Check out the Page Pull overview

Thanks to a lot of you for your photos of our Page Pull. I've put together a slide show of many of them to give you a feel for the event from start to finish. Big Lake Trading Post was good enough to let us use their surrounding land. Jim and Gene got to "play" for several weeks on several old machines they have in their collection and turn an area that had never been worked, into a 300'x110' tract and viewing area.

A few days before the event we began to put tractors up on the corner of the property and immediately attracted several Indians wanting to purchase tractors. Thanks to a grant from our Page Tourism Bureau we were able to purchase a street banner and have it hung the week before the event. On Friday most began to pull in and besides tractors we had a few display areas. Earl Wolfe brought his "do nothing" machine which was a real hit.

Saturday morning it was windy and stormy looking. Jim had run once a trail out into the desert past the cliffs and back in. It seemed to work so like a wagonmaster, we rounded up anyone who wanted to do a ride and they repeated the drive. I wondered if we would be know as the event that took everyone out into the desert and lost them in the sand. But everyone made the trip safely and seemed to like the experience. So next year Jim is planning an even longer run that should overlook the lake.

A crowd had developed that seemed eager to see something happen and the clouds seemed to be closing in. Someone said it was raining hard in St. George, so it was decided to start pulling even though it was only a little after 10 and if it wasn't raining by 1, the time we had planned to start, we would just pull some more. The clouds held off until about 3:30 and then let it pour. Needless to say the show was over. It rained the rest of the evening and into the night and really soaked down the field.

The next day was perfect, clear and calm and everyone was in a mood to pull or watch. We had a good crowd that again stayed for every minute and we again pulled from around 10am to about 3pm. Then it was time to put things away and everyone was great to help us leave the area clean. About 4pm most of us headed for dinner and then said our good-byes.

So if you go to the CCAMA blog spot by clicking here http://pagetractorpull.blogspot.com/ and look to the left of the page, just under the list of officers and above the calendar, you can click and watch a slideshow of the event, thanks to your many contributions of pictures. At the end of the show you can return to the CCAMA page by clicking the back arrow at the top left of your screen. Enjoy

It's getting closer

Only 2 work weekends and then the event. We've added a local participant to the event, Rob Gay. He is a Condor Biologist with the California Condor Reintroduction Project Peregrine Fund Marble Canyon, AZ. Check out his website at http://dinodomain.com/ . He has a 1948 Cub that was first his grandfather's and then his father's that he has enlisted Jim's help on in trying to get going for our pull, or at least display. In exchange he has become a willing helper on our pull site project. Today he got to drive a tractor for the first time and proved himself to be a real pro. The grin on his face in the last photo of our slide show says he is having fun.

Our pins came in yesterday and look great. They are metal 1" x 1 1/2" and unlike the photo the detail is sharp. Yep, it's our Massey Harris the way she will one day be "red". Each Pull participant and display participant will get one free the rest we hope to sell for $3 to recoup their cost.

We have a lot of raffle prizes coming in including Kachinas, free meals and lots more.

There will also be 1st - 3rd ribbons for each weight division.

Also we will have a printed program that will give information as to our area and the event, a restaurant guide, other happenings in Page that weekend and our Pull list.

AND if you have any frustration from other (not quite so tractor enthusiast) members in your party who wonder "what they can do" there are 2 other events going on simultaneous to ours.

Helping Hands, Inc. is having a 3 day festival in the park and the Elks Lodge is having a golf tournament. All this is within 5 min. drive of our event. Page has it's own bus service that is a side project of Helping Hands, Inc. that will be making special runs from our event to theirs. It's almost like we are turning Page into our own Amusement park for the weekend. See their information in the list of slide shows. Email me if you need copies of any of the Elks Club forms. The Helping Hands schedule will also be in the Pull program.

We do have one concern. This has been Jim and Gene Tucker's pet project from the start last Feb. A couple of weeks ago Gene's wife, Sharon learned she has cancer and will need surgery. They have an appointment with the Dr. in Scottsdale on the 19th just before the pull and depending on the Dr.'s decision, they may not be back up until after the event. Please keep them in your prayers.

This also means that we will be looking to club members even more to help with the event to help with just the practical parts of the pull as well as some possible traffic control, raffle, etc. This all makes us doubly glad that Rob and his wife have joined us at this point.

Count down time.....

The Kevin Cosner's movie "Field of Dreams" made famous the line, "if you build it, they will come". Well Gene Tucker and Jim Kitson are trying their best to build a great pull area on undeveloped land by Big Lake Trading Post.

Check out our first slide show "If you build it, they will come", on their progress. Once finished there will be room for Red's trailer and canopy, tractor parking, pull area, and bleachers. On other areas of the lot is pleanty of room for display tractors and display trailers with motors, etc. Hauling trailers, cars, trucks, r/v's, campers, etc. can park across the street. I will be adding more slide shows later.

Also we have set up a poll to get an idea as to what to expect. Please take a minute or two and select your answers.

