Festival Quest Medallion FOUND!

Stop the hunt! The 2009 Festival Quest Medallion was located found at approximately 3 p.m. on June 4, 2009, near the dike between Oxbow and Bill Burke Parks. Salina residents Procoro Chora, his wife Michelle Chora, and their daughters Brianna, Kristina, and Loresa Chora found the medallion.

Festival Quest Medallion
Clues Revealed

Clue #1:
PARK IT!

The medallion is located on public property. This clue is meant to point the seeker toward a public park, parking lot, or ball park.

Clue #2:
Greet the sun at the “O” of B&O

B&O refers to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, which was one of the oldest railroads in the United States and the first common carrier railroad. The “O” in B&O is “Ohio,” which is reference to Ohio Street – a primary north-south road in town. “Greet the sun” refers to a sunrise; the sun rises in the east. The medallion is located on the east side of Salina, east of Ohio Street.

Clue #3:
South of a bird crop and crossing

The clue further pinpoints the area of town where the medallion is located. It helps to look at the clue like this: South of a “bird crop” and “crossing.” Bird crop is one definition for the noun “craw”: defined as the crop of a bird or insect. Crossing or, more specifically, “cross” is a synonym for the verb “ford”; a ford is defined as a place where a river or other body of water is shallow enough to be crossed by wading. “Craw” and “Ford” together refer to Crawford Street – a primary east-west road in town. The medallion is located south of Crawford Street.

Clue #4:
Goals and bases at extremes

There are many ball parks and soccer fields located throughout Salina. The medallion’s location is between baseball diamonds to the extreme north (at Bill Burke) and soccer fields (at Oxbow Park and new complex at Magnolia) to the south.

Clue #5:
An artist’s shared water and birds

An artistic public art installation by Lynn Hull at Oxbow Park is a collection of eight large stones that sit to the northeast of the park’s playground. Etchings on the stones refer to some of the park’s natural beauty and wildlife, specifically the native birds and the proximity to the Smoky Hill River. This clue further points to the medallion’s location – near Oxbow Park. However, the medallion is not located at the site of this artwork. The medallion is hidden among some the park’s natural elements.

Clue #6:
I’ll take the high road and you take the low

The city’s man-made dike edges Oxbow Park to the east. The dike is raised above ground level and features a paved walking path and some unpaved parts. It was installed as a flood control measure to protect the city from rising waters. To find the medallion, the seeker will need to take the high road on the dike.

Clue #7:
Where to go when you run out of faith

Oxbow Park is located at the intersection of Faith Drive and McAdams. This clue offers another reference to Oxbow Park and the hike/bike paths, putting the medallion in its proximity.

Clue #8:
Feet and wheels welcome

The dike is often used by people as a walking path or a bicycle path. This clue urges the seeker to search the area near the dike.

Clue #9:
The “Oxbow Incident”

The “Oxbow Incident” was a popular movie. This clue more clearly pinpoints the area of the medallion’s location.

Clue #10:
22 plus 99 to 22 plus 87

Silver, metal water control apparatus are located along the dike in various locations. Each is numbered (with 22 + 99 or 22 + 87). The medallion was tucked in the “rip rap” (rocks) along the bank of the dike at the upper edge, where the higher path meets the rocks.

Clues released before the Festival Medallion was found: