Last night, hundreds braved the mean streets of Corning to take part in the Adams Community Chamber of Commerce’s Sample Corning event. After a rainy and messy 2010 Sample Corning, 2011 was determined to do better. It was a clear and mild evening as over 30 businesses and organizations came together to put together a feast for the community. Sample Corning filled the bellies of everyone that attended…and it was a great way to kick-off the holiday season!
Our story starts today with a mild-mannered man who was out to take pictures of the festivities. Like all mild-mannered people, he was instantly set upon by a gang of street urchins. They offered to leave him alone and even protect him from the mob in the downtown if he agreed to take their picture and tell the world their Sample Corning story. Reluctant and slightly intimidated, our mild-mannered hero snapped a shot of them in all of their glory and agreed to chronicle their tale. That tale begins now…
They decided they wanted to avoid the horde emptying from the cars on Davis Avenue, so they decided to head off the beaten path for one of the many vendors populating the side streets. They invaded RJ’s Plumbing on Adams, demanding food in order to keep from egging the store. Our mild-mannered photographer tried to motion frantically that they had no eggs, but it did not matter. The ruffians were fed and they began to leave. Our photographer managed to sidle close to Andrew Johnson and tell him that they had no eggs, but he just laughed. He said that there was no harm in their fun and asked if he could have a picture in their tale.
Andrew’s wife, Misty, was not used to being in the spotlight and demanded another picture be taken since she felt she was not giving her best pose. (For not being in the spotight, it was funny how she knew to be so demanding to a man with a camera). Yet, our mild-mannered photographer decided that it was probably better to have a back-up anyway:
Our street urchins headed in a haphazard fashion now, wanting to get the good food, but not be standing in line at ther mercy of the crowd. They decided to make a break for Alegent Health Wellness Center and got some fajitas. They devoured those in such a rush that the couple behind them were hard-pressed to stop their giggling:
Worried that the couple might get ganged up on for their merriment, our mild-mannered photographer quickly distracted them by saying that if they hurried, the urchins could get to the next stop before the crowd surged to it. The hoodlums ran for it, forcing the photographer to race frantically through the traffic to catch them. They arrived at Lifetime Systems, where they were hard-pressed to get food. They tried to take it from one lady’s mouth, but she resiliently held on and stared them down:
Somewhat startled by the bravery displayed, the ragtag band headed back outside, going up Davis Avenue. They went into Boz’s Kitchen and stared suspiciously at the Rural Iowa Crisis Center display. They were sweetly invited to take part in the goodies, but the blood-red knife in Stacey’s hand gave them all pause. They were starting to edge forward when Stacey grinned and they began to quake and edge out of the building, even though Stacey called after them to make sure they got a tasty treat before they left:
Seeing Davis lined with people, the motley crew headed over to Benton Avenue and 7th Street, determined to get the goods while the getting was good. They stopped in at the Extension Office, but the line was long. They waited a few minutes and decided to try and sneak in another way. They got past the guards and into the side room where all of the work was being done. The lady working was in a fun and merry mood, even though she scolded the kids for cutting in line and made them leave:
After being run off again, the group collected outside and decided to try another approach. They told our mild-mannered photographer that he would distract the proprietors of the next establishment by taking photos of them while the urchins raided the stores of food. Unsure of whether this was a good idea or not, the photographer agreed, certain that he could still be swallowed by the mob if the urchins were not protecting him. They entered Bella Vita Salon and our photographer did his best to engage the ladies with his flash while the kids ravaged the food table:
Having successfully raided the food table there, the little gang headed across the street to Corning Family Chiropractic, certain that they could overpower Dr. Leonard in the small space and manage to outrun her if they were able to swipe the food. However, Dr. Leonard was like a mother hawk, valiantly protecting her food so the rest of the masses could taste her delights. The urchins headed out, but not before demanding that our photographer get even with her. Of course, the only thing to do was to get the element of surprise:
SURPRISE! And off they all ran, racing into the State Bank of Brooks for a reprieve. There Burton Heaton, the Dr. Frankenstein of the cotton candy world, had several colors and flavors of candy floss to try. From blue raspberry to a suspicious looking chocolate one, there was enough for each of the little monsters to have one and share with the group. They each grabbed up a color and headed out with the sinister smile of Dr. FrankenHeaton following them…
