City's Annual Pumpkin Festival Heralds Start
of Fall Season

The fifth annual Romulus Pumpkin Festival, held the weekend of September 14-16, was another success.        Thousands of onlookers lined the City's streets on Friday evening to watch the Festival's kickoff event - the third annual Parade of Lights.  Bigger and more colorful than ever, it had everyone "ohh-ing and ah-ing" as dozens of brilliantly lit floats and other vehicles made their way from the City Hall parking through the downtown area.         The remainder of the weekend was just as enjoyable, as area residents came our in droves to take in the sights and sounds of the annual street fair and experience its savor.  There was plenty of friendly competition, too, as people of all ages took part in seed-spitting and pie-eating contests, diaper derbies, and sack races.          The following is a list of the winners

Festival of Lights Parade:     Cruiser Club of Dearborn Heights and Pease's Amish horse & buggy (tie, nonmotorized division), the Girl Scout Service Unit of Huron Valley (noncommercial division), and Osborne Concrete (commercial division)

Diaper Derby
    King: Carmeron Arold (9.5 months)
    Queen: Jeweliann Hawks (11.5 months)

Sack Races     Nicholas Helton (ages 2 to 3), Brittany McGlynn (ages 4 to 5), Donovan Bradley (ages 6 to 7), Raven Tonner (ages 8 to 9), Diandre Thomas (age 10), and Crystal Stewart (ages 11 to 14)

Adult/Child Three-legged Races
    Jim and Andy Burcroff (ages 5 to 6), John and Johnny Watts (ages 7 to 8), John and Sheila Watts (ages 9 to 10), and Mark and Rebecca Lewkowicz (ages 11 +)
Shoe Races
Nicholas Helton (ages 2 to 3), Matthew Eldridge (ages 4 to 5), Andy Burcroff (ages 6 to 7), Sheila Watts (ages 8 to 9), and Audrey Reed (ages 10 +)
Bubble-blowing contests
    Lance Chandler (ages 6 to 7), Sheila Watts (ages 8 to 9), Cheyenne Oakley (age 10), Amelia Britz (age 11), Adam Delay (ages 12 to 13), and Christine Bentley (ages 14 +)
Seed-spitting contests
    Matthew Eldridge (3 to 5), Tyler Potasnik ( ages 6 to 7), John Lewkowicz (ages 8 to 9), Khris Chinaviare (age 10), Barrett Jackson (age 11), Ben Tuttle (age 12), and Chris Case (ages 13-17)

Pie-eating contests     Christopher Vines (ages 3 to 4), Atalaya Ellison (ages 5 to 6), Joseph Herbert (ages 7 to 8), Brad Burcroff (age 10), Todd Modrzymaki (age 11), John Shelly (age 12), Adam Delay (age 13), and Gavin Hulet and Philip Roscoe (ages 14 to 17)

Hay-rolling contests
    Bryce Robbins (ages 2 to 3), Colton Robbins (ages 4 to 5), Johnny Watts (ages 6 to 7), Laurie Diuguid (ages 8 to 9 - girls), Evan Yocum (ages 8 to 9 - boys), Beizhonn Davis (ages 10 to 11), and DeWayne Wells (ages 12 to 13)
Pumpkin-rolling contests
    Bryce Robbins (ages 2 to 3), Billy Toner III (ages 4 to 5), Jacquis Woods (ages 6 to 7), Donald Myles (ages 8 to 10), and Ronnie Leland (ages 11 to 13)
Pumpkin-growing contest
    Trisha, Kevin, Richard, and Makela Shotts (biggest)
Sunflower-growing contests
    Leah Trevorrow (biggest face and tallest)
Canning contests
    Jim and Sandy Chapman (tomatoes), Marie Jowski (jams), Linda Kilgore (apple butter, pickles, and relish), Steve Trybilowicz (peppers and pickled vegetables), Lorie Williams (beets and salsa), and Tom Wilson (applesauce)
Pie-baking contests
    Annette Apsley (apple) and Wilhelmina Gadison (sweet potato and best overall pie)