“I thought things turned out pretty well,” Torneden said of the 15th annual festival, which was held at three venues in Tonganoxie.

Although overcast skies at times let loose with a few sprinkles, the day stayed dry, but breezy.

“I was hoping for more people. I heard it was raining in Kansas City, so people probably thought it was raining here. I think everybody had a good time, and there were a lot of things to do and see. I already have a list going for improvements for next year.”

High on Torneden’s list is securing more volunteers, especially people who can help when vendors arrive to set up their booths downtown.

lisa stevens john/mirror photo

“Already, 10 of the vendors said we want this spot next year,” she said.

Following are some highlights of Tonganoxie Days 2000.

On Fourth Street
A wide variety of food and crafts were available downtown to festival-goers, ranging from hand-crafted items and Beanie Babies to Polish sausages and funnel cakes.

At the east end of downtown, the Tonganoxie Fire Department Auxiliary offered festival-goers a chance to lob whipped cream pies at local dignitaries. Auxiliary members want to raise funds to purchase a thermo detection camera for the fire department.

“I’m a really good thrower,” 6-year-old Jesse Marsee told his mother. “Mom, what’s the matter with a pie thrown in someone’s face?”

Vickie Marsee caved in, and bought Jesse chances to wing a pie at businessman Larry Shepek.

“Good job!” Shepek shouted to Jesse, as Shepek wiped whipped cream off the right side of his face.

“Can I try it one more time?” Jesse begged.

“Do you really want to?” his mom asked.

“Yes! Yes! Yes!”

So Jesse went after Shepek again with the gooey missile.

Marsee explained that her grandparents, Paul and Esther Ellis, lived in Tonganoxie for about 30 years. She spent a lot of time at their farm as a child, and even attended a year of elementary school here.

“I just kind of had the wee-wims to come out here,” she said.

‘All aboard!’
For Billy Misemer of Mount Vernon, Mo., Tonganoxie Days was a chance to drive his little red train down Fourth Street. Misemer explained that he and his wife, Connie, have traveled with the train to festivals and private parties for about five years.

“I can handle 24 kids, but I have about 60 percent grownups,” said Misemer.

Buddy Hobo, a Boston terrier, accompanied Misemer on each of his trips down Fourth Street.

Sweet sale
Members of the United Methodist Women’s group sold baked goods from a prime location in front of First State Bank and Trust.

“We’ve sold quite a bit,” said Harriet Mark. “We use the money for our kids who are going to camp.”

Nearby, Connie Anderson of the Leavenworth County Sheriff’s Department offered a child-identification program to parents and their children.

“Prevention is just that do something before something happens,” she said.

At the car show
Everyone likes to show off their Sunday driving car, motorcycle, or bike and that’s exactly what people were doing Saturday at the VFW Park. Ranging from the 1955 Chevy Belair to the 1999 Mustang, people brought all kinds of cars, motorcycles, and bikes to the show, which was held in conjunction with Tonganoxie Days 2000.

Tyler Gallagher, 14, brought the bike he rebuilt from scratch to the show. He heard about the car show from his cousin and decided to attend.

Participants showed off their cars and swapped ideas and pointers on new things to do with them. Friends got together and new friends met by sharing car ideas.

“Cars are more or less a hobby for me and my friends,” said John Will. “A few of us bring our cars out and we come here looking and wishing about some other cars.”

Bud Robinett has been working on cars and going to car shows for at least 10 years. He was showing off his 1957 Chevy.

“It feels good to put together a car,” Robinett said. “It’s a hobby. A good, clean-cut hobby.”

Pets on parade
Pets of different kinds, colors, shapes and sizes showed off their unique qualities Saturday morning.

About 9:30 a.m. children, parents and pets gathered at the Tonganoxie Public Library to prepare for the third annual Pet Parade.

“I’m eager to see what kind of pets we get,” said library director Becky Lenahan, who founded the parade as part of Tonganoxie Days. “I love animals, and it’s a great thing for the kids and parents to do, too.”

When parade time rolled around, the children and animals gathered together and marched their way down Fourth Street. Folks attending Tonganoxie Days laughed, pointed and ooed over all of the pets.

Among the animals on parade were Dolly, a Pomeranian, owned by Shadow Martin, 12; Copper, a Lab, owned by Nicole Allen, 12; Tabby, a black cat, owned by Terri Fry, 9, and Milly, a goat, owned by Elizabeth Gossett 14.

