Huge crowds turn out for Crazee Daze

The best weather of the week, a full carnival and a record number of sidewalk sale vendors helped make this year's Crazee Daze last Saturday and event that organizers were calling one of the best ever.

A total of 36 craft, food or information booths/tables, filled the downtown streets for the annual promotion organized by the Mountain Home Chamber of Commerce Merchants' Committee.

The fire department helped slow traffic through the downtown corrider, asking for donations for the annual Fourth of July fireworks display. They raised a total of $2,700 from both their chorizo booth and direct solicitation of pedestrians and motorists. The ladder truck, set up in the downtown core, flew a huge American flag over the Crazee Daze festivities. The flag had been donated to the department last year by the Silver Wings group.

A variety of entertainment was provided during the day, from musicians performing on the street corners to dancers performing on stage near the Chamber office.

Several contests were held. The Merchant Costume Contest was won by the Idaho Youth Ranch and their "can-can" girls. Second place went to Mulberry Place and third place was won by the Unique Boutique.

The pet costume contest was won by Sandra Cochran and her dog, followed by a tie for second place between Bart Eban and his dog and MacKenzie Dorr and her dog. Third place went to Andrea Ross, Daniel Ross and Cheyan James with their pony, Tilly, all of whom were dressed up in Wizard of Oz outfits.

A bubble-gum blowing contest also was held, but winners' names were not available.

One of the highlights of this year's Crazee Daze was the carnival, feauring 17 rides and booths, that was set up on the former El Rancho lot at the entrance to the underpass. It ran from Wednesday through Saturday.

Although most people appeared to enjoy the carnival, it wasn't without some problems. One of the rides broke in a manner the owner said he'd never seen or heard of before, but no one was injured.

And one of the carnival workers, who had just been hired less than a week ago, caused law enforcement some problems. Thursday night the man got into a fight with a woman just outside The Stockyard and pulled a knife, but when the crowd moved in on him he ran out the back door to the carnival area and then leaped over the underpass fence, falling 17-feet to the bottom of the underpass and breaking his heel bone. Earlier, the same man, identified as Brennan B. Hinckley, had been reported urinating on cars as they passed through the underpass, Police Chief Tom Berry said. He is no longer working for the carnival, and was cited by police for his activities.

Crazee Daze also made history in another, less than uplifting manner. Chief Berry reported that a professional pickpocket appeared to be working the crowd. A number of people had their wallets lifted during the day. "Big city problems are spilling over into our area, and people need to keep that in mind," Berry said.

Despite those problems, however, organizers said they were pleased with the large turnout of citizens to Crazee Daze, and the large number of people who took part in the activities.

"People keep telling us it was one of the best ever," said Chamber Director Debbie Shoemaker.