By JoAnn Laird
Special to The PREVIEW
With spring officially arriving March 20, Old Man Winter has made a fibber of the calendar.
However, this may be a short-term benefit for those of you who may have incorrectly wagered that the barrel and clock would fall into Lake Hatcher on March 20 or sooner. The deadline for ticket purchases have been extended, quite simply because winter has also been extended.
For those unfamiliar with the Ice Melt Contest, sponsored by the Pagosa Rotary and Pagosa Lakes Property Owners Association (PLPOA), a clock has been attached to a barrel and placed on Lake Hatcher. When temperatures warm enough to melt the ice, the barrel will fall into the water, marking the exact day, minute, hour and second the clock stops.
So there is still time to make some serious money. The top three guesses — closest to the marked date and time — will win $1,000 for first place, $500 for second place and $250 for third place.
The deadline has been extended to the time that barrel hits the water. March 31? April 7? July 4? Two weeks ago, Lake Hatcher had 20 inches of ice on it. You be the judge. With this kind of cash, you can host a Mother Nature Is My New Best Friend Party.
To buy your tickets, forms are available at pagosaspringsrotary.com, through a link on the PLPOA website, at The Choke Cherry Tree, the Chamber of Commerce in the Visitor Center, the PLPOA Rec Center or the administration office. All proceeds go toward the Rotary Scholarship Fund to aid graduating seniors with higher education.
