Column: Farmington’s top 10 coolest things

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News programs in December and January are usually stuffed with top 10 lists. Although these are a handy way to fill a little space in a column, I haven’t resorted to them yet. The key word here is “yet.” This week I decided to cull the best of Farmington into one giant list, which I branded the Top Ten Coolest Things in Farmington during 2012.

Cue the drum roll, please, for the tenth coolest thing in Farmington, which is the curbside clean-up event. Roving bands of pickup trucks and minivans descend on Farmington for this annual recycling tradition, carting off residents’ cast-offs and making it easier for everyone to keep their garages clean. This year was particularly fruitful, as I recycled several gallons of paint from 2005, miscellaneous debris from the basement and an ancient desktop computer.

The ninth coolest thing in Farmington this year was the return of pheasants. For the first time in a few years I caught a glimpse of the beautifully painted feathers of a male pheasant gliding over the road between two cornfields. Maybe pheasants have been here all along, but this is the first time in three or four years I’ve witnessed one in flight. They are truly a unique Farmington sight.

This year, the eighth coolest thing in Farmington is little kids reading to dogs. Although the Farmington library regularly holds events where kids can practice their reading skills by reading aloud to a pet, I can’t help but smile every time I see a photo in the newspaper of a little third-grader reading a picture-book to an adoring mutt. Is there anything cuter than that?

The seventh coolest thing is the hydrant flushing. The city did an awesome job of warning everyone this October about the dreaded hydrant flushing, which turns Farmington’s tap water into a rusty brown mess. The first year I lived here I ruined an entire load of brand-new white towels. This year all of my whites lived to tell the tale of hydrant flushing, with nary a mysterious brown stain.

This year’s sixth coolest thing is Tailgaters, Farmington’s newest sports bar. After a long week of overtime at work, the delicious Friday-night fish fry at Tailgaters is a welcome respite from cooking. The pile of flaky fish pieces and tater tots is a mountain.

The last time I ordered the fish fry, I took a picture of my fish pile and sent it to my friends as soon as the waitress set it on the table. I’ve never been served six pieces of fish and a whole bag of tater tots in one sitting before. The place was packed and the salad bar was hopping. Since we were seated next to the Big Buck Hunter video game, we offered up half our table to a team of girls battling each other in a deer hunting competition. They ordered the appetizer platter, and really enjoyed the steaming hot onion rings and quesadillas.

From recycling to reading, fish fries to pheasants, 2012 has been a banner year in Farmington. In fact, there are so many cool things happening in Farmington that I’ve run out of space. Check back in two weeks for the top five coolest things in Farmington. In the meantime, I’ve got some leftover fish and tater tots to heat up.

Tags: opinion, farmington, commentaries