Albany scarecrows support fire department coin drop

Firefighter scarecrows in Albany were created by Karen and Brian Chaffee to support a fund-raiser, a coin drop, which will be repeated on October 20 and 21, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Photos by Chris Braithwaite

by Chris Braithwaite

copyright the Chronicle 10-17-2012

ALBANY — A remarkable array of this town’s departed residents made a mysterious reappearance on Main Street Saturday morning.

Beginning just after 6 a.m., they emerged one by one to take their places and provide support for a coin drop operated by the Albany Fire Department.

In front of the church Rodney and Marie Chaffee rode off to their wedding on a bicycle built for two.  Firefighters took their place in front of the firehouse.  And Irene and Winnie Brow, who ran a potato operation in town for many years, disported in matching tubs just up the street.

They were among 66 scarecrows erected that morning by Karen and Brian Chaffee, who now live in Barton but grew up in Albany.  Brian is the son of Rodney and Marie, the couple on the bicycle.  Karen is the daughter of Marcel and Pauline Locke, who overlook the village from Albany Center.

The scarecrows were making a return appearance from 2009, when the Chaffees put them up on the road between Orleans and Barton.

They took them down, however, after they became the victim of vandals.

Late Saturday morning, as they were putting up the last of their scarecrows, the Chaffees said they planned to take them all down that night, for fear of vandals.

But while they lasted, the visitors brightened a cool autumn day in the village they had all shared.  The scarecrow will make another appearance this weekend, October 20 and 21, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. when another coin drop is underway.

Contact Chris Braithwaite at chris@bartonchronicle.com

 For more free articles from the Chronicle like this one, see our Featuring pages. For all the Chronicle’s stories, pick up a print copy or subscribe, either for print or digital  editions.

“Couples that bathe together stay together!!” says the sign, and Irene and Winnie Brow are there to prove it.