Heather Ainsley
ECB Publishing, Inc.
For the entire month of October, Monticello has come alive with the fun and innovative faces of the finest home-made scarecrows this side of Tallahassee! For the last several weeks, businesses and residents who participated in the annual scarecrow contest, Scarecrow Extravaganza, have been eagerly awaiting the verdict of winner for this year's competition.
The selection of worthy opponents was extensive this year, with entries ranging from creepy to silly, simple to elaborate. While each and every scarecrow that was entered was a work of art all its own, there can be only one winner, and this year's winner is none other than The Jefferson County Property Appraiser's office! The winning scarecrow features a stunning, life-size depiction of a horse and rider. The horse element stands firmly on four legs without additional supports, and its rider, complete with a cowgirl hat and blue jeans, is seen frozen in the act of stroking the horse's mane. This scarecrow is located across from the Chamber office, in front of the old high school, and was very much a labor of love.
Angela Gray, with the property appraiser office, says that the scarecrow is titled, “Riding into the Sunset,” and in addition to being a creative masterpiece, the design was a tribute to a friend and co-worker, Rikki Hill, who passed away a year ago.
“Rikki worked at the office for nine years,” says Gray, “and was admired for her bravery and talented artistry. She served as a GIS Mapping Specialist and a Field Appraiser, and earned her Certified Florida Evaluator Certificate while employed. She was a woman of many talents and
led a team of women who built a handicap ramp in the community in 2018. She is missed every day and we believe she is riding her favorite horse in heaven's beautiful pastures.”
This year's Scarecrow Extravaganza and Ghoul's Night Out events were sponsored by Experience Monticello, a local non-profit organization that relies on volunteers to plan, implement and raise money for local contests and community events. Be sure to mark your calendars for their next events, the Candy Crawl, happening on Saturday, Oct 29, and Downtown Christmas, happening on Dec. 2. For more information about these events or about Experience Monticello, contact Amy McDaniel at (850) 597-1107.
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