• The James Edmund Ellwood home at 708 Somonauk St. is famous in Sycamore. In 1989, this three-story Victorian house was moved across the street from where it had previously been the administration building for the Sycamore Hospital and St. Mary’s convent. David and Julie Lundeen have put much care into the upkeep of this historic property, also designed and renovated by Margaret Baack. • The Chicago and Northwestern Depot has been recently renovated. The DeKalb County Community Foundation and the city of Sycamore have done an incredible job of restoration while making the space usable for the organization and community groups. The Historic Homes Tour will be the first public look inside the building. • The main stop on the tour is the Engh Farm at the Sycamore History Museum, 1730 N. Main St. A guided tour of the museum’s new exhibit, “Play,” will be included on the walk. This historic farm, once owned by the Harold Engh family, was a center of agriculture in the county and has been home to the museum since 2009.

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Treasures Market Saturday, Oct. 27 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 28 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Over 200 Booths Sycamore High School Rt. 23, Spartan Trail

Adults $2.00 Senior Citizens $1.00 Kindergarten thru 12th Grade $1.00 Sandwiches and pies and other food items available at concessions Free Parking Golf cart shuttle available from handicapped parking lot on north side of fieldhouse. No animals (other than handicapped assistance) allowed in the craft show.

PUMPKIN FEST 2012 | Shaw Media • October 2012

Restored depot highlight Sycamore Music Boosters’ of historic homes tour 40t h Autumn Craft &

Shaw Media • October 2012

| PUMPKIN FEST 2012

Winning theme came at the last minute By DOUG OLESON doleson@shawmedia.com SYCAMORE – It was a last-minute thing. That’s how Hannah Schramm said she came up with the winning theme for this year’s Sycamore Pumpkin Festival, which will be held Oct. 24 to 28. Hannah and other children throughout Sycamore were given forms at school to fill out and then submit for a panel to choose. Like the others, Hannah took her form home and then, without giving it any special thought, came up with the winning idea. “That’s how she does it,” her mother, Beth Schramm, said. “We can just be goofing around the table, being wacky, and she’ll go, ‘slap my face with a Tennessee pickle.’ I mean it just comes out. She doesn’t think about it.” Beth added that her family was trying to come up with ideas for Pumpkin Fest one night when Hannah “just blurted it out.” What the 10-year-old, fifth grader blurted out was: “Happiness is ... the Perfect Pumpkin.” For her winning theme, Hannah

received $50 in cash, a commemorative Pumpkin Fest plate, a certificate, post cards, pumpkin seeds, a seat to ride in the parade “and wave all the time” and the right to cut the first piece of cake during opening ceremonies on the courthouse lawn when children and adults drop off their carved pumpkins. Hannah’s school, St. Mary’s Catholic School in Sycamore, also got $100. Hannah said she was both excited and a little nervous about winning. Born in Hampshire, Hannah and her family moved to Sycamore in 2007. She and her older sister, Olivia, a seventh-grader, have been carving pumpkins and submitting ideas for the festival every year since. With a little giggle, Hannah said her father, Bob, helps her and her sister decorate their pumpkins every year, which the girls work on separately. “They come up with the ideas and he cuts,” Beth said. So how will Hannah have dad carve her pumpkin this year? Unsure right now, she said it’ll probably be another last minute decision.

Pumpkin Fest & Halloween Vision Safety Tips 1. Choose makeup over masks that can restrict view. Use fresh disposable applicators for each child. Keep makeup particles and applicators out of child’s eyes. 2. Decorate costumes with iron-on or sew-on reﬂective fabric, tape or self-stick decals. 3. Be sure steps are repaired, railings tightened and holes in the yard are ﬁlled.

See Dr. Michele Jurkovic, 4. Turn porch and yard lights on. Clear lawn of equipment Optometrist of loose objects. 2810 DeKalb Ave. Sycamore, IL 60178 5. Drivers who have difﬁculty

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Doug Oleson - doleson@shawmedia.com

The 2012 Pumpkin Festival Theme winner Hannah Schramm.

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PUMPKIN FEST 2012 | Shaw Media • October 2012

Over 1,600 area residents and businesses joined with KishHealth System in making a dŚĞ KŶĞ >ŝĨĞ ĐĂŵƉĂŝŐŶ ĐŚĂůůĞŶŐĞĚ ƉĂƌƟĐŝƉĂŶƚƐ ƚŽ ƐĞƚ ĂŶ ĂƩĂŝŶĂďůĞ ŐŽĂů͕ Ă ƐŝŶŐůĞ ƐƚĞƉ ĚŽǁŶ ƚŚĞ ƌŽĂĚ ƚŽǁĂƌĚƐ ǁĞůůŶĞƐƐ͘ dŚŽƵŐŚ ƚŚĞ ĐĂŵƉĂŝŐŶ ŚĂƐ ĐŽŵĞ ƚŽ Ă ĐůŽƐĞ͕ ƚŚĞ ŚĞĂůƚŚ ƐǇƐƚĞŵ ƌĞŵĂŝŶƐ ĐŽŵŵŝƩĞĚ ƚŽ ŚĞůƉŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝƚǇ ƐƚĂǇ ŽŶ ƚƌĂĐŬ ĂŶĚ ǁŝůů ĐŽŶƟŶƵĞ ŽīĞƌŝŶŐ ĨƌĞĞ ĂŶĚ ĚŝƐĐŽƵŶƚĞĚ ĐůĂƐƐĞƐ͕ ƐĐƌĞĞŶŝŶŐƐ ĂŶĚ ƉƌŽŐƌĂŵƐ͘ &Žƌ ŵŽƌĞ ŝŶĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶ ĂďŽƵƚ ƚŚĞƐĞ ƌĞƐŽƵƌĐĞƐ ǀŝƐŝƚ www.kishhealthprograms.org͘

