Clue Explanations by Gary Gillis
2008 Pepsi Marigold Medallion Hunt Clue Explanations by Gary Gillis
No secret - when constructing a hunt I often look for themes or concepts upon which to develop my clues. This allows me to take a broad approach and narrow it down as the hunt progresses. It also creates opportunities for multiple interpretations, which keeps things interesting and adds to the excitement.
This year's selection of the Eugene Miller Senior Citizens Center added the challenge and concern that occurs when choosing a place that has limited hiding spots and is easily accessible. I also needed to guard against the possibility that workers at, or those that frequent that spot, might have an unfair advantage. Therefore I chose to develop clues that made broad references to themes that focused on “Seniors,” "Eugene," and "Miller.” There were also references to the basic characteristics of the location and the specific spot. Note the number of ways that I focused on these key themes and how each subsequent referenced more narrowly focused upon them.
Clue One: The first verse appears to be a reference to the festival but is really aimed at a new school year, which culminates in an "annual celebration" and the festivities that characterize the graduation of a Senior Class. The reference to "time" was a vague reference to the advertising phrase "It's Miller Time." The second verse was basically a primer letting the hunter prepare for the historical and popular references. Hence the words "history" and "celebrity.”
Clue Two: The hunter is reminded to look for “themes." The road sign to the north of the parking lot has lost most of its letters- "not even see the signs." This year's festival has a NASCAR theme. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is a popular name on the circuit. Dale Earnhardt SENIOR was a legend. The Busch name is also a prominent NASCAR family. There are two signs at different entrances to the general parking lots. They say "No thoroughfare" and ''Video Surveillance". There is a bold "line" "between" them. Even though it is not a thoroughfare, you still "can get there.” With video surveillance First United Methodist Church "keep a careful eye." They also removed the house that stood there for many years. They planted grass seed. By doing so they chose to "do nothing" which, in reality created green space and therefore "did something." It is easy to forget that a house once stood there but “your mind sees it if you try."
Clue Three: "Observant” is a reference to the church, which "observes" Sunday worship and religious holidays. The church also has "Entrance One” and "Entrance Two." Therefore you "see it once and see it twice." The location was characterized by two similar bushes that you saw once, then twice and when you see a father-son Senior and Junior, you see the name once and twice. There are three handicapped parking spaces very close to the hiding place that were "leaning." The reference to playmates and played were a precursor to playwrights Arthur Miller and Eugene O'Neill. O'Neill and Eugene McCarthy were historic "Irish" names and Eugene, Oregon (like Gary, Indiana) is to "a place or a name” Finally, the demolished house left: "open space" and with its removal "good detectives may not find a trace."
Clue Four: The first verse refers to school. A clock has twelve numbers and new drivers get their license at sixteen. 12th graders are “seniors.” You often graduate from college in the 16th grade as a "senior.” This was a tough concept but with the clock at Pekin Hospital nearby I felt it had application. "Hear them loudly as they're starting to grow" refers to "baby boomers" who are beginning to enter the realm of Senior Citizenship. In the second verse, as one ages they feel that "the calendar advances rapidly." "Near the end of this race" refers to the upcoming Election. "A beautiful nectar so valuable" referred to Sen. Barry Goldwater who with his Vice Presidential running mate ("speedy mate") lost in the 1964 Presidential race and therefore "came in second place." The VP candidate was William "Miller.
Clue Five: "Boundaries are not always distinctive" referred to the blending of adjacent properties. The "Miller" Center blends in with First United Methodist Church and "Miller" Park with Riverfront Park. The Church Parking lot behind the Miller Center is landscaped in a way that looks like "islands" with separation between them for walking and water run-off. "Famous Drivers" brought back the Earnhardt and Busch reference; the "famous actor" was brought in later; and "forty-one" and "forty-three" are President George H.W. Bush (41st President) and George W. Bush (43). The medallion was hidden in a bush and "Bush 41" is often referred to as "the senior President Bush." The whole second verse refers to the small courtyard almost "hidden" on the east side of the Miller Center. Its close proximity to the Lagoon cause it to "reflect" off the water.
Clue Six: The first verse required some research. But that's what three-day weekends are for! The "good old war movie” is "Saving Private Ryan" which I developed in subsequent clues. "Felling groovy" is an "old" expression. In the second line. "Eugene" V. Debs is an historic "labor" “leader.” The “western state” is Oregon and "a funny named place" was "Eugene." "Special play" refers to the historic playwrights I used often. "Special delivery" referred to UPS. They're famous advertising phrase was “What can brown do for you?" The Miller Center is predominately brown. The "two things that seem out of place" were the restrooms that were built before the Center and the concrete driveway on the south side of the building. All other paved areas are asphalt. As a further hint, notice the word “relieved" for the restrooms and "delineated space" for the parking lots.
Clue Seven: Much of this clue employs basic "trivia," but in the first verse, "stuck in the middle" refers to center. "Life on a river" brought the hunter's attention to Miller Park. However, when considering "duplicity" you're reminded that there Is another Miller - the Miller Center. In the second verse, "a musician who served his country" was Glenn Miller; "a lucky guy who wrote lots of plays" was playwright Arthur Miller, who married Marilyn Monroe (lucky guy); "a main character in a movie" was Tom Hanks, the "Oscar" winning actor, who starred in the "war movie", Saving Private Ryan - a film centered around the D-Day invasion (D is the fourth letter in the alphabet). Hanks played Captain Miller. Finally, I began this clue with the word "Sugar." We lost our much-loved dog of 15 years just before I wrote this clue. Her name was Sugar. This was my tribute to her. I apologize if it created confusion but dog lovers will understand.
Clue Eight: The first verse denotes the theme of aging and long ago past. "Four score and seven years ago" - taken from the Gettysburg address equals 87. Anyone who is 87 is a Senior Citizen who was "created a long time ago." Senior citizens can remember when "Mercury was on a dime." The Mercury head dime was imprinted from 1916-1945. In the second verse, I elaborate a bit about Clue 7. The "lucky guy" was again Arthur Miller; "in the movie they were seeking a yank" was about Saving Private Ryan; "counting the days" which "should have really been letters" (A, B, C, D) was D-Day for that movie; and the "actor's name” that "rhymes with thanks" was Tom Hanks who played Captain Miller.
Clue Nine: The clincher that had to be more specific. The first verse focuses on seniors as in "longevity” and "turn one's hair gray." "Beating the bushes" is self-explanatory. In verse two, "last year in high school" is your "senior" year. "Far reach" told you that the medallion was deeply hidden in a bush on the south ("where most go for the winter") side of the building; which was "so near where it's bad if you curse” - the Methodist Church.
That's it! Notice the simplicity in Clue Nine. It took minutes to interpret. That's why, to make any hunt last, I have to stay intentionally vague or make interpretation difficult. This one was no different. I "write em as I see em" and let fate take care of the rest. My hope is that the finder worked the clues and earned their prize. That certainly describes Scott and Angela Jones. They have been passionate hunters for years and work together as a family. The fact that they are repeat winners is testimony to their diligence and determination. Congratulations to them and all who participated. I don't know how the hunt was for you, but to me as always, it was fun. Finally, a big thank you to Pepsi who has sponsored this event for 21 years. Without them, this event would not be the popular icon that it has become.
No secret - when constructing a hunt I often look for themes or concepts upon which to develop my clues. This allows me to take a broad approach and narrow it down as the hunt progresses. It also creates opportunities for multiple interpretations, which keeps things interesting and adds to the excitement.
This year's selection of the Eugene Miller Senior Citizens Center added the challenge and concern that occurs when choosing a place that has limited hiding spots and is easily accessible. I also needed to guard against the possibility that workers at, or those that frequent that spot, might have an unfair advantage. Therefore I chose to develop clues that made broad references to themes that focused on “Seniors,” "Eugene," and "Miller.” There were also references to the basic characteristics of the location and the specific spot. Note the number of ways that I focused on these key themes and how each subsequent referenced more narrowly focused upon them.
Clue One: The first verse appears to be a reference to the festival but is really aimed at a new school year, which culminates in an "annual celebration" and the festivities that characterize the graduation of a Senior Class. The reference to "time" was a vague reference to the advertising phrase "It's Miller Time." The second verse was basically a primer letting the hunter prepare for the historical and popular references. Hence the words "history" and "celebrity.”
Clue Two: The hunter is reminded to look for “themes." The road sign to the north of the parking lot has lost most of its letters- "not even see the signs." This year's festival has a NASCAR theme. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is a popular name on the circuit. Dale Earnhardt SENIOR was a legend. The Busch name is also a prominent NASCAR family. There are two signs at different entrances to the general parking lots. They say "No thoroughfare" and ''Video Surveillance". There is a bold "line" "between" them. Even though it is not a thoroughfare, you still "can get there.” With video surveillance First United Methodist Church "keep a careful eye." They also removed the house that stood there for many years. They planted grass seed. By doing so they chose to "do nothing" which, in reality created green space and therefore "did something." It is easy to forget that a house once stood there but “your mind sees it if you try."
Clue Three: "Observant” is a reference to the church, which "observes" Sunday worship and religious holidays. The church also has "Entrance One” and "Entrance Two." Therefore you "see it once and see it twice." The location was characterized by two similar bushes that you saw once, then twice and when you see a father-son Senior and Junior, you see the name once and twice. There are three handicapped parking spaces very close to the hiding place that were "leaning." The reference to playmates and played were a precursor to playwrights Arthur Miller and Eugene O'Neill. O'Neill and Eugene McCarthy were historic "Irish" names and Eugene, Oregon (like Gary, Indiana) is to "a place or a name” Finally, the demolished house left: "open space" and with its removal "good detectives may not find a trace."
Clue Four: The first verse refers to school. A clock has twelve numbers and new drivers get their license at sixteen. 12th graders are “seniors.” You often graduate from college in the 16th grade as a "senior.” This was a tough concept but with the clock at Pekin Hospital nearby I felt it had application. "Hear them loudly as they're starting to grow" refers to "baby boomers" who are beginning to enter the realm of Senior Citizenship. In the second verse, as one ages they feel that "the calendar advances rapidly." "Near the end of this race