Kids show off carving skils

It was a puking pumpkin that swayed the judges to pick it for first place in the Jack o'lantern contest of the Plains After School Program last week.

Alexis Coe, 11, was one of two girls that designed Jack o'lanterns with the vomit spewing scheme and one of 10 contestants in the fifth grade category – Maddy Blood, 10, also had a pumpkin with puke coming out its mouth. However, Coe added one more element. Her Jack o'lantern had tears coming from its eye.

"I like that one because it was crying. I know when I'm sick, I cry," said Judy Subatch, who judged the contest with Devon White and Tifini Saner in the school cafeteria Thursday. Sixty students from age 8-12 took part in the carving contest. The after school program is part of REACH – Rural, Education, Academics, Community, Healthy Lifestyles – a Montana State program offered to schools around the state.

"This is the loudest group I've had," said Marla Dykstra, who had run the after school program for 11 years, but volunteered to help out last week. White, Cassie Ducept and Ricky Kulawinski took over the program this year.

"It's always fun to do this," said Dykstra, who plans to help out next year, even though she's retiring from teaching at the end of this school year. "They did an amazing job. I love their work," said Dykstra. A handful of parents also helped with the event. The kids had the opportunity to use a pre-drawn sketch to outline their work of art or make their own design, which ranged from traditional to outlandish. Some carved words, like "Boo" and "Halloween" in their pumpkin. One had a smaller pumpkin – serving as a brain – coming out the top of his Jack o'lantern. Another's design was dozens of small holes on all sides.

"I feel like a murderer, ripping out these guts," said Jasmine Trull as she pulled out the pumpkin fibrous strands and seeds. The kids put the seeds aside and took them home with a special recipe for baking them.

"There are some awesome Jack o'lanterns and they worked really hard on them," said Kulawinski. Eleven-year-old Jacelyn Carr won the sixth grade category with "snot" coming out the Jack o'lantern's nose. She was one of three in her grade to submit their work for judging. Dykstra said the kids like carving the pumpkins, but not all of them wanted to participate in the contest. This year, 46 students took part in the competition.

"It's tough to judge, there's some really good designs here," said Saner. Giada Schall, 8, was the winner for the third grade. Jullian Keeney won for the fourth-graders with a traditional Jack o'lantern face. Keeney said she took first place last year as a third-grader.

"The kids love it and I love watching them make their creations," said White. The winners each received a $5 Mangy Moose gift certificate.