“She is my favorite animal and one of my best friends,” Terri Fry said about her cat, Tabby.

At the end of the parade prizes of $10 each were awarded for best-dressed, smartest, prettiest, smallest, biggest and ugliest animals. Before making his decision about the prizes, judge John Evans Jr. conducted a personal interview with each pet and owner.

The winners were: best-dressed, Cocoa Loco, a T cup Chihuahua; smartest, Sadie, a sheltie; prettiest, Dolly, a Pomeranian; smallest, Spot, a black and white kitten; biggest, Copper, a Lab; and ugliest, Bethan, Jocelyn, Jodie, and Porsia, a group of Silkies (chickens).

Two-wheeler
Tonganoxie police officer Brian Daily spent Saturday patrolling downtown, riding on two wheels, instead of four.

The city’s newest patrol vehicle, acquired this spring, is a 24-speed mountain bike, police model, of course.

This means the bike is equipped with a headlight, siren and flashing red lights.

Daily said this was his first opportunity to patrol using the bike, and he plans to use it more often.

“It’s been great,” he said.

The bicycle helps officers become acquainted with more people, he said.

“Kids come up to us and talk to us about the bicycle,” he said.

Daily explain-ed that if a driver finds he’s being followed by a policeman on a bicycle with red lights flashing, the driver is supposed to pull over to the side of the road and stop.

“The law is that you have to stop for a bicycle just the same as if it’s a patrol car,” Daily said.

Drawing winners
Winners of The Mirror’s drawing for free classified advertisements were Rick Lamb, Tonganoxie; Kenneth McEvoy, Easton; Bo Himpel, Tonganoxie; and Jim Lambert, Tonganoxie.

Fired up
At the barbecue contest held at the fairgrounds, Rick Danbury kept his fire burning.

Danbury was raised on barbecue, he said.

“My parents used to take me down to Rosedale for barbecue,” he said. “I remember being two years old and sitting on my grandfather’s lap eating barbecued ribs.”

Not surprising, just last week when he set up his “Doughboys” stand at the McLouth BBQ Blowout, Danbury won second in the pork category and fifth in miscellaneous. He has participated in the Tonganoxie Days competition for several years.

“I haven’t won this one,” Danbury said, “But I have placed every year in one of the categories.”

Last year, Danbury scored 180, the most points possible, for his brisket.

His secret?

“Consistency. Consistency with the heat, and with the recipe. You find one good recipe and keep fine-tuning it,” Danbury said. “And of course, a lot of luck.”

Smashing good time
Those who participate in demolition derbies practice what most people spend a lifetime trying to prevent car wrecks.

Doug Kelley, McLouth, left last year’s Tonganoxie Days demolition derby on a stretcher because of neck and back injuries.

So this year, he participated as an official instead of a driver. But Kelley said he plans to take to the wheel again.

“Eventually I will,” Kelley said. “Probably in another year.”

It’s no big deal, he explained, once you get over your first crash.

“It’s just like a big car wreck.”

As Kelley talked, 3-year-old Tyler Barnes, Ozawkie, took in every word. Tyler was attending the demolition derby with his parents, Kevin and Susan Barnes, and his 9-month-old brother, Hunter.

Tyler likes to see the cars get crashed, his father said.

“They get monstered on,” Tyler said.

And when the family goes to a demolition derby, which they do as often as they can, Tyler hates to see the adventure end, his father said.

“He always says, ‘More derbies, more derbies,'” Barnes said.

Preparing to participate in the third heat of the day was Melissa Sawyer, 16, Leavenworth.

She was participating in the event with other family members including Loyd Yonts Jr. and Brian Yonts, both of Leavenworth. Brian had just won the second heat.

As Melissa Sawyer waited to drive into the ring, her sister, Bobbie West, 17, and younger brother gave her a pep talk.

West said there are several things to remember:

“Keep your car running, don’t get your front end hurt because if you do you’ll mess up your engine, and don’t hit the driver’s side door of anybody else’s car.”

Melissa’s older brother, Brian Yonts, 21, who had just won a heat, said that initially, the prospect of playing bumper cars with real cars was daunting.

“You get butterflies when you first go out,” he said. “But once you get your first hit, you’re all right the adrenaline starts pumping.”

This story about Tonganoxie Days was written by Sheila Partridge, who will be a senior at Tonganoxie High School next year; Lisa Stevens John, news editor at The Mirror; and Caroline Trowbridge, editor and publisher at The Mirror.