OLD TIMERS DAY NOT JUST FOR ELDERLY

ALTENBURG -- Temperatures crept into the 90s Saturday, but the crowd at the East Perry Fairgrounds didn't seem to mind. They ate snow cones or sipped cold beer, chatting with each other and taking in the sights.

A voice over the loudspeaker quieted them.

"I've got an announcement," a man said. "The Perry County Sheriff, Gary Schaaf, is in the dunking booth. This might be your only chance to take a shot at him, so get on over there."

Everyone laughed, and a few opened their wallets.

It was Old Timers Day, an annual event that brings an estimated 2,000 people to the small village of Altenburg. Most come from other small towns in Perry County, but a few travel farther to see the crafts, hot rods, antique tractors and live music.

This is the 20th year for Old Timers, organized by the East Perry County Jaycees. Fred Eggers, past Jaycee president, said the event was started in celebration of America's bicentennial and kept going.

The distinctive name was chosen the second year. Organizers wanted to let people know their event offered a chance to look back on the past.

"It was big in the beginning and then it tapered off," he said. "In recent years, the River Hills Antique Tractor Club and the Hiway Rodders have been involved, and that helped get the attendance up."

That's good news for East Perry County community leaders, who hope to build tourism through promoting various events and interesting sights.

Eggers said the tourism group not only wants to see more visitors, they want more people to move into the area.

William Stauss was visiting from Festus Saturday, brought south by a friend and by the lure of antique tractors. He sat on the ground in some hay, enjoying some shelter from the sun. In front of him, antique tractor owners competed in a load pulling competition.

"To me, they aren't antiques," Stauss, who is 65, said. "I'm older than they are!"

Other visitors were much younger, and there were events to entertain them, too.

Seven-year-old Ashley Cathcart said one of her favorite parts of the day was making sand art in the craft barn. Some crafters from St. Charles sold small glass bottles for children to fill with sand. The kids picked from nearly every color imaginable.

Cathcart chose to top her bottle off with a tiny paper umbrella.

"I got to do it all by myself -- finally!" she said. "I'm going to put it in my room."

Several children competed in the Tin Lizzie Art Contest, conducted at Old Timers each year since 1986. That was the year Elizabeth Eftink, the daughter of Hiway Rodders Ronnie and Patty Eftink, died of complications from diabetes.

Fellow Rodders established the contest to honor her memory. Kids ages 5-13 may win trophies for drawing and coloring "any type of vehicle," Patty Eftink said. The group keeps all the winning drawings in a scrapbook.

When the last abandoned cup is being cleaned up from Saturday's festivities, plans for the next big Altenburg event already will be under way.

Also, the East Perry County Fair is slated for Sept. 20 and 21, same town, same place.