SPY's Newsletter 8/30/2025

      SPY’s Community Newsletter

#377

(8/30/25) 

Farmer’s Picnic Report #3

This Farmer’s Picnic Report is the THIRD of a series of Newsletter reports that will follow in the next couple of days.  So, stay tuned.

On Saturday, The Grand Parade kicked off at noon, themed “A Blessed Village” and honoring Grand Marshal Robert “Bob” Sandborn.  Eaton County Sheriff Deputy Troy Hansbarger followed two fire trucks from the Sunfield Fire District, Melvin and Monya Wortley in his wagonette and Deb Eckman and Karen Hathon in the Meadowbrook cart carried the American flag and other important flags (all are former members of the Mid-Michigan Mounted Color Guard who participated as individuals). Floats included the 2025 Prince Reid Bowen and Princess Aurora McDiarmid and their royal court, the Vermontville Maple Syrup Festival Queen Madison Trowbridge and her royal court Izabelle Racine, Kaydence Harvey and Shannon Kistler along with the Ionia Free Fair Queen Sophia Schrauben and royal court Rylee Miller and Madi Crowley, Sunfield District Library’s summer reading program “Reading Colors Our World” float, Daughters of the Union Veteran, and the Lakewood Marching Band were present and sounded great.  There were dozens of antique cars and trucks, a motorcycle, antique tractors and fire engines from Campbell Township, Berlin-Orange Twps. and Vermontville Twp. Fire Departments. Children lining the Village streets scooped up lots of candy.

The Sunfield District Library Reading Program “Reading Colors Our World” float took first place followed by the Daughters of the Union Veterans.  

The eleventh annual Roundhead Cornhole Tournament got underway at 2 p.m. on Saturday, with a total of 19 teams participating.  

Tier 1 Division Winners are 1^st Place - Keeping it friendly (Charlie Vanarsdal & Dan Scholten), 2nd Place - Team Name (Caleb Beltran & Brady Phelps), and 3rd - T & T Cornhole  (Mike Prince & Deej Williams).  Tier 2 Division Winners are 1^st Place – Wolverine (Seth Stein & Jordan Porter), 2^nd Place - Edick Farms (Michael Edick & partner) and 3^rd Place - Grease Monkeys (Jerry Sandborn & partner).

The annual William Bosworth Memorial Horseshoe Tournament First Place honors went to Courtney Sutliff and team mate taking first place. George Sutliff and Brian Patrick placed second ,and Kara Feehan and Kevin Sweet placed third.

The Open Class Craft Show awarded 7 Best of Show ribbons to Cynthia Bailey's crocheted Chicken handbag, Patty Weller's lighted carved gourd, Jackie Mulholland's black & batiks quilt, Lance Eldridge's Animal photo of the wild horses at the Outer Banks, 'Other' category photo of a P-40 airplane and his Nature photo of the Cumberland Waterfall in Tennessee and Doug Shilton's scroll saw wood carving of 2 pistols over cowboy boots.  There were 75 items exhibited by 33 participants with 13 being first time participants. The youngest exhibitor was 4 up through 83 years of age.  Photography was judged in 4 categories: People, Animals, Nature and Other.  Entries in other categories were in: Woodworking, flowers, baked goods, canned goods, art, craft, painting, garden produce, crocheting, sewing, quilts, kid’s crafts and vendor entries including four categories that haven’t been seen in many years such as baskets, paper craft, carving and latch rug and a new category of metal craft.

 Eight military veterans were honored with a Quilt of Valor for their service.  The Quilts of Valor Foundation began in 2003 with a dream, literally a dream. Awarding its first Quilt of Valor in November 2003 at Walter Reed Medical Center. Recipients at the Farmer’s Picnic included (first name only) Vietnam Veteran Larry, served 1964-1966, another Vietnam Veteran named Larry, served 1965-1971, Vietnam Veteran Jacob, served 1966-1968, Vietnam Veteran Terry, served 1969-1971, Vietnam Veteran Craig, served 1969-1971, Vietnam Veteran Grant, served 1970-1973; 1982-1987 and 1988-2000, Marine Veteran Jeff, served 1986-2011 and Navy Veteran Aaron, served 1996-2002. 

There were many volunteers in addition to the members of the Board that helped make this event a memorable one but additional committed individuals would help make lighter work for this successful community event. Please contact the Board at sunfieldfarmerspicnic@gmail.com to offer any future assistance, ideas or to find out more about the event scheduled for August 14-16, 2026.  Visit the Sunfield Farmers Picnic Inc Facebook page to see ALL the photos.

In Other News

Notice #1

The next meeting of the Sunfield Area Sponsors of Programs for Youth (the SPY’s) will take place on Tuesday, September 9th.  It will be held at the Best Tax Service building starting at 6:30 PM.  Guests are always welcome.

Notice #2

The final Adopt-A-Highway trash pick-up of the season will take place on Saturday, September 27th.  The SPY's pick-up trash along M-43 from Round Lake Road on the west side of town to Shaytown Road on the east side of town, three times a year in conjunction with the Michigan Department of Transportation program.  Anyone interested in lending a hand, just show up at 9 AM in the Best Tax Service parking lot just West of the Sunfield blinker light.  If you need more information please call our project chairman Derek Desgranges at 269-838-7686.

Derek says if for any reason you can’t make it on the 27th. but would still like to help out by doing some picking up on a different day, just give him a call and get some bags and he will give you a small section to take care of.