Milan children scramble to grab share of 2,000 eggs

Three-year-old Amaya Castañeda gets a jump on the field at the second annual Easter egg hunt at Kearn's Park in Milan Saturday. Milan police sponsored the event which included a dunk tank with Police Chief Jerry Stephens as the prize for hitting the bullseye. [Photo by John A. Bowersmith/Independent]

By Jim Maniaci
Cibola County Bureau

MILAN — You wouldn't believe how quickly children can gobble up 2,000 eggs that's more than the village's population unless you were at Milan's Kearns Park baseball diamond Saturday.

Sponsored by the Milan Police Department, the second annual event had one-third more eggs than the 1,500 for last year's inaugural event. But the little ones younger than age 3 to teenagers made the Oklahoma land rush look like a kindergarten affair as the boys and girls poured from the edge of the outfield into their segment of the grass to swoop down and latch onto the plastic eggs filled with candy.

By dividing the rush into four groups, with only one group (with parents) on the field at a time, was a great improvement over last year and gave the younger children a better opportunity to gather some of the eggs.

Police Chief Jerry Stephens, who was on the dunk tank seat later, just shook his head in amazement. He indicated he didn't know if 3,000 eggs a 50 percent increase would be enough for next year. He said there easily were more than 500 boys and girls, but that the consumption of the eggs would be the best measurement.

The kids may have been shy when talking with a reporter while waiting to be let through the gate with their age group (3 years and younger, 4-6 years, 7-9 years and 10-plus). But they certainly weren't shy when the officers and staff marshaling each segment at the outfield dropped their raised arms to indicate the youngsters could rush out to fill their baskets and bags.

A few minutes later, however, it was a slow and easy walk back off the field as the kids had their baskets loaded.

"Yeah," is what Destiny Moore, 3, responded when asked if she was looking forward to gathering eggs to put into her green soft 'n fury "Froggy" basket.

She was waiting with her sisters as Milan Fire Department Chief Keith Austin volunteered as the gatekeeper.

Nicole Moore, 5, confided she didn't know if she would really try to match year's catch of 100 eggs. Andrea Moore, 8, simply said, "I don't know what I will do if I win a gold or silver egg." Her eldest sister, Sabrina Moore, 10, quipped, "I'd probably collect it."

Those who found golden eggs won gift certificates as prizes; silver egg holders won baskets filled with Easter treats.

Little Dominic Jaramillo shyly just shook his head up and down when asked if he hoped to gather a lot of the plastic eggs. His grandpa, Ruben Chavez, explained this was the 3-year-old boy's first time at the event.

Mayor Tom Ortega tried to welcome as many of the families as he could, and several political candidates for Cibola County elected offices also worked the crowd. In addition to the mayor, Board of Trustees member Vivian Brumbelow also was present. The rest of the board was at a New Mexico Municipal League training convention in Santa Fe.

Chief Stephens and his employees offered their thank yous to 10 businesses and five other sponsors for helping fund the estimated $1,500 cost. They include Milan Supermart, Love's Country Store, Diamond G Home Center, Corrections Corporation of America, Arnold's Carpets, Milan Bottle Gas, Family Dollar Store, Real's Cabinet Shop, Dairy Queen and the Iron Skillet Restaurant, plus the village government, Patricia Olsen and Trustees Brumbelow, Ellen Baca and George Knotts, and all the businesses which allowed posters to be put up.

Police department staff members served free jumbo hot dogs, nachos and punch. There were so many vehicles, that the fire department directed traffic on the entrance street onto a dirt field on the west side of the dry Rio San Jose. It also was a fairly warm day, with a nice breeze.

— To contact reporter Jim Maniaci in Grants, telephone 285-6184 or (505) 870-7775 (cellular).