The 2009 Pickford Hay Days Queen (front, far right), Emily Johnson, stands with 2008 Hay Days Queen Leigh Dilday (front, far left), the other girls nominated this year, and their escorts. Pictured are (front, from left) Miss Dilday, Amanda Felty, Chelsea Spencer, Meghan Arbic, and Miss Johnson; (back) Sack Derenski, Joey Kelly, Rob English, and Thomas Curtis. The Pickford community celebrated the joys of small town living, as it has since 1979, with fivedays of community events. The town's celebration of summer fun kicked off Wednesday, July 29, and continued through Sunday, August 2, at various locales. The Pickford Hay Days festival went off without a hitch.

Rain Saturday didn't stop many Pickford residents from enjoying the festival. Saturday's rain held off until the end of the Hay Days parade, allowing the hundreds in attendance to enjoy the 47 entries that traveled down Main Street.

The Royal Canadian Legion Band of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, which marched in the parade, returned to Main Street to perform several songs after the parade ended. The band continued to play even as the rain started to come down and received a standing ovation from crowds on the sidewalks. The cheers continued as the band marched and played while traveling down the road to their cars.

The Royal Canadian Legion Band of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, marches through the rain, entertaining spectators who stayed after the Hay Days Parade to watch an encore presentation by the band. They received a standing ovation for playing in the rain. Other entries in the parade included the VFW Law-White Post 7958, American Legion, Friends of the Pickford Community Library, Pickford Building Center, Old Mission Bank, Pickford Wee Wisdom, senior citizens float, Chippewa County Fair Queen, Pickford Ambulance Corps, Coast Guard, Cub Scouts, Skinner's, Stalwart Fair, Northwood Restoration, Huntington Bank, Pickford Lions Club, O'Connor's, Tri-County Speed Horse Association, Sault Theatre Project, Pickford Fire Department, Kinross Fire Department, Bruce Township Fire Department, Rudyard Township Fire Department, and the Pickford High School classes of 1939, 1951, 1959, 1964, 1969, 1974, 1979, 1984, 1989, and 1999. Individuals in the parade included Linda English, Jim and Kyle Tominac, Les Nyland, Dennis Panik, Bob Brinker and his "Pirates of the Caribbean" semi-truck, John Aimar, Cory Shurlund, Gary Klop, Jonathan and Jennifer Kamper, and Josh Lee with his "ugly truck."

Linda English is pulled by her mini horses, Nippy and Snoopy, during the 2009 Pickford Hay Days Saturday, August 1. The class of 1959 won the parade's award for best class reunion float. Pickford Building Center won for best commercial business. Cub Scouts and Lions Club shared the award for best organization. The Royal Canadian Legion Band won for best musical entry. Wee Wisdom and the Friends of the Pickford Library won for best "Pickforward" theme. Les Nyland of Moran won for best antique car. The Stalwart Fair won for best advertisement. Linda English won for best horse entry, and Cory Sherlund won for best horse rider. Bob Brinker won for best big-rig, and the Pickford Fire Department won for best off-road vehicle.

Trevor Rye, 6, drives his tractor during the children's lawn tractor pull at Pickford Township Park Saturday, August 1, during Pickford Hay Days. Friday night, the 2009 Hay Days queen was crowned at a coronation ceremony attended by hundreds. The community enjoyed live enter- tainment and concessions as they watched Emily Johnson crowned as the festival's queen. Three other girls were vying for the crown, Meghan Arbic, Chelsea Spencer, and Amanda Felty.

Miss Johnson congratulated all of the other contestants and read her winning essay, which was part of the queen selection process. In her essay, she shared how she would like to see Pickford expand in the future, which was the theme of the this year's Hay Day's festival.

"As we 'Pickforward', I see Pickford growing," she said. "The kids are looking for new places to hang out. The kids in this town need a place with music, games, and Wi-fi."

But no matter how Pickford may change or grow in the next 20 to 30 years, she said, "we will always be the same loving small town."

During the coronation ceremony the festival prince and princess, Collin LaJoie and Katie Arman, and festival belle, Chris Ball, were announced. Mrs. Ball thanked the crowd for the honor and said she hopes her next 30 years living in Pickford are just as good as her previous 30 years.