Page is within 5 min. drive of Big Lake Trading Post. At the Page city park the Helping Hands Agency that works with handicap children will be having their annual Fall Festival. They have expanded it this year into a 3 day event. It's a great event to coincide with our Pull and Show, to make for a full weekend of downhome fun.

Friday, Sept. 21, 2007 4-10pm
4:00 Food vendors, bake sale, arts & crafts vendors,
games/activities and attractions open for business
silent art auction begins,
ticket sales and spontaneous combustion raffles begin
begin receiving Scarecrow entries
6:00 music and open dance floor
10:00 End of first day

Saturday, Sept. 22, 2007 10am-10pm
10:00 Food vendors, bake sales, arts & crafts vendors,
Games/activities and attractions open for business
Jail House opens
Silent Art Auction continues for bids
Random Raffles
Begin contests:
Quilts: creative squares, baby quilts, full quilts
Jewelry: Native American, Western, Contemporary?
Pies: Apple, Pecan, Pumpkin, Cherry, creative
Cookies: Choc Chip, sugar, peanut butter, creative
Candies: fudge, pnut brittle, divinity
Cinnamon rolls, home made, any kind
Bread, home made, any kind
auctions for desserts throughout day
11:00 Misc. performances begin and cont. throughout day:
Magician, Karaoke, etc…
12:00 deadline for all entries (except salsa entries 5pm)
1:00 judging begins, (all winners announced Sunday 2:00pm)
3:00-5:00 karaoke contest and more performers @ same time
5:00 deadline for entries of salsa
(announced Sun.@ 2pm)
6:00 Saturday’s Silent Art Auction closed, and winners
announced, can pick up at grand central
8:00 or dark - Movie on the Lawn, free admission
vendors w/bright lights and generators to be closed at that time
we sell pop corn, drinks, glow in the dark toys

Sunday, September 23, 2007 8am – 4pm
*(all vendors open for business by 10am)
8:00 Pancake breakfast
Sunday’s Silent Art Auction Open for Bid
Grand Central Open
Sat. Auction winner’s Art available for pick up in Grand Central
Checkers & Bocce tournaments begins (trophies to winners @ 2pm)
Begin receiving & auctioning off further dessert donations
10:00 Misc. performers to begin & cont. throughout day
11:00 Pancake breakfast closes
12:30 Business Challenge begins
1:00 More dessert auctions begin and continue until gone
2:00 All Ribbon & Trophy winners announced along w/Business Challenge winner
3:00 Sunday Silent Art Auction closed and winners announced
immediately after, art available at that time
3:30 Final Raffles drawn and winners announced
3:45 The HHA Choir to perform closing

Start planning now to join in on all the fun these 2 events (Helping Hands Fall Festival and Page Tractor Pull and Show) have to offer.

Help us make it happen

The commemorative pins are ordered! The banner is in the process of being made to hang across the street in Page. 1st, 2nd and 3rd place ribbons are on order for the various pulls. Flyers are out advertising the event. And we are listed in about every event calendar I could find from Page to Timbucktoo. Jim has begun to work the area so it will be clean and ready for the event. We have arranged to have a set of bleachers for people to watch the pull. Several have said they are bringing static displays of antique motors, etc. We have begun to get response from supporters to help us pay for it all either with advertising or raffle prizes. Already have some Kachina's, hats, a tee shirt, a watch, some free meals and we are trying to get a lot of 2 for 1 meal certificates to pass out to those participating in the event from out of town.. It's shaping up to be a pretty good 1st attempt for Page, AZ at an Antique Tractor Pull and Show. Anyway you can help please let us know.
Judy Kitson 928-645-2325 or judykitson@hughes.net

WELCOME,

to the Blog for the 1st Annual Page, Arizona Tractor Pull and Antique Machine Show at Big Lake Trading Post, September 21 - 23, 2007.

Sponored by Color Country Antique Machine Association out of St. George, UT. http://ccama.blogspot.com/ a branch of Early Days Antique Engine & Tractor Association. They will be bringing over their big weight sled and we may also have a lighter sled for garden size tractors to pull.

Big Lake Trading Post has been great to offer their facilities for the event. They have a gas station, laundry, convience store, deli on site and there is plenty of room for the pull, and displays of other machines and tractors.

It is a corner location and property belonging to Page Steel and Gary Yamamoto Custom Baits is available for additional public and trailer and R/V parking for the event.

We are making arrangements for a commemorative lapel/hat pin and there will be a program describing events and time, plus things to do while in Page. $5.00 for both at the event or free if you register early to pull or support with advertising.

For early registration or to put in a display - call Judy Kitson - 928-645-2325 or email her at judykitson@hughes.net.

All entrants to the pull and anyone wanting to display tractors or machines, must, for insurance purposes be members of Early Days Gas Engine & Tractor Association EDGETA. Membership can be obtained by calling our club Secretary, June Salisbury - 435-674-1468 or email her at june.s@wildblue.net

So come join the fun at this first event.