Bazaars An Annual Tradition
The line between church and state blurred Saturday, as both took up the business of hawking quilts and selling Santas.
It was bazaar time in the Valley, and both University High School and Spokane Valley Methodist Church were packing in the craft crowds.
At the church-sponsored “Christmas in the Valley,” there were even plants. The foliage was holding up pretty well for November. Folks just weren’t allowed to ask technical questions.
“I’m not a botanist,” Ruth Greenlee told anyone with chlorophyll-related inquiries. That’s OK, she figured; real green thumbs know everything already.
Anyone who wanted to prune their purchase time need only mosey across the church gym to Greenlee’s husband, Roy. He was working the knife-sharpening booth - actually more of a knife, scissor, shear, or whatever-sharpening booth.
“Yup,” he said. “Every year, we sharpen it all.”
And there have been a lot of years, too. Nearly 50. Laura Stemm has worked the sale during 20 of them, starting back when she was a mere pup of 80. Now 100, she still worked the Thread & Needle booth.
Most stands raised money for missions work. Others were benefits for church groups or sending kids to camp.
One, the candy booth, was sponsored by the choir.
“Our chocolate has no calories,”’ claimed Sue McGovney.
Lucille Hurlbut chimed in. “They’re Methodist chocolates. We blessed them.”
The U-Hi craft sale was a fundraiser for the band and color guard. Jennifer Carroll, a junior, was a member of the latter. She brewed up java at the espresso bar up front. No, she didn’t do this at an after-school job; but she was a pro.
Jeremy Ries, a senior, was the man on the mike. Dressed in a purple tie and suspenders, he announced door prize winners in a very announceresque voice.
That’s why he got the job, said senior Erica Lovchik. She said her job wasn’t as glamorous. “Basically, I’m an everything person,” she said. Then, turning and pointing to a nearby vendor, “…but I’ve been eating his salsa.”
Leonard Munguia smiled. His “Lenny’s Juan in a Million” salsa was a hit. For the cautious, he posted a sign at his booth stating he wasn’t the guy recently in the news for selling the bacteria special.
Besides, no lifeform could live in an environment that hot. Erica was going back for thirds or fourths, slowly working up the temperature ladder. She and a friend looked at one another. “Me first or you first?” said the friend.
“Both together,” Erica replied.
They snatched up some chips, scooped up some of the salsa and wolfed down the nuclear nachos. Next came meltdown. The friend turned bright red, coughing. Erica was a rock.
Among the 60 tables of ornaments, wreaths, painted rocks and dolls, sophomores Jason Pederson and Tonia Martin tried to sell water yoyos. They weren’t exactly a hit.
“People don’t realize they last for six months,” Tonia said. She said they only break when Jason tries them.
Perhaps a sale was on the way. Pat McManus (not the author, she notes) and Debbie Ellis arrived ready to spend. They talked about the church bazaar, a sale at Spokane Community College and the glorious spread facing them now. They would take no prisoners.
“If it looks like a present for someone, I’ll buy it,” McManus said.
, DataTimes MEMO: Valley Snapshots is a Valley Voice column that covers weekend events around the Valley.