4 • The Beacon November 4 , 2021

Fall Fatherhood Festival held at Clary Gardens

By Marianne Austin

TheCoshoctonBeaconToday . com

Clary Gardens executive director Jandi Adams said , “ We are excited to be hosting this for the fatherhood initiative . They are a great group of people . They do a lot for the community . A lot of people have never been here , and it gives them a chance to see the gardens and all of the fall decorations . We have pumpkin painting and a rock hunt up on the hill and through the woodlands . The rocks are painted different colors with a puzzle piece on them , and if you find a white or gold rock , they can get some pretty darn good prizes .”

Fatherhood initiative volunteer Ed Gallagher was busy at the popcorn machine . “ We did this last year with just the rock hunt , and we added a few more things

Marianne Austin Jeremiah , Ezekial and Zephaniah make scarecrow necklaces with a little help from Anne Cornell from the Pomerene Center for the Arts .

this year . We have done other activities in the past , like parties for fathers and their families at the Himebaugh Park . It ’ s a nice day . We thought it might rain , but it ’ s holding off until later .”

Leondra Davis with Juvenile Court was on hand with information . “ We have trick-or-treat , Halloween pumpkins and a rock hunt ,” she said . “ If you find a white rock , you get a door prize , but if you find a gold rock , you get an even better door prize .”

Kelsy Able attended with her sons — Rory dressed as the Pillsbury Dough Boy and Sawyer as a red dragon . “ I wanted to come out and support the fatherhood initiative group ,” she said . “ What they do is really great .”

Bill Daugherty was with his grandson , who liked the candy and getting his picture taken , and he hoped to find a white rock .

The McIntire family , which included four sons , said they had never been to Clary Gardens . So far they liked going to the different booths and planned to walk up the hill and look for rocks .

Participants in the event included the OSU Extension , Pomerene Center for the Arts , Papa Johns , Roscoe UMC , Fanatics , Ohio- MeansJobs , the county child support department , Help Me Grow , Juvenile Court and Allwell .