"My 30 years here in Pickford have turned out pretty good," she said. "As the hub of the Eastern Upper Peninsula, we will try to instill our values in people that visit Pickford."

The queen, princess, prince, and belle were also featured in Saturday morning's parade.

Other events during Pickford Hay Days included a softball tournament, ultimate Frisbee tournament, youth eight-ball tournament, ping pong tournament, children's parade, hay bale races, petting zoo, demonstration by chainsaw artist Dan Johnson, strawberry social, book signing by local authors, three-on-three basketball tournament, firemen's competitions, beach volleyball tournament, horse pull, youth tractor pull, children's games, horseshoe tournament, checkers tournament, live entertainment, community meals, and community dances.

Organizer Richard Morrison said he believed fewer people attended this year's festival, but said a lot of people come back year after year to participate and enjoy all that Pickford has to offer.

106 Participate in 10K, 5K and 2K Runs

More than 100 runners from eight states participated in this year's 10K, 5K, and 2K Hay Days Run. The names, ages, locations, and run time of the 106 runners are:

10k Run

Lee Kanitz, 35, Hessel, 37:22; Steven Alexander, 46, Dafter, 40:24; Randy Vining, 35, Sault Ste. Marie, 44:09; Robert Train, 36, Pittsboro, N.C., 45:10; Harri Heimonen, 36, Sault Ste. Marie, ONT., 45:28; Scott Sherlund, 45, Caledonia, 46:00; Poindexter Chelsey, 20, East Jordan, 50:23; Danna Sanderson, 43, Sault Ste. Marie, 52:46; Jim Elzinga, 73, Conway, 55:54.01; Carl Morrison, 22, Pickford, 55:54.73; Don Morrison, 52, Rochester, Minnesota, 55:55; Mark Nyberg, 26, Pickford, 56:30; Rachel Rambo, 40, Pickford, 58:48; Penny Tomkinson, 53, Sault Ste. Marie, Onatario, 63:14; Armande Pieschke, 71, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, 63:34; and Tonya Train, 36, Pittsboro, North Carolina, 65:10.

5k Run

Curt Van, 24, Sault Ste. Marie, 17:58; Robby English, 19, Rudyard, 19:15; Matt Schlosser, 16, Cedarville, 19:32; Doug Wallis, 25, Sault Ste. Marie, 19:35; Paul Morrison, 16, Pickford, 20:41; Alan Jarvie, 55, Fibre, 20:51.34; Tyler Kanitz, 16, Hessel, 21:30.14; Ron Massey, 40, Cedarville, 21:30.98; Thad Ledy, 39, Pickford, 21:54; Jim Jackson, 55, Grosse Ile, 22:00; Kye Heimonen, 13, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, 22:10; Lydia Heimonen, 11, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, 22:11; Hester Wilson, 45, Cedarville, 22:14; Alexander Knight, 15, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 22:32; Mark Smith, 42, Pickford, 23:24; Jason Alexander, 31, Sault Ste. Marie, 24:17; Brad Rye, 45, Webster, New York, 24:43; Sean Lester, 40, Newberry, 25:15; Jeremy Goetz, 13, Sault Ste. Marie, 25:26; Russell DeFreitas, 48, Sault Ste. Marie, 25:40; Wendy Snyder, 33, Moran, 25:43; Rachel Heimonen, 9, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, 26:00; Zachary Jodoin, 13, Sault Ste. Marie, 26:03; Victoria Cusick, 14, Pickford, 26:21; Camden Ledy, 13, Pickford, 26:22; Steve Holt, 44, Sault Ste. Marie, 26:24; Jenna Holt, 12, Sault Ste. Marie, 26:27; Janet Hess, 58, Sault Ste. Marie, 26:40; John Morrison, 54, Sacramento, California, 26:42; Cody Jodoin, 16, Sault Ste. Marie, 26:47; Marg Meincke, 55, Sault Ste Marie, 27:03; Peter Spieles, 71, Hessel, 27:42; Jay Six, 57, Greenwood, Ind., 28:00; Doug Thompson, 58, Stockbridge, 28:04; Mandy Falkenhagen, 37, Dafter, 28:04; Heidi Hagen, 10, Goetzville, 29:15; Missy Hagen, 33, Goetzville, 29:16; Jerry Morningstar, 59, Hessel, 29:18; Todd Toporski, 39, Northville, 29:20; Nicki Six, 22, Noblesville, Ind., 29:24; Lee Jarvie, 41, Freeport, 29:42; Carol Suarez, 55, Dearborn, 30:00; Steven Filek, 48, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, 30:34; Carrie Berkompas, 15, Rudyard, 30:50; Adam Osborn, 24, Sault Ste. Marie, 31:01; Kimberly Jodoin, 12, Sault Ste. Marie, 32:25; Dennis Panik, 56, Dafter, 31:30; Alicia Portice, 12, Pickford, 32:27; Linda Halford, 55, Conway, 32:46; Deb Laakko, 52, Ypsilanti, 32:46; Tom Spencer, 66, Rudyard, 34:23; Emily Heimonen, 8, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, 35:01; David Six, 24, Greenwood, Indiana, 35:46; Tim Six, 22, Noblesville, Indiana, 35:46; Helen Osborn, 55, Sault Ste. Marie, 43:39; Autumn Eles, 5, Brimley, 44:16; and Sarah Eles, 29, Brimley, 44:17.

