DATE: Friday, September 26, 1997            TAG: 9709240163

SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER      PAGE: 14   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY MARY REID BARROW, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   39 lines

CHESAPEAKE BOY, 7, WINS PRIZE WITH HIS 120-POUND PUMPKIN

The huge pumpkin that won the Farmers Market Giant Vegetable Contest at the Neptune Festival Country Fair Day last Saturday was bigger than the farmer that grew it.

Russell Tye, 7, who gardens with parents Tom and Julia Tye in Chesapeake, came away with top honors for his 120-pound pumpkin. Russell could barely hold the big orange orb upright to pose for a picture. An old pro at giant vegetable contests, the youngster won second prize for giant pumpkins last year at the Virginia State Fair.

At the Farmers Market contest, Tye was followed closely by Charles Craig, also of Chesapeake, who won second place with a 116-pound pumpkin. Renee Perry was third. Her pumpkin weighed 98 pounds.

A couple of dozen entrants also vied for the heaviest watermelons, yellow squashes and tomatoes in the first giant vegetable contest ever held at the market. First-place winners were awarded blue ribbons and $50; second-place winners, red ribbons and $25, and third-place winners, yellow ribbons and $15.

Winner of the giant tomato contest was Morris Fine for a 2-pound 1-ounce fruit. Bert Dail was second with a 1-pound 7-ounce tomato and David Graham of Chesapeake and Linda T. Abrahano tied for third with tomatoes both weighing 1 pound 4 ounces.

Graham came back to win the giant watermelon class with a 66-pound monster. David P. Roddy was second with a 53-pounder and Axia Roddy's weighed in at 46 pounds.

Giant yellow squash winners were Wanda Lewis and Maryellen Browne, who grew a 8-pound 7-ounce whopper. Young Russell Tye's squash was second at 3 pounds 7 ounces and Graham was a winner again also with a 1-pound 8-ounce squash. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by MARY REID BARROW

Russell Tye's giant pumpkin won a blue ribbon and $50. He also

placed second with a 3-pound, 7-ounce yellow squash.

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