After that, the crew decided that Davis Avenue should be emptier now and that they could get through most of the stops without long waits. They headed into the Carpet Store first and saw another long line. Buoyed by their success at Bella Vita, the gang decided to make our photographer use his camera to distract the owners. Our photographer, who seemed invisible this night, snuck around the table, made a loud cough, and flashed his camera. While Matt Riley struck an unknowing pose, wife Denise watched happily while the kids made off with more food:
Running out the front door, the urchins went next door to Sweet Desires, ready to taste whatever she had available. However, when they got there, Lisa Allison was busy polishing off what was left, happily remarking that they should have gotten there earlier:
When the kids tried to swipe some cookies, they found that they were for decoration only. Stumped at how they had let themselves be fooled again, they headed to the top of Davis and went past the darkened Opera House to Studio 406. They peeked in through the windows, seeing that there were only two women working. Deciding that the third time was a charm for this particular endeavor, they forced our photographer to distract the workers again while they ravaged the drink table set up inside. Once again, it worked:
After grabbing all they could during the distraction, our band of misfits headed back down Davis, helping the photographer dodge the ever-growing crowd. They heard rumblings about the great new pizza at Breadeaux and made a beeline for the place, getting there just in time to see new pizza samples being unloaded onto the buffett bar. Grabbing some in each hand, they all scattered, making Nathalie have to put more out:
Outside, our mild-mannered photographer was getting both hungry and tired. He threatened to leave the group now since the night was nearly over. They all looked and each other and grinned, pointing behind our photographer and asking him if he was sure he was brave enough to face the crowd in the dark:
Our photographer backed down and asked them where they were headed next. They pointed behind him again and they entered the Print Shop where they were able to quickly grab the fixings on the counter and shovel them down without having to wait:
At this point, our photographer’s camera and legs gave out and the street urchins said they would go on without him. However, they warned him that they had better see the tale of their evening or he would be getting another visit from them. Our mild-mannered photographer mumbled his thanks for the reprieve and the assurance that their tale would be told.
While there is more to the story than what has been told, this has been a mere sampling. Much like the tasty delights of Sample Corning inspired people to pick up recipe cards and ask for seconds at the businesses, so too does this tale hope to inspire you to learn more about the hauntings of the street urchins during the event. Good night!
THE ADAMS COMMUNITY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL OF THE BUSINESSES AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT TOOK PART IN SAMPLE CORNING THIS YEAR. WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE THAT CAME OUT THIS YEAR TO TAKE PART IN THE EVENT. WE HOPE YOU ALL HAD A GREAT TIME AND WE HOPE THAT YOU ARE BACK AGAIN NEXT YEAR!
*This article was a mere sampling of photos and stories from this year’s Sample Corning. This article was in jest and not meant to offend anyone in the article or to offend anyone by having been left out.
Award-winning homebrewer and certified beer judge, J. Wilson will be on hand releasing, reading from and signing his new book, "Diary of a Part-Time Monk, this Saturday, December 10 from 1-5 p.m. at the Corning Center for Fine Arts. 
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You won’t want to miss this month’s Second Satruday at the Corning Center for the Fine Arts! Artist Kathleen Coy will be on hand to discuss techniques, subjects, and style with her mix of landscapes, animals, and other works. It all starts at 1 p.m. Saturday, August 13 with refreshments sponsored by the Corning Winery. Her show will continue until September 9th. Also, if you missed this year’s En Plein Air, there are still many fine works on display and for sale at the Center.
Have you met the current artist-in-resident at the Corning Center for the Fine Arts? If not, here’s your opportunity to meet Zack Jones during a wonderful event. At the “Art and Historic Preservation” opening reception October 9th from 3-9 p.m., you can enjoy the creative atmosphere at the gallery while meeting Zack and enjoying his latest series of paintings. The Corning Winery will be on hand, Tim from the “Swamp Boy Blues” will be performing and Dede Johnson from the Omaha Clayworks will be sharing her passion for art. Also enjoy some hors d’oeuvres and home brew. If you miss the reception make sure you stop by during October to meet Zack and hear his story. Zack Jones is an Iowa native that moved back from Phoenix four years ago. Zack’s a full time oil painter developing a name for himself while bringing the arts to rural Iowa and now bringing rural Iowa into art. He joined Corning Center for Arts Residency program in June 2010. Jones entered the program to work on commission projects but was captivated by Corning’s Opera House renovation. Hope to see you October 9th. I plan to be there. It’s awesome! To learn more about the Corning Center for the Fine Arts check out their website at