Saturday marked the fifth annual Flea Market, with its second annual rifle competition, at Wattsville Center just north of Calvin and organizer Ken Bates called it “a good day for the community.  All other the proceeds will go towards our Veterans Memorial.  That’s what this is all about.”

The weather cooperated as local folks gathered on the center’s front porch for coffee and conversation, vendor set up booths in the parking area around the store and youngsters enjoyed the company of each other.  Across the road, the sounds of .22-caliber gunfire could be heard under the sunny sky.

Bates had previously told the Journal that his desire of building the store in the first place was to provide a comfortable place for folks of the community to gather, visit, have a cup of coffee and just relax.  It’s a convenience store with a small museum in the back and on Saturday, it proved to be what Bates pictured:  a community meeting site.

The rifle competition drew 41 competitors this year, 14 of them youth, 27 adult.  Champion Shooter in the younger division was Preston Gilcrease (who was also Champion Bullseye Shooter), with Austin Caskey second and Deken Babers third. Among the adults, Kelly Fannin was Champion Shooter (and Champion Bullseye Shooter), wih Jamie Carter second and Caleb Babers third.  The event was 18 rounds of open-sight .22 rifle fire, in both standing and bench-rest positions.

Fundraising efforts also included sales of pulled pork lunches and a gun raffle.  Winners were Helen White, Ricky Blake and Junior Box.  The Veterans Memorial which is at the heart of the fundraising is located next to the Bethlehem Cemetery.  “It is almost complete,” Bates explained.  “We need the last three panels with veterans’ names and hope to have that done by Veterans Day this November.”