Shaw Media • October 2012

| PUMPKIN FEST 2012

Jagodzinski is Friend of the Festival By DAVID THOMAS dthomas@shawmedia.com SYCAMORE – For the past 26 years, Denis Jagodzinski has delivered a truckload of pumpkins to the Sycamore Pumpkin Festival. Those donated pumpkins are used by kids in the festival’s decorating contest. “For me, it’s just a way to say ‘thank you’ to a community that gives me something every day of the week,” Jagodzinski said. “It’s a small token of my appreciation for our town.” The 59-year-old Sycamore resident is being honored as the 2012 Friend of the Festival for his contributions over the years – somebody “who’s made our job easier or has supported what we’re trying to accomplish through the festival,” said Jerome Perez, one of the directors of the festival. Perez said the donated pumpkins are necessary for kids whose families might be unable to afford buying one. Jagodzinski said he purchases the pumpkins from Theis Farm Market in Maple Park, although he’d rather not say how much he spends on them. Jagodzinski said he enjoys events like Pumpkin Fest because of how they can rally the city. “I love the way the community bands together,” Jagodzinski said. “It’s like a giant homecoming for people. There are parties at homes, the downtown crowd, the ways the civics organizations are involved in it.” Jagodzinski added that he appreciates how the festival committee has kept the emphasis on nonprofits so they “don’t have to compete against licensed vendors.” Jagodzinski said he will keep donating pumpkins to the Sycamore

Kyle Bursaw – kbursaw@shawmedia.com

Denis Jagodzinski has been named the 2012 Friend of the Festival. Pumpkin Festival until he retires or passes away. “Whichever comes first,” Jagodzinski said, adding that he doesn’t see either of those things happening in the foreseeable future. An insurance agent at American Family Insurance, 116 State St., Jagodzinski said his volunteer work goes back to the 1990s with the Sycamore Jaycees, a service organization

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for young men. In 1996, because of his festival work with the Jaycees, Jagodzinski was named parade chairman. The Friend of the Festival position is largely ceremonial. Jagodzinski will be recognized at the festival’s opening ceremony and will ride in the parade. Jagodzinski will drop off the pumpkins at 10 a.m. Oct. 20 in the

parking lot of his insurance agency. Anyone who wishes to enter the pumpkin decoration contest must drop off their entries between 4 and 9 p.m. Oct. 24 on the lawn of the DeKalb County Courthouse in Sycamore. Judging will take place at 9 a.m. Oct. 25, Perez said. All of the pumpkins will be on display on the courthouse lawn during the festival.

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SYCAMORE – The annual Autumn Craft and Treasures Market sponsored by the Sycamore Music Boosters is part of Pumpkin Festival weekend, Oct. 27 and 28. The event will be held at Sycamore High School and will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. There will be more than 200 dealers featuring a wide variety of crafts, handmade wood products, specialty items such as wool products, candles, spices, candies, antiques, ceramics and many trinkets. It’s an opportunity to do some holiday shopping. Admission is $2 for adults and $1 for senior citizens and students; children younger than 5 get in free. Parking is free. A handicapped lot will be available on the north side of the field house just off Johnson Avenue. There will be golf cart shuttles running during operating hours. No animals will be allowed except those used for special-needs assistance. Visitors numbering in the thousands come every year from all over northern Illinois to browse and purchase items. More than 250 adult and student volunteers help exhibitors, supervise traffic, operate the concession stand and work at admissions, as guards and in various other jobs in an effort to help the market run smoothly. Sycamore Music Boosters members are parents of Sycamore public school students who work to promote

the excellence of music education in their schools. Started years ago as a group of parents interested in supporting school bands, the organization changed its direction significantly in 1972. That year, under the leadership of Mary Akers, the band booster club enlarged its interest to encompass all music programs in the Sycamore public schools. Incorporated in 1978 as a nonprofit organization, the SMB continues to help build and support the school music programs. Ed Eggleson started the Antique, Craft and Flea Market in 1972. SMB now supports more than 600 students in elective music programs in grades 4-12 as well as all elementary music programs. The major source of funds for Boosters is the annual craft market. The group contributes in the following areas: Awards, contest costs, scholarships for college and summer music camps, music appreciation (including performances by visiting musical groups and some annual field trips), high school musical, middle school musical and contributions to the music department that are used in the school music programs. In the past year, SMB purchased 15 keyboards for the middle school and they are holding two certificates of deposit, one to be put toward the purchase of a new grand piano for the high school auditorium and the other to apply toward the district’s purchase of new marching band uniforms.

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PUMPKIN FEST 2012 | Shaw Media • October 2012

Music Boosters set Autumn Craft and Treasures Market

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Shaw Media • October 2012

| PUMPKIN FEST 2012

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THE PUMPKIN FESTIVAL 2008

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Chronicle file photo

Nikki Pitstick, 6, places her pumpkin painted as a watermelon on the DeKalb County Courthouse lawn for the 2011 Sycamore Pumpkin Festival. This year’s festival runs Oct. 24 through 28.

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Shaw Media • October 2012

| PUMPKIN FEST 2012

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