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Act of Tomfoolery Brings Bar-B-Q Days Medallion Hunt to An End

Submitted by Administrator on
Addison Bachand found the Bar-B-Q Days Medallion Monday afternoon, July 2, while goofing around with a friend, Brady German, at the community pool. The accidental find netted him $100 in cash.

Addison Bachand found the Bar-B-Q Days Medallion Monday afternoon, July 2, while goofing around with a friend, Brady German, at the community pool. The accidental find netted him $100 in cash.

Plans were in place for the publishing of a second, third and possibly fourth clue for the Bar-B-Q Days medallion hunt.

They won’t be necessary.

One of two teenage boys engaging in horseplay at the Belle Plaine Community Pool found the medallion attached to the back of a thermometer south of the community pool around 2:30 p.m. Monday, July 2. Addison Bachand found the medallion and claimed the $100 cash prize.

 

Bachand, 14, and his friend, Brady German, were horsing around in front of the pool. German was twirling a rope and Bachand began chasing his friend. Somehow, the pair began dueling, using some of the many sticks from the trees on the ground following Sunday’s storm. Bachand chased his friend around the outside of the pool.

“We pretty much ran around the entire block,” he said.

Despite hours of planning and careful placement of the medallion, the cover it was taped inside of fell to the ground during Sunday’s rainstorm. As Bachand ran past the plastic cover Monday, he noticed the shiny medallion reflecting sunlight. He quickly realized what he had found.

Bachand and his mother, Becky Wessels, and his sister, Ary, are veteran medallion hunters. They had searched for the medallion different times since moving to Belle Plaine several years ago “with zero luck,” Wessels said.

He hadn’t studied the first clue in last week’s Herald and now his inadvertent find renders the second clue unnecessary.

Bachand found the medallion completely by accident, she said.

Wessels is involved in canine search and rescue work. She has taught her children the importance of paying attention to details and being observant. Bachand has participated in several training exercises and learned from sheriff’s deputies, police and firefighters some important lessons, from paying attention to otherwise obscure details.

If anybody was going to find the medallion near the pool by accident, Bachand was as likely as anyone to enjoy the good fortune. “He’s at the pool everyday,” Wessels said.

Bachand will spend the morning at football practice, come home for lunch, and after a change of clothes, and head for the community pool. He’s frequently among the last of the patrons to leave each evening. Bachand, his sister and German have formed a club known as “The Pool Rat Gang,” Wessels said.

“They live at the pool,” she said.

Bachand, who’ll be in ninth grade this fall, isn’t certain how he’ll spend the $100 cash prize.  He may treat himself to something he wants with a portion of it or he may donate a part of it to a worthy cause.

“I’m not really sure. I’ve never found it before,” he said.

during Sunday’s rainstorm. As Bachand ran past the plastic cover Monday, he noticed the shiny medallion reflecting sunlight. He quickly realized what he had found.

 

Bachand and his mother, Becky Wessels, and his sister, Ary, are veteran medallion hunters. They had searched for the medallion different times since moving to Belle Plaine several years ago “with zero luck,” Wessels said.

He hadn’t studied the first clue in last week’s Herald and now his inadvertent find renders the second clue unnecessary.

Bachand found the medallion completely by accident, she said.

Wessels is involved in canine search and rescue work. She has taught her children the importance of paying attention to details and being observant. Bachand has participated in several training exercises and learned from sheriff’s deputies, police and firefighters some important lessons, from paying attention to otherwise obscure details.

If anybody was going to find the medallion near the pool by accident, Bachand was as likely as anyone to enjoy the good fortune. “He’s at the pool everyday,” Wessels said.

Bachand will spend the morning at football practice, come home for lunch, and after a change of clothes, and head for the community pool. He’s frequently among the last of the patrons to leave each evening. Bachand, his sister and German have formed a club known as “The Pool Rat Gang,” Wessels said.

“They live at the pool,” she said.

Bachand, who’ll be in ninth grade this fall, isn’t certain how he’ll spend the $100 cash prize.  He may treat himself to something he wants with a portion of it or he may donate a part of it to a worthy cause.

“I’m not really sure. I’ve never found it before,” he said.

Copyright 2018 Belle Plaine Herald.