Amateur horticulturists and crafty types are coming together at the second annual Spring Craft and Garden Faire on Saturday in the parking area of the Blodgett Café off of Highway 20. From

9 a.m. to 4 p.m., there will be a potpourri of garden items for sale: Plants, birdhouses, birdfeeders, wind chimes, and a variety of other lawn/garden objets d’art.

For the well-dressed yard this year, a trip to the Faire is a must.

And if you forgot that Mothers’ Day was May 13, this is a perfect opportunity to pick something for mom in the way of a mea culpa!

The East Lincoln County QRT will also have a rummage table for those who prefer “vintage” items or have some to donate. A special feature this year will be a display of antique cars from Albany’s Model A Club. A neighbor, Mr. Ahmeds, has graciously donated his field adjacent to the cafe for the display of these vehicles.

This event is a major fund-raiser for the East Lincoln County QRT, an emergency team that operates without a tax base and so is dependent entirely on contributions.

Breakfast or lunch would be a nice way to round out a trip to The Faire. Debbie at the Blodgett Country Café will offer coffee and cinnamon rolls for early fair-goers and will serve a delicious lunch later on.

Spring Fling

There will be another chance to contribute to the East Lincoln County Quick Response Team on May 24 at the Eddyville Charter School. In conjunction with the school’s annual Spring Fling, the ELCQRT will be hosting its fund-raising chicken dinner starting at

4:30 p.m. Always a popular event, the dinner will include chicken, rolls, scalloped potatoes, tossed salad and a beverage. Desserts are extra.

After dinner hour, entertainment will include the voices of the elementary choir followed by the middle school African drumming group.

A major attraction at this year’s Spring Fling will be the auction of the Three Little Pigs, now giant porkers, raised by the senior class to pay for their senior trip. Wilbur, Pork Chop and Schwartz have been putting on the pounds and are now pushing 250. Winners of these prized pigs will receive them in packages, not “on the hoof.”

Out in the greenhouse, the horticulture class has been raising geraniums by the dozen as well as other plants and flowers to sell. The nearby wood shop class has been constructing rustic toolboxes and planters for sale, while the auto shop class has several lawn mowers available.

More than anything, the annual Spring Fling is a chance to hobnob with neighbors and see all the things that are happening at our local school.

Blooming baseball

Gardens in Summit and Nashville are looking lovelier and more colorful this spring, thanks to one enterprising Summit teenager, Jacob Sinclair. Jacob, a sophomore at Philomath High School, single-handedly drummed up a lot of flower business out here in an effort to raise money for his baseball team.

He alerted the community of the team’s flower sale, took orders, collected money, answered all queries in a timely manner and made deliveries. In all, he sold 24 flats of flowers. There were 19 varieties of flowers and 16 deliveries to make, and he did it all with no mix-ups, raising $615 for the team.

The money will mainly go to pay for a new tarp and other equipment the team bought this year. The boys hope to raise enough to get the lights back on the field, an expensive project costing several thousand dollars.

Scholarship expands

PHS graduating seniors who attended Blodgett School or lived in the area are advised that applications for the Bill Ayres Scholarship are still available in the counseling center at school.

This year, for the first time, the Blodgett-Summit Community Club raised enough money to offer two $500 scholarships! The original scholarship was for $300 and went to only one student. During the past several years, thanks to the generosity of the community, the scholarship has increased to $500 and now can be offered to two worthy college-bound candidates.

Cemetery cleanup

It is that time again! The annual pre-Memorial-Day-

Weekend cleanup at the Summit Cemetery is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday, rain or shine. This year much of the heavy work has already been done in preparation for Robert Hunt’s service, but there is still mowing, trimming and sweeping to do before visitors start arriving Memorial Day weekend.

Women’s Festival

If any of you women missed the Mother’s Day celebration at the Thyme Garden last weekend, there will be another chance this Saturday to take part in a first-time event at our Alsea neighbors’ spectacular country estate. A Women’s Festival from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. will feature speakers, booths, food, music and dancing, all aimed at women’s health and well-being. There will be no charge for admission.

Nashville resident Kathi Downing can be contacted at ramdown@peak.org or 456-4252.