Families and friends gathered today at State and Main in downtown Jones for the annual Old Timers Day celebration. Mayor Wilkinson mc’d the festivities, while Linda Harcum kept things rolling behind the scenes. The First Baptist Church setup a tent giving away free balloons and waters, while a few tents down, the new Superintendent shared plans for the upcoming bond election that will purchase land for a new Middle School. The Jones Historical Society booth was across the street sharing brochures with the Town’s history. They even showcased some old chairs removed from the former Fawn Theater in Jones. I wandered over to their booth for a bit, and spoke to the Historical Society’s President, Ronnie Mason. If you are around him for long, he will begin to paint a picture for you of what things looked like on that street 100 years before. From the old train depot that caught fire in 1915 to the many businesses that have graced the walls of 101 N. Main, the Town has grown and changed a lot over the last century. The beautiful thing about Old Timers Day is getting to remember the long standing traditions of the past, as we also celebrate the brighter days that still lay ahead.
One of the happy traditions that returned this year was the Children’s Choir performance, led by Mrs. Pordavood. I still remember my first year at Jones Elementary over 30 years ago, and the excitement I felt as my friends and I took our place on those risers to sing. Getting to watch my own children perform in that same spot was pretty special. Of course there was the added bonus of watching Mr. Hardy Lopp with his brilliant and animated performance, or getting to see sweet Lucy Thomas show off all the motions she practiced so hard to learn. These are the tiny moments that knit our hearts together as a community. .
as we find common ground to build a safer and brighter future for our kids.
Of course with all the nostalgia that comes packed into a day like this, I would be remiss to leave out some very important achievements. Jones Middle School 6th grader, Madlee Gindhart, is once again the reigning champ for cutest Pet, claiming the title for the fifth year for her chicken, Mildred. She had very tough competition this year as 1st grader William entered his beloved pet snake, xxxx.
The Doggie Dash title went to 9 month old toy Australian Shepherd, Maverick. His victory smelled sweet as he and his owner Jessica claimed their win. His owner John said “I’m surprised he did it. When they first went, they were all over the place.” One of Mavericks competitors was a 7 year old rescue named Daphne. Her owners, Tracy and Tim, said “Once she saw me, she darted.”
