On Nov. 21, a small line formed in front of the red double doors of the quaint historical DeBorgia Schoolhouse. It wasn’t time for class though, rather these were Mineral County residents seeking holiday gifts, treats, and a touch of normal.

Vice President of the DeBorgia Historic Schoolhouse Foundation, Lynette Walters reflected, “We had people lined up at the door before 10 a.m., and it was a little crazy for a while. We had just a few small baked items left at the end of the day, otherwise we sold out.”

The bake sale was a small way of making up for cancelled events in this year of COVID.

“It's been discouraging not having our dinners and the big yard sale, but we have been encouraged by the support of the community who have turned out for the bake sales and been very generous with their donations,” said Walters. “But we also miss the contact with the community at the normal functions, and we've been told many residents miss this as well. We just continue to hope that things will be back to normal soon!”

One gathering that was sorely missed this year was the annual Hunters Special Spaghetti Dinner that would usually be held on evening before opening day of rifle season.

The tradition was often a step in the preparation of getting ready for chasing big game the next morning.

Walters remarked, “It's all about community, catching up with others you may not have seen it a while, swapping stories and wishing each other well on the elusive hunt. We really hope that we can get back to it next year!”

Since the spaghetti dinner couldn’t be enjoyed in a communal way, members of the Schoolhouse Foundation conjured up a thoughtful alternative, jars of the spaghetti sauce to share at home. It ended up being one of the most sought-after items at the bake sale. Walters stated, “I'm not sure who initially brought it up, but we discussed it at a meeting a month or so ago, calculated the costs, and decided it would be a fun thing to try.”

After securing enough canning jars and lids Walter said, “Then we just recruited workers and shoppers and put most of it together in one day. We used the recipe that is always used for the dinner, and Naomi Stevens was a huge help teaching us how to can the sauce!”

With help from Naomi Stevens, Susan Charles, Diane Jones, Sharon Korteum, Christie Carrilles, Gigi DuBois, and Walters, they were able to make over 40 jars of the savory spaghetti sauce for the bake sale.

Stevens a member of the DeBorgia Historic Schoolhouse Foundation made cherry cream cheese braids and cream filled pumpkin cupcakes. She happily proclaimed, “The sale went fantastic, those cupcakes were gone by 10:30 a.m.!”

Other items at the sale included baked goods, handmade items, Christmas decorations, and a gorgeous red rose quilt that was raffled off to Joann Heacock of St. Regis. Walters explained, “We don't have separate booths, all items are donated by members and other supporters and it all gets put into our general fund to pay for operating expenses.”

The Schoolhouse Foundation reported that through various bake sales this year they’ve been able to cover all their utilities and usual expenses. “We have just had to postpone some of the things we had hoped to do, like painting the building and a few other updates that we'd hoped to tackle. But we are very thankful that we have been able to do these small events and have such great success!” expressed Walters.

Other than selling out of pies a little too quickly Walters shared, “It was a lot of fun, and it was wonderful to see the community come out and support us! We feel very blessed by the donations and sales today.”

“Just getting back to normal, being able to interact with the community like before. It's always a lot of work, but we truly miss seeing everyone!” said Walters.

For the month of December, the Schoolhouse Foundation was sad to announce that they will not be having the traditional Christmas Tree Lighting this year. Walters noted, “Mainly because Santa is a little concerned about Covid and didn't want to get sick before the Holidays and not be able to travel for Christmas Eve! But we hope to have lots of lighting in the schoolhouse windows for others to enjoy.”