A DREAM about a boat in an attic led to a children's book, which will be a new feature of the Clarington Sunfish Creek Festival scheduled Saturday and Sunday.
In addition to the recently published book, "The Boat in the Attic," the fourth annual festival in the Monroe County village will include various attractions such antique tractors, a quilt show, a bike show, a parade, a variety of food, crafts, wagon rides, a dunk tank, a custom car cruise, children's games, rides, a water slide, musical entertainment and museum tours.
Proceeds from the activities will go to the Clarington Ball Association to help with costs for the new ball field under construction.
Article Photos
Photo/Courtesy of the MONROE COUNTY BEACON
SITTING in a rescue boat, discovered in the attic of a barn, are Barbara Rush and Jane Stratton, who wrote “A Boat in the Attic,” which was inspired by a dream in which Rush’s deceased husband told her about a boat in the attic. She was mystified about such a boat until it was discovered by two young men working on repairs on her barn. The boat also contains photos and, according to Rush, “provides history and a little mystery.” It will be available at the Ohio River Valley Museum this weekend during the Sunfish Creek Festival in Clarington.
"The Boat in the Attic," geared for third and fourth graders, will be available at the Ohio River Valley Museum, and the authors are Barbara Rush and Jane Stratton.
Rush said the book stemmed from a dream in which her late husband appeared and told her that she had a boat in the attic. The Clarington woman added that she didn't know where it was supposed to be and what kind of boat it was; there was nothing resembling a boat in the attic of her home.
A boat, however, was discovered in the attic of her barn when two young men were doing some repair work in the spring of 2009. When they told her, "Hey, Barb, do you know there's a boat in the attic," Rush said she almost fainted.
"I never considered the fact there was an attic in the barn," she said. "I didn't see any way to access that area."
The men working on the barn had seen an outline of the boat in the attic rafters although it wasn't readily visible. Not only was it difficult to see from the barn floor, but the access to the attic - when found - required that a thin person maneuver into the attic. That task fell to Taylor Abbott, a college student, who took a camera into the attic for a picture of the boat.
Rush learned that it was a 16-1/2 foot boat built back in the 1920s by Charles Cook in Clarington. A rescue boat, it was used by the Clarington Volunteer Fire Department up through 1954.
"'The Boat in the Attic' provides history and a little mystery," said Rush, who is executive director of the museum. She collected photographs and artwork for the book, which was written by Stratton based on the information provided by Rush. Stratton, a teacher, is a museum docent.
Historical information about that area, especially the town and the river, is in the book, and Rush added, "There's a lot of truth to the story."
Those buying the book at the festival will pay a special rate of $12 and will receive a free gift while supplies last. It also will be signed by the two authors.
If not purchased at the festival, the book costs $15. It is available on such websites as amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.
Festival activities will begin Saturday at 10 a.m., and there'll be a quilt show at the Immanuel United Church of Christ in addition to food, crafters, and an ice cream social. Bike show registration will begin at 12:30 in front of the firehouse, and the show runs from 1-4 p.m.
The Ohio Valley River Museum will be open for tours from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and an antique tractor show is scheduled from 1-4 p.m. in the parking lot. Anyone having a tractor may take it to the show.
Festival officials hope bikes and tractors from these shows will be in the parade. A chicken barbecue will be near the BP station. Crafts will be at the Masonic Lodge, and crafters may call (740) 458-1655 to reserve a table. The Masons will have have brats and burgers on the grill. The Riverside Baptist Church also will have crafters and is having a baked steak dinner.
The Methodist Church on Market Street will have chicken, barbecued pulled pork sandwiches, noodles and baked goods. Rides are scheduled from 3-9 p.m., and wagon rides will be given throughout the day. Another feature is the dunk tank, and children's games will be at the Clarington Carry-Out.
Fund-raising activities and a 50-50 event will be included in the festival.
An art show is planned for the municipal building, and the River High School cheerleaders will have a bake sale in the middle of town.
The parade will be Saturday at 5 p.m. with line-up beginning at 4 at the baseball field at the north end of town. Contestants in the king/queen and prince/princess competition have been asked to be in the parade. Pennies are being collected by these contestants and these are to be turned in Tuesday.
Featured as the first band Saturday at 6 p.m. will be "Hollow Point," and the hometown Repco boys playing with "Attaboy Luther" will entertain at 7.
Sign-ups for the custom car cruise will begin Sunday at noon with the cruise at 1. The Rockin' River Band will play from 1-4 p.m., and there will be crafts and food all day. In addition to bounce rides from Saturday, the water slide will be available Sunday.
Rush said, "We may be a little town and may have a little festival, but we're going to have a lot of fun."
Pokas can be reached at bettypokas@yahoo.com.