2k Run

Sierra Dugan, 9, Rudyard, 9:25; Jacob Andrzejak, 12, Pickford, 9:32; Alyssa McCord, 12, Pickford, 9:42; Connor Smith, 12, Pickford, 9:44; Maxx Fisher, 7, Midland, 10:35; Mark Fisher, 45, Midland, 10:37; Kayla Rambo, 10, Pickford, 10:50; Ali Miller, 12, Pickford, 10:51; Victoria Portice, 10, Pickford, 10:57; Haley Lamb, 11, Pickford, 10:58; Kevin Hillock, 11, Sault Ste. Marie, 11:50; Chelsea Kronemeyer, 14, Pickford, 11:51; Zach Dodds, 12, Pickford, 11:51; Denise Portice, 40, Pickford, 11:57; Victoria Vining, 8, Sault Ste. Marie, 12:09; Courtney Hillock, 13, Sault Ste. Marie, 12:14; Emily Berkompas, 9, Rudyard, 12:53; Lauren Royer, 9, Rudyard, 12:59; Hannah Heimonen, 5, Sault Ste. Marie, 15:17; Amy Fisher, 42, Midland, 16:09; Suzanne Belinski, 52, Stalwart, 16:58; DeeDee Firack, 38, Pickford, 18:56; Ted Belinski, 65, Belleville, 19:42; Virginia Belinski, 64, Belleville, 19:46; Beth Rye, 25, Grand Rapids, 20:47; Tia Radle, 34, Pickford, 20:47; Missy VanLuven, 37, Pickford, 20:47; Erika Miller, 54, Stalwart, 20:59; Sue MacDonald, 52, Pickford, 23:33; Marilyn Crisp, 58, Pickford, 23:33; Karen Blenkhorn, 52, Pickford, 27:12; Emily Darling, 27, Sault Ste. Marie, 27:13; and Stacy Blenkhorn, 30, Pickford, 27:14.

Hay Days Contest Results

Youth 8 Ball Pool Tournament: Danny Johnson won overall first place, while Claire Morrison and Charlie Nelson won their age divisions.

Ultimate Disc: Mike Gordon, Rob English, Charlie Nelson, Kyle Decker, Ben

Morrison, and Lance McLeod defeated two other skilled teams for the championship.

Ping Pong: Charlie Nelson, Paul Gruenberg, and Bill Raynard took first place in the three age divisions.

Firemen's Softball: Pickford Fire Department defeated Kinross Fire Department 2 to 1.

Hay Bale Races: The team of Charlie Halsey and Paul Morrison won first place.

Horseshoe Contest: Ed Piippo and Kim Ireland won first place and Tim Mayer and Dar Nugent took second.

Beach Volleyball: Katie Carter, Vince Gross, Chelsea O'Connor, and Nick Greenwood took first place, with Kip Kline, Kristin Kline, Justin McDonald, Zac Rambo, and Shelby LaBuhn in second.

Horsepull: Jim Cripe's team won the horsepull, followed by Dave Esslin in second and Jason Storey in third. Irwin Mitchel won the horsemanship award. Seven teams competed.