DeTour students enjoy an ice-cream party Friday, October 23, as a reward for their contribution in building scarecrows for the fall festival. (Photographs by Sherry Bailey) It’s hard to believe we are in the last week of October. The stores are now full of not Halloween or Thanksgiving items, but Christmas decorations. Where does the time go?

The special school board meeting to continue the search for a new superintendent/principal for the DeTour Area Schools was rescheduled for Monday, October 26. Each member was charged with reviewing the applications independently and privately, and selecting their choice for interview candidates. The board, at this meeting, reached a consensus on which candidates to call.

School is in full swing and everyone is busy. The recent Scholastic Book Fair was a great success, exceeding both this year’s goals and last year’s results. According to chairperson Debbie Fountain, the sale raised $2,828.03 to use for the purchase of new books for the library, the purchase of five new books from the teachers’ wish list for classrooms in preschool to fifth grade, and for student book scholarships and drawing prizes. Many in the community worked to make this event successful.

Susie Rhinard purchases books at the Scholastic Book Fair from Ruth Ann Fountain and Debbie Fountain. The DeTour elementary students recently enjoyed an icecream party, hosted by the DeTour Passage Historical Society in appreciation of their hard work building scarecrows for the recent Happy Apple Days Scarecrow Festival. The students will also receive a skating party at the Big Bear Arena as a prize for their efforts.

The first DeTour Elementary School Tag award was presented recently to Caleb Ross. This award is presented each month to students who have demonstrated outstanding citizenship in both behavior and academics during the previous month. Congratulations, Caleb.

Caleb Ross is presented with an award by teacher Sara Galarowic during the ice-cream party. Jean Bloom, director for the EUP Fine Arts Council Community Choir, called to let me know that the time for the annual Christmas choir concert scheduled for Sunday, December 20, in DeTour has been changed from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., owing to the change in Mass times at Sacred Heart Church.

Beginning Sunday, December 6, through the last weekend in March, the Sacred Heart service times will be 2 p.m. Sunday rather than the usual Saturday night. The monthly Sacred Heart bake sales at Central Savings Bank have also ended for the year. They will resume the first Friday in May 2010.

Don’t forget the Halloween activities coming up Friday, October 30, and Saturday, October 31. The elementary students will entertain area senior citizens at their lunch party at noon Friday and then stay at the Village Hall to enjoy their own celebration. The Raber children’s party begins Friday at 6 p.m. at the Raber Township building. All area youth are invited to attend. The haunted garden will begin at DeTour Botanical Garden at 8 p.m. Friday, weather permitting (if the garden is too wet, the haunting cannot take place). Trunk or Treat will begin at Union Presbyterian Church at 5 p.m. Saturday, rain or shine.

Don’t forget to turn your clocks back one hour Sunday morning, November 1. Daylight Savings Time will come to an end and fall and winter will officially be here. When the time changes, watch for our kids waiting for the bus in the dark, early morning hours.