As one of the organizers for this years trade show in New York Mills I have to say for the most part the event was a success. There will always be a glitch here and there but judging by the response things went well. Although we dont track an exact attendance it seemed the number of people at Saturdays show was up a little from last year, which is good considering if the boys basketball team had advanced to play Saturday at the state tournament chances are the show would have been a little quieter. That didnt happen and people showed up.
I have to think the Bernu buck was a big draw and had a definite affect on attendance. Now we need someone to shoot a bigger one next year to help at the gate.
The number of vendors participating was as many as the show has ever had and those that set up provided a nice mix of local and area organizations, businesses, service groups, school groups, etc.
Over 1,000 pounds of food and over $160 in cash was collected as admission and turned over to the NY Mills Area Food Shelf.
Thank you to everyone who volunteered to help at the pancake feed, set up and tear down, vendors, participants, entertainers and those who attended.
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Having said all that, its time to get selfish and turn the focus on me.
Someone at the trade show stole my stuff.
While I was busy helping to clean up after the show someone walked off with a box of my stuff set aside in the Sports Center. Im now making a public plea for the perpetrator(s) to return what is rightfully mine. Its not yours. Even if you picked up the box inadvertently, by now you know its not yours and may return the box& no questions asked. You know where to find me, or take it to the school.
Missing: 1 hammer (used only a couple times with an estimated value of $27); 1 scented, large, long-lasting candle (purchased from a vendor at the trade show for the low, low price of $18; 1 note pad; 1 glass donation jar used to collect cash for the food shelf (the money, thankfully, had already been removed). Actually, I dont know who the donation jar belonged to but Im guessing I could figure it out.
Im out $45 in actual value, not to mention mental anguish suffered since being robbed. The hammer is perfectly balanced to fit my hand and carpentry skills. Given that, you should know that hammer is of little use to anyone else. If I dont get it back I wont be able to remodel my bathroom, leading to my wife getting more upset at me the longer the job sits unfinished. That wont be good.
The candle, purchased that day, was to be given as a birthday present that night to a friend celebrating her 40th birthday. Instead, I had to show up to the party empty-handed.
Those involved in this caper may think theyve gotten away with this heinous act of thievery. On the contrary, Im conducting a full investigation and Ive got my man Donnie from the school on the case as well. Obviously, Im not dealing with some low-rent crook here. He/she knew what they were doing. While half a dozen cops hovered over a set of deer horns on Saturday, providing security for such a rare artifact, Im the one who got ripped off.
Soon after discovering I was the victim of a crime I set my emotions aside and turned to processing the scene. CSI: Da Mills. I dusted the entire Sports Center for fingerprints and now have on file 2,387 possible suspects. I tested for GSR (gun shot residue). Those came back negative.
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I will get to the bottom of this, whether it by looking at surveillance tapes, all-night stakeouts, using confidential informants, or good old-fashioned strong arming suspects, I pledge to you America& I will find my hammer and scented candle.
No crime goes unpunished in the streets of Da Mills.
