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To the editor:

The first annual Saranac Lake Rhubarb Festival was a resounding success. We were lucky to have such a beautiful day, lucky to have crowds that came from as far away as Albany, but we were especially lucky to have so many wonderful people working with us. A huge thanks to the Daily Enterprise for their support and coverage. Thank you to Sam Hendron and the AuSable Grange for partnering and supporting us in our vision and for the cheese! Thank you to Michelle and Todd of Harmony Hills Farmstead for the delicious burgers and helping to pack us up! Thanks to Lori Dodge of Moonstone Farm for the delicious lettuce for the burgers and Nori's Village Market for the hamburger buns. Thank you to our professional pie judges: Les Hershhorn of the Robert Louis Stevenson Tea Room, Kenny Fontana of the Blue Moon Cafe and John Vargo of the Eat 'n' Meet Grill.

A huge thanks to all our pie entrants. You are amazing, and we thank you so much for bringing us your pies. The winner was Todd Moe of North Country Public Radio! Second place went to Connie Rockefeller and third place to Patricia Inslerman. Thank you to Susan Olsen and Tim Fortune for the art judging. The winner was Karla Oehler for her magnificent pastel. Thanks to all the artists that submitted work. The biggest and most beautiful leaf and longest stem, measuring 33 inches, went to Janet Perth of Tupper Lake; thickest stem, at three-and-a-half inches, went to Tracy Kratts - with a notable mention to Mary Reynold who showed up after the judging had taken place with a leaf so big there was a hush in the crowd and people parted as she walked by! Keep up the good growing, folks!

In the kids' contest, the relay team that won was Emery Swanson, Samuel Abbadessa, Witter Swanson, Josiah Abbadessa, Ward Walton and Elisa Abbadessa. For the rhubarb javelin throw, Josia Abbadessa threw it 42 feet!

Thanks to Celeste Bickford for manning the face-painting booth and Scott Eichholz for the face paints, Leo Brill and Joey Burnah for the great music, and Reiko and Kevin Tutill for leading the children's games and for all your ongoing support of AUUC events. Thanks to Sue Abbott Jones and Tom Jones for all your support and help and pie enthusiasm! Thanks to Melinda Little, M.J. and Jim Huneycutt, Alan Brown and Susan Moody and Cornell Cooperative Extension for the use of equipment. Thanks to Dan Sullivan for helping to spread the word and the Adirondack Green Circle for collecting our recyables.

Thanks to Dave Vana of Harvest Moon Farm and Brian McDonnell for donations of rhubarb to the cause, and Ann and Jim Kraus for rhubarb and all the rhubarb roots.

And finally, thanks to the Adirondack Unitarian Universalist Fundraising Committee: Elaine Holmlund, Joyce Henklein, Nancy Read, Nancy Murphy and the first queen of the Rhubarb Festival (who never gave up hope), "Rhubarbara" Rexilius. In addition, thanks go to the AUUC Executive Board and the members of the AUUC community for baking and volunteering the day of the event.

Next year, bigger and better! Got rhubarb?

Gail Brill

Member

AUUC Fundraising Committee

Saranac Lake