Scarecrows on Main

Have you seen Elba’s power couple? Although a bit lumpy and odd-looking, the self-titled king and queen stand proudly on Main Street every day.

If you hadn’t noticed them, the firefighters rescuing a cat up a utility pole may have been a distraction. Or perhaps the tired PTA mom caught your attention, poor thing — her life is full of fundraisers and supporting the Lancers.

Those are just some of the entertaining Scarecrows on Main entries for this year’s contest. Sponsored by the Elba Betterment Committee with Genesee-Orleans Council on the Arts funding meant there wasn’t an entry fee this year, Pauli Miano said.

“This is the second year that we have done the Scarecrows on Main.  Last year the village clerk, Jerah Augello, came to the Elba Betterment Committee and asked us to help them sponsor a contest.  We charged $5 per entry and then used the money to pay out prizes,” Miano said. “This year we included the contest in our grant request to GO Art!, so we did not need to charge per entry.  While that made it more alluring, I'm sure, it also made it a little more confusing for us, because a few of these scarecrows just showed up on the street and we weren't sure who they belonged to.”

Not to worry, they got it all figured out, and there are 39 entries, which is 10 more than last year, she said. One change for this year is a display at Elba Central School. With a theme of  “It’s a Small World,” it’s a testament to diversity that exists in the village and town, she said.

“We have many students who are of Mexican descent, and this year we also have two exchange students: one from Italy and one from Denmark,” she said.  

The contest has also drawn more participation from families and businesses, with more than a dozen that include farms, restaurants, M&T Bank, the post office, and other places “that help to make our community such a great place to live,” she said.

Four judges — one from each the town and village boards, a community member and Onion Queen Bella Mateos — have just begun their reviews of the colorful creations, and there is also a People’s Choice option for the public. To view all entries and vote for your top three, go to Elba Betterment Committee.

Adding to the fun is the yearly tribute to the Stumblin Inn, and this year’s display does not disappoint: “it’s even bigger this year,” Miano said.

The contest itself isn’t directly tied to Halloween in the Park, but the month culminates with a seasonal event for local Elba children to enjoy games, candy, refreshments, and photos. That runs from 5 to 8 p.m. Oct. 31.

“We have done this in the past and it has really been an awesome event,” she said. “But this is the first time in four years that we are back in the park and open for children from Elba to come on down.”

Photos submitted by Pauli Miano.