Ford City Scarecrow Contest Winners Awarded
The Gratteri residence along 4th Avenue in Ford City was named the winner of the inaugural ‘Harvest Home and Scarecrow Contest.’ Along with a blue ribbon, the family received a $75 cash prize.
by Jonathan Weaver
The Gratteri Family in Ford City generally considers themselves creative, but they took it to the next level this October.
Michael and Kim Gratteri and their seven-year-old son, Michael, decorated the front of their 4th Avenue home for the inaugural Harvest Home and Scarecrow Contest through the Ford City Garden Club and were recently announced as the first place winner.
Located beside Ford City Junior-Senior High School, the yellow-brick house resembles a miniature farm with their scarecrow – named ‘Haywood’, pumpkins and hay.
And a stuffed pig named ‘Boaris.’
“We made a pattern out of burlap and stuffed the pig – (it was) hand-sewn. It took about 10 hours to sew that pig,” the elder Michael said.
Not to mention two live caged chickens - one a rescue chicken from Kentucky named ‘Cocky Balboa’ and the other ‘Adrian Hen.’
“We were going for the whole-farm scene,” Michael said. “We thought about just bringing everything out and (designing) the whole yard.”
The $75 prize money was split between a Monday dinner at Subway and the youngest son – who also takes pride in his creative Trick-or-Treat costumes and was a past winner at the Ford City Halloween Parade.
The Gratteri’s were referred to the contest through a neighbor, as were Jason Galbraith and Dan Leightley – the third-place winners who live two houses away.
Galbraith said the $25-winning, red-brick house – which had the scarecrow cross-legged on a haybale surrounded by about eight flower pots and pumpkins – was designed in about two days.
Rich & Kim Pavlekovsky’s design on 10th Street featured a scarecrow lounging on an iron bench between two cornstalks. Rich built the wood frame was built especially for the contest and took only about three hours to finalize.
“It was my idea in my head, but (Rich) put it together,” Kim said. “We had a lot of fun.”
“She’s the brains – I’m the braun,” Rich added.
The couple was notified of their winning entry Sunday afternoon and received their red second-place ribbon and a $50 check – which will also be put toward dinner arrangements.
Garden Club President Dee Simmons came up with the contest idea after finding out about a similar contest within Leechburg businesses.
She reported there were 24 entries in the contest, and that Garden Club members had a difficult time selecting the three winners.
“Because there were so many nice ones, what we’re going to do is post pictures of them in the library and then have a People’s Choice contest so people can come down and vote. Then we’ll have a winner for what people thought was the nicest one,” Simmons said.
People’s Choice winners will be selected at the end of the month.
Honorable Mention awards were given to the Polish Falcons, Jennfier Montero on 5th Avenue and Breanne Sheasley – who lives only a few doors down from the Pavelkovsky’s.
Simmons thanked all participants ‘for doing such a great job.’
