staff writer
09/24/08
Forrest Martin
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The first annual Fulton Railroad Heritage Days festival got thumbs up from festival sponsors, participants and the crowds the event drew during Sept. 18-20. “It was a great success,” said Mike Smith, chairman of the Fulton Tourism Commission, event sponsor. “I think we had a lot of good cooperation from volunteers,” Smith said. The weather cooperated, too, with only a short rain Friday afternoon, just before the Fulton Idol contest started and it delayed the Sammy Servo robot children’s show. A total of 53 cars were brought in for the Railroad Days/Rotary Club Car Show. “We were pleased with that number, Smith said. “The Rotary Club did a great job getting that together.” Sept. 20 was cloudy and some car owners, with car values into the $60,000 range and up, will not bring their cars out with the least threat of rain,” Smith said. He said he thought the entertainment offered a variety that would please everyone, from gospel to Rock-A-Billy and Country, “Overall the festival was well attended,” said Kay Martin, Fulton Tourism director. “I’d estimate the crowd at 2,000 people on Sept. 20,” she said. And another plus was the entertainment was free, she said. “We tried to make it where everybody could attend,” she said. Martin said there had been complaints in past years that there wasn’t enough police presence for the Pontotoc festival, but this year there were police officers on foot inside the Pontotoc Park area, officers on bicycles around the perimeter and police officers in cars in the area. “It was more than adequate this year,” she said. Fulton City Manager Kenney Etherton said, “I think it was successful.” He said he heard a lot of good comments from people who were here for the Saturday night entertainment. Country singer Buddy Jewell met with fans inside the Pontotoc building, signing autographs and answering questions before his show at 8 p.m. Sept. 20. He told people he came from a town much like Fulton, where people knew everybody. Fulton Railroad Heritage Days emerged after participation in the old Pontotoc festival dried up to the same two or three people planning everything, Smith said it was too much, so they skipped the 2007 event and planned a new event for the same time Pontotoc festival would have been held. Volunteers from the community stepped up to the plate to organize the Fulton Railroad Heritage Days event this year. A lot of events were planned, many centering around youth and some for the older crowd. Those that had contests are listed below. Fulton Idol Winner Jaclyn Graves, of Owensboro and a native of Mayfield, won $500 and the right to open the show for Country Music Singer Buddy Jewel Sept. 20. She is a morning co-host on the country radio show WBKR 92.5 and is currently working on her first demo. For the Idol Contest she performed “I Ain’t Your Beauty Queen” and “Before He Cheats” by Carrie Underwood. Bar-B-Q Contest: Grand Champion: Serial Grillers (Bryan Harding and Jason Menees) of Martin, Tenn. Won $250. Other winners, listed by category: Crazy Train - 1st place, Kyler Hohlbein, won $200; 2nd place, Serial Grillers (Bryan Harding and Jason Menees), $100; and 3rd place - Train Cookers (Jeff and Steve Burcham), $75. Backyard Bird - 1st place - Martin Health Care, $200; 2nd place - Kyler Hohlbein, $150; and 3rd place - Serial Grillers (Bryan Harding and Jason Menees), $150. Pork Shoulder - 1st place, Train Cookers (Jeff Burcham), $300; 2nd place, Serial Grillers (Bryan Harding - Jason Menees), $200; 3rd place - Lenny Hohlbein, $100. Ribs - 1st place, Lenny Hohlbein, $300; 2nd place - Serial Grillers (Bryan Harding or Jason Menees), $200; and 3rd place - Martin Healthcare, $100. David Greer, who headed up the Bar-B-Cue contest, thanked Tyson Foods for its support. Tyson donated 600 chicken leg quarters, providing chicken for the contestants cooking chicken and for cooking samples to the public on a first come, first served basis. Car Show Best of Show, sponsored by Bumper to Bumper, Clyde Shafer, Metropolis, Ill. Best Domestic Car, Robin Woods of Union City, Tenn. Best Foreign Car, Tyler Williamson, South Fulton. Best Motorcycle, David Wilson, Paducah. Best Paint/Graphic, Mike Skelton, Martin, Tenn. Best Undercarriage, Chris Bencini, Paducah. Best Under Construction, Vercel Bryant, Hickman. Best Engine, Ricky Morris, Benton. Best interior, Richard Jackson, Pilot Oak. Rotary Pick, Van Ellingburg, Hickman. Top 25 (no particular order): Robin Woods, Union City; Ricky Morris, Benton; Bobby Chalker, Mayfield; Stephnie Huser, Paducah; Ed Guill, Clinton; Lloyd Gaskins, Fulton; Cody Barner, Martin; Mike Skelton, Martin; Chris Bencini, Paducah; Ron Mohn, Palmersville, Tenn.; Richard Jackson, Pilot Oak; Vercel Bryant, Hickman and Clyde Shafer, Metropolis, Ill. Also, Tyler Williamson, South Fulton; Mayo Body Shop, South Fulton; David Wilson , Paducah; David Cox, Fulton; James Turner, Fulton; Eric Newton, South Fulton; David Wilson, Paducah; Darryl Fulcher, Mayfield; Fred Marshall, Fancy Farm; Trey Wood, Union City; David Woods, Rives; and Matt Conor, Troy, Tenn. Door prizes were donated by Bumper to Bumper Automotives and Advanced Auto, both of Fulton. Featured attraction at the Car Show was Bruce Grooms of South Fulton and his Get Ready Nostalgia Mustang Funny Car. Mike Lynch, who assisted Garrett Hutchins with the Rotary Car Show, said, “Bruce and his crew put on quite a show as he started his 2000 horsepower engine with the loud demonstration of a pure race car.” Music enjoyed during the Car Show was by Fatheads DJ Services, Lynch said “Congratulations to all the winners from the Fulton Tourism Commission and the Fulton Rotary Club,” Lynch said. “Despite the cloudy day, we were glad to see all the participation of car show entrees and all who came out to look.” Pet Show • Cutest Pet - Gabbi Brandon with her rat-terrior “Target.” • Most Talented Pet -Mandy Ballard with her Shih-tzu “Daisy Mae.” • Most Unique - Joyce Brown with her Llama, “Ms. Pretty.” • Best Dressed – Artie Marie Bondurant with her yorkie “Boomer.” Children’s Cookie Bake-off 1st place - Abby O’Neal and her “Haystack Cookies.” 2nd Place - Caroline Rushing and her : “Chocolate Chip Delights” 3rd Place - Isabella Buckingham and her “”Sugar Cookies.” Greased Pig Contest Grades one through three, 1st place - Spencer Yates, South Fulton; 2nd place - Jacqueline Strickland, South Fulton; 3rd place - Nick Coffey, Hickman County. Grades four through seven - 1st place - Brooke Parnell, South Fulton; 2nd place - Carly Reams, South Fulton; and 3rd place - Caitlin Greer, South Fulton. Grades eight through 12 - 1st place - Jack VanAllen, South Fulton; 2nd place - Jerry Gossett, South Fulton; 3rd place - Dillon Cunningham. Adults - 1st place - Vito Spadafino, Fulton; 2nd place - Leslie Williams, Fulton; and 3rd place- Lynne Naylor, South Fulton. Dessert bake-off Lisa Hutchins, Fulton, took the grand champion title for her chocolate velvet cake. Lori Robertson, South Fulton, won first place with her devil’s food pound cake. Coming in second place was Pat McMinn, Fulton, with her Hummingbird cake; and Shirley Melsa, Fulton, won third place with her orange pound cake. Rook First place rook tournament winner was Don Robertson, South Fulton, and Lizzie Hendrix, Hickman. They won $40 gift cards. Runners-up included LaDonna Stearns, Fulton, and Warren Jackson, Union City, Tenn.Car Railroad Kiddie Parade Olivia Fulcher won in the baby group; Owen Rodgers won in the preschool group; and in grades 3-4, Ryanne Kessel won. House of Prayer won the group entry. Photo contest First place winner in the Festival Events category was Beth Jones, Fulton. In the Black and White division, Gayle Barnes, Water Valley, won first place; Jett Yates, Fulton, took second place; and third place went to Ellen Long, Dresden, Tenn. In the People category, Jackie Akers, Fulton, won first place; Jett Yates, Fulton, took second place; and Jen Ray Gearhart, Fulton, won third. Jett Yates took the first place position in the Flowers category, while Hal Klein won second; and Jackie Akers took third. In the Animals division, Beth Jones won first; Jett Yates won second; and Rita Shelton, Water Valley, took third place. For Landscape, first place went to Ellen Long; second to Beth Jones; and third to Jett Yates. The grand champion winner was Jackie Akers. Children’s Art Exhibit Kindergarten - 1st place, Bella Hancock from Carr Elementary; 2nd Place, Kire Tribble from Carr Elementary; 3rd Place, Abi Kate Parish, from South Fulton Elementary School. First Grade - 1st place, Taryn Osteen from South Fulton Elementary, (There were no second or third place entries,) Second Grade - 1st place, Mollie Miller, South Fulton Elementary; 2nd place, Crissie Purcell, South Fulton Elementary; 3rd place, Isabella Buckingham, Carr Elementary School. Third grade – 1st place, Hanna Lee, Carr Elementary; 2nd place, Tyler Williams, Carr Elementary; and 3d place, Alec Spangter, Carr Elementary School. Fourth grade – 1st place, Olivia Pope, South Fulton Elementary; 2nd place, Dinena Campbell, Carr Elementary; 3rd place, Shakailyn Patton, Carr Elementary School. Fifth grade – 1st place, Caroline Jones from Carr Elementary School. No other winners were chosen. Sixth grade – 1st place, Holly Seng, Carr Elementary; 2nd place, Eric Daniels, Carr Elementary; and 3rd place, Deandria Mayberry, from Carr Elementary School. Ninth grade – 1st place, Jett Yates, Fulton High School. There were no other winners chosen. Tenth grade – 1st place, Justin Kight, Fulton High School. No other winners were chosen. Eleventh grade – 1st place, Shelby Jones, Fulton City High School. No other winners were chosen. 5K Road Race Overall male winner was Charles Reagan of Milan, Tenn., with 18:29; overall female winner was Shanice Alexander of Fulton with 27:02; Randy Johnston of Paducah was the Masters Male Winner, with 20:11; and Masters Female Winner was Gina Ward of Troy, Tenn., with 31:08. Male age group winners were: 16 and under: first, Matthew Whitt; second, Callen Aldridge; and third, Matthew Hastings; 17-19: first, Zach Pearson; second, Steven Fulcher; and third, Michael Kerney; 20-24: first, Michael Yandell; 25-29: first, Matt Butler; and second, John Cole; 35-39: first, Brad Sullivan; 40-44: first, Jeff Caldwell; second, Terry Copeland; and third, Rob Smith; 65 and older: first, Alan Benedict. Female age group winners were: 25-29: first, Tori Cole; and second, Laura Spadafino; 40-44: first, Penny Smith; 45-49: first, Melanie Hawks; and 50- 54: first, Denise Woolf. The order of finish in the 5K race are as follows: Charles Reagan, Brad Sullivan, Blake Gallimore, Randy Johnston, Michael Yandell, Matthew Whitt, Callen Aldridge, Zach Pearson, Matthew Hastings, Eric Kerney, Jeff Caldwell, Devonte Newbill, Terry Copeland, Vito Spadafino, Steven Fulcher, Ed McWhirt, Matt Butler, Alan Benedict, Michael Kerney, Shanice Alexander, Mike Hawks, John Cole, Tori Cole, Gina Ward, Melanie Hawks, Penny Smith, Rob Smith, Laura Spadafino and Denise Woolf.
