Fenton City Council Approves 32nd Annual Applefest Road Race

The St. John Applefest Road Race is a go.

Fenton City Council approved the event, with the church to reimburse the city $1,000 for police overtime expenditures, if the race is profitable for .

More than 1,200 runners participated in 2010 without incident, Chief of Police Rick Aro stated in his memo to City Manager Lynn Markland.

This year's race, the 32nd annual one for Applefest, will be Saturday, Sept. 17. The 10K race begins at 9 a.m, and the races will conclude by 11 a.m. Races also include a 5K run/walk, Apple Core 1 mile and kids Core-ter (one-fourth) mile.

Overtime staffing for the police department, in connection with the race, will be approximately $1,000.

Mayor Sue Osborn said St. John Church contributes to the city of Fenton in various ways, including allowing the city to hold elections in its Activity Center free of charge. Fenton doesn't have its own handicap-accessible building that is large enough, Osborn said. It normally costs $1,400 to rent the St. John Activity Center, with a $100 deposit being returned, or $300 if the renter belongs to the parish.

In addition, St. John Church donates the Activity Center for other city events, such as Safety Town for children, she said.

It supports Fenton in other ways, making donations for the tree restoration efforts after the August 2007 tornado, Councilwoman Cheryl King said.

Vincent Haiss, who, with his wife Angela Haiss, is chairing Applefest for a third year, said the race will take the same path as in years past. This includes Adelaide Street and North Road.

Osborn asked that signs marking the race route be posted two to three days before the races, so people can plan ahead for the street closures. Some residents will need to reach the bank and post office, for example, she said.

Bill Hardimon, who has chaired the Applefest Road Race for several years, made note of the request.

More information on the race, and Applefest, is available at www.stjohnapplefest.org.