Christina Velasquez along with son Braydin and daughter Jaynie pose with the Grinch while her husband Nick takes a photo. The Mound City family visited the Breakfast with the Grinch event sponsored by the city of Mound City on Saturday, Dec. 7. (Photos by Roger Sims / Linn County Journal)
By Roger Sims, rsims@linncountyjournal.com
MOUND CITY – Mound City families forgave Dr. Seuss' Grinch for past gift-stealing crimes and warmly embraced the green guy in his visit to the Linn County Fairgrounds on Saturday morning, Dec. 7.
The past couple of years an old fashioned Christmas at the Mound City Historical Park early in the evening followed by a Christmas tree lighting by the city’s mayor at the Mound City Amphitheater seemed to leave organizers at both events dissatisfied.
The historical society was doing its best to revive the kind of turnout the “Village in the Valley,” a holiday celebration focusing on the area’s history that had fallen by the wayside, had in its heyday. But instead of complementing each other, the two events seemed to compete.
The Spencer family from Mound City works on stuffing toy penguins from kits that were given out at the Breakfast with the Grinch event.
This year, the Mound City Council decided to make a change: Move the city-sponsored event to a morning celebration at the Linn County Fairgrounds complete with breakfast at the American Legion hall, an appearance by the Grinch of Dr. Seuss fame, and free do-it-yourself stuffed toy penguin kits and crafts for the kids.
In turn, the historical park would host an evening event complete with a living Nativity enactment, carol singing, bell ringing traditional celebration that included a visit from Santa and drawing for toys.
Vixie Wingate, left, holds 7-month-old Timber and Cadence Reynolds carries 13-month-old Whitleigh at the breakfast. Both girls were dressed for their visit with the Grinch.
By mid-morning it was apparent that the city’s “Breakfast with the Grinch” was successful. After eating breakfast at the Legion hall, many of the families migrated to the 4-H Building.
The Legion members are accustomed to having 50 to 60 people show up for their monthly breakfast. On Saturday, however, the number topped 200. Instead of extending the breakfast to the planned 10 a.m., the kitchen closed early because it was out of food. One Legion member commented that if the city does the same event next year, they plan to have enough food on hand.
Area residents gather between the barn and implement shed at Mound City Historical Park on Saturday evening before the toy giveaway and the Nativity re-enactment.
While the Legion members were cleaning up from a busy morning, the 4-H Building was full of families. Children (most of them anyway) wanted to visit with the Grinch, and moms, dads and grandparents dutifully captured the moment with their phone cameras.
Families grabbed cookies and penguin kits and began stuffing the toy animal.. Other children worked at coloring ornament cutouts that would be hung on the family’s Christmas tree.
Nancy Pruitt and her daughter, Ruby, from Fulton participated in the live Nativity.
Late in the day, the scene was the historical park where more than 100 area residents gathered for distribution of toys, to see the live Nativity, and to visit the house where cookies and more and 220 cups of hot cocoa were served.
Society secretary Meribeth Kehl said that about $1,000 worth of toys were given away. Funds for the gifts came from a Barnes Foundation grant as well as funds from the city.
Carol Nickelson, right, served up cookies while Angela Markley Ragland poured hot cocoa for visitors to the house in the historical park.
As in the Village in the Valley days in the past, residents crowded into the old one-room school house to sing carols and listen to a performance by the handbell group. As expected Santa arrived and the children (most of them anyway) were happy to visit with the Jolly Old Elf about expectations for Christmas morning.
“We were very pleased with the crowd,” Kehl said, adding that society members were initially afraid that splitting the event could lower the turnout.
Members of the handbell ensemble who performed Saturday evening in the one-room schoolhouse included, from left, Suzanne Thompson, Pam Schmitz, Carol Wood, and Meribeth Kehl.
Five-year-old Kalli, from front works on coloring a Christmas tree ornament along with her brothers Karter and Kameron.
Nine-year-old Beckett and Rowen, 6, work on crafts at the Saturday morning event. The siblings wore matching Grinch pajamas, so it was easy to get them up and out the door, according to their mother.
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