Brewster Council considers Cherries Jubilee, Salmon Derby applications

BREWSTER – Applications for the second annual Cherries Jubilee and the 14th annual Brewster Salmon Derby were taken under consideration by the Brewster City Council at its regular monthly meeting scheduled a week later than usual on Wednesday, April 17.

Brewster Chamber of Commerce President Anna Marie Dalbey briefed council members on the details of this year’s Jubilee scheduled for Saturday, June 15, from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Dalbey also revisited a possible city site for the Merriweather & Culpepper Circus scheduled to make its one-day stop in Brewster on June 6. The initial site under consideration along Sunset Drive next to the school soccer field turned out to be more of a job to clear and landscape and will involve more expense than earlier thought.

City Public Works Director Lee Webster said he walked the site with a heavy equipment contractor who advised him that the old orchard stumps and other debris will require a caterpillar and dump truck to clear before a grader can be brought in. The extra work and expense rules the site out of consideration for circus use.

Chamber officers have other sites under consideration as alternative locations.

Though the most recent news for returning chinook salmon numbers is dismal and the upper Columbia season closed, the Salmon Derby plans to proceed as usual in hopes that either numbers will improve or a limited season will be allowed at derby time during the first week of August.

City clerk Misty Ruiz said none of the out-of-town derby regulars have cancelled their reservations so most appear committed to be on site at derby time.