Terry's blog

One hundred folks, give or take a few, gathered at Crosby Lake Park for the eighth annual Rehash Bash to put another Winter Carnival Medallion Hunt to rest. There were the familiar faces and some new to the Cooler Crew as well.

This year’s finders were kind enough to show people where the prized medallion was found. Seems everyone was within feet of it at one time or another during the hunt. Does this mean the Crew is getting closer? Maybe next year, the Cooler Crew will prevail.

Food for this year’s Bash included sloppy Joe medallions, meatballs, goulash, dips, chips, almond bark, cakes, cookies, salads, desserts and hors d’ouerves of all kinds. No one should have left hungry. The Crew does know how to throw a party!

KT saw to it that there were clever, clue-related door prizes again this year. Thanks to Mikey who donated the digging tool, OTS & Pay me for donating the GI Zephy, and KT’s hubby for making the "golden pick". Others brought wood for the fire so we could stay warm. Thanks for making these gatherings so successful. Your contributions are treasured and made this event memorable.

This year’s hunt was marked by the Crew with a special tribute to Zephy who is currently serving in Iraq. During the past two weeks, he joined the Crew at the Pre-Dig Gig, his likeness has been on WCCO news, on the front page of the Pioneer Press paper, out hunting, being knighted, in a parade and even had February 5, 2005 proclaimed his special day in the City of St. Paul by Mayor Randy Kelly. Zephy celebrated with us again at the Rehash Bash. Pictures of these two weeks can be found within the pages of this website. Be sure to check them out. Special thanks go to Zephy’s family for allowing us to share this special time with them. Jason and Sue Michaelson (Ares and Treasure Chest) arranged for many of the events and took care of Zephy in their home. Thanks for being top-notch hosts and chauffeurs! You did the Cooler Crew proud!

As another hunt draws to a close, this writer is awe-struck with how large the Cooler Crew has become. We have won recognition in a documentary movie, No Time for Cold Feet, been featured as part of a clue for the 2003 hunt, again have our own website and have gained positive press with Zephy. For a group that has found each other because we have an obsession about finding medallions in the snow, there is much for which this loosely formed group can be proud.

We may not have yet found the Winter Carnival medallion prize, but we’ve won a much more valuable one…the prize of true friendships.

Coolerheads will prevail! 2006 is our year!!

Saturday, January 22, 2005 brought us to the 7th Annual Pre-Dig Gig at Patrick McGovern’s. During the course of the evening, roughly 125 hunters came and went. Some were brand new to this experience and others hunting longer than some would like to remember. Stories, hunt memories, predictions, and friends both old and new were sprinkled throughout the lower level of McGovern’s. A main topic of conversations fun to listen in on were the reactions to the first showings of No Time For Cold Feet which premiered at the Bell Museum earlier in the day.

February 8th, 2004

Phalen Park

This years picnic in the park where the medallion was found, again saw the gathering of friends both new and old. On this cloudy, blustery day with the sound of the races out on the lake behind us, there were approximately 50 folks that attended. Name tags were a super idea! Thanks to those that made sure we were appropriately tagged!

The food laid out on the stage of the amphitheater was an amazing assortment of goulash, hot dish, sloppy joe medallions, meat balls and little weenies, windmill cookies, dips, chips, desserts, green donuts and salads. This Crew knows good food and knows how to throw a party!

A fire was started off in the distant fire ring for those wishing to warm up a bit. Thanks to all who gathered wood and got the fire going!

East Side Digger had a copy of his Cooler Kid book. Nice to see that talent! Big G had great window clings for sale and Mom had Cooler Crew buttons with for those that wanted them.

There was the usual trek to the place the medallion was found, conversation about the clues, the clue writer, theories and conspiracies. Me2 gave a speech that warmed the hearts of those attending. She summed up best what we all feel about the family we’ve become.

KT had the floor next. She had gathered door prizes for the day and there were several winners of these clever prizes. This was a new part of the festivities but hopefully not the last!

It’s seemingly impossible that this is the 7^th rehash bash. That first event found us meeting face to face with folks we had never seen before. What an awesome memory. Now every year we are joined by new faces who must feel that same sense of awe. We hope you all continue to be a part of this community!

Coolerheads will Prevail!

The 6th Annual Pre-Dig Gig at Patrick McGovern’s on Saturday, January 24, 2004 saw the gathering of old hunting friends sprinkled liberally with first time attendees. Roughly 100 folks came and went during the evening. As always, the stories of previous hunts, predictions of where the medallion will be found sometime in the next 12 days, the greeting of old and new friends alike made this annual gathering one this writer wouldn’t miss. The evening, as always, was capped off with the reading of the first clue.

Mom and Dad had this year’s Cooler Crew commemorative buttons and East Side Digger had bumper stickers for sale. If you missed the opportunity to purchase a button or bumper sticker, there will be more opportunities to get your collectibles from these creative folks during the hunt and at the Rehash Bash.

The laughter, the din of conversation, putting faces with on-line names, the meeting of new Cooler Crew members and the camaraderie of those obsessed with hunting for a little blue puck in the parks marked the beginning of the 2004 Winter Carnival Medallion Hunt. Let’s hope a Coolerhead finds it this year!

Coolerheads will Prevail!!!!!!

Merriam Park

January 27th, 2002

Could there possibly be a better way to mourn the end of another hunt than rehashing the whole thing with others equally let down from a hunt—and a hunt that seemed way too short? I think not!

At least one hundred mourners gathered this afternoon at Merriam Park to share a fabulous potluck with other hunters of the St. Paul Winter Carnival Medallion Hunt. The meal included Rehash Goulash, Minnesota Wild Rice Casserole, Devil's Den Eggs, Medallion Candy, Ian's Sloppy Joe Medallions, and lots of chips—especially of the Pringle variety.

One of the finders from 1998, Maureen Hursey, attended the bash, as well as the three ladies that found the 1995 medallion in Battle Creek, Cookie Howard, Kay Anderson, and Rachel Olson. It was great to see the variety of folks that share this obsession!

We also found a few lurkers in attendance that felt comfortable coming to the bash even though they had never posted. That's so amazing! We must come across as friendly and welcoming for folks to feel that comfortable. It's happened at both the Predig Gig and the Rehash Bash this year! Let's hope that brings fewer lurkers and more folks sharing their thoughts and ideas about the hunt next year.

Merriam Park, being a park and recreation center, had a nice warming room with a ping pong table we could use to put food out on and a place to warm up a bit. It was much chillier and cloudier outdoors than it was forecast to be, so it was super to have a place to warm up a bit.

There was the usual trek to the site. The method of hiding it this year was questioned over and over again...leading to conspiracy theories and theories that the medallion had not been dropped until within a couple of hours of it being found. There was even an experiment done with a foil chip can top, scotch tape and something of about equal size and weight to the medallion and placed out under what little snow is left. The scotch tape became milky white after a couple of hours and did not stick well. Surely this will be a hunt discussed for years to come.

The good news is that there will be more hunts, more snow, better hiding (PLEASE!), and clever clue writing for us to noodle over. We only have 51 weeks to go!

Coolerheads WILL Prevail!

Patrick McGovern's

January 19th, 2002

Amazement is the word that comes to mind about this year's predig party at McGovern's. There had to be by evening's end at least 100 people that had come and gone.

We took over an upstairs room at McGovern's. The room probably holds 50 people or so comfortably, but as usual, some folks came early and left, others came later, and some of us were there from beginning to end. We had the room packed.

There were several lurkers who have never posted but felt comfortable enough to come and introduce themselves. Additionally, Cathi Hogan, last year's finder came for awhile. She said she was going to be the first hunter to find it twice in a row. She has some challengers to that notion! Cookie Howard, Kay Anderson, and Rachel Olson, the finders from 1995 (Battle Creek) were in attendance. They've been hunting together since 1952 and continue to this day. Amazing! The 1969 finder (Victoria and 35E), Bill the RV guy, was also there for the duration of the evening.

Many of the Cooler regulars were present, some new faces appeared that I'm sure will turn up again during the hunt, and the evening was filled with fellow hunting enthusiasts.

Marley King and his Queen Kal had created bumper stickers that were ready for sale. They did a nice job with those! Thanks to the team work of E&H's Mom and Dad and Terry Valentine, this year's Cooler Crew commemorative buttons were ready! Steve Worthman had his Treasure Hunter's Guide, 2nd Edition, books for sale. Those have become quite popular with hunters. The medallion hunt seems to bring out the unique talent and creativity of medallion seekers.

The documentary crew was in attendance, complete with some interns hired locally to help with filming this year. Here's hoping those locals get the fever and join the hunt after the filming is completed this year!

Toward the end of the evening, a couple of folks headed to the Pioneer Press Building to get the first clue and brought it back to McGovern's. The early noodling included the concensus that we have a new clue writer this year. Possibly important key phrases discussed were "light a spark," "far and wide," and "have no fear."

An interesting aside to share here....just as the folks were leaving the Pioneer Press, there was a Press employee who mentioned that the Wisconsin edition contained the wrong clue. After some quick thinking, a store in Hudson, WI was called. Turns out it was the first clue from last year!

The hunt has begun!

<p>Como Park (West Picnic Grounds)</p><p>February 4th, 2001</p><p>I'm thinking close to 100 people were at the Rehash Bash; someone else thought more like 75. With folks coming and going, it's hard to tell...but this is definitely a growing phenonomen.</p><p>The Pioneer Press had a Coolerheads 2001 banner for the Torchlight Parade the night before, which we get to keep. We put it up in the shelter at the Rehash Bash. Thanks go out to "Mom and Dad" who brought propane heaters; we were able to stay reasonably warm in that kind of damp, Minnesota cold with a bit of a breeze and no sun.</p><p>As always, there was lots of food and talking. Cathi, the 2001 medallion finder, brought an ice cream cake decorated with the clues, a Dove soap box, and an Iron Man sock. She is just the best! She is so bubbly and so much fun!</p><p>One thing that kept coming up during the event was that there are lurkers who want to post but are having trouble getting through the registration process at the Planet. I hope that gets resolved. At least some of them are feeling comfortable enough to come out and meet everyone despite the fact that they can't post. It makes me wonder how many more are out there. Cathi is still trying to figure out how to post.</p><p>The documentary folks were there and will return next year. I think they didn't quite get everything they wanted—including the locust part of the hunt. One of these years, the hunt will last long enough to witness that again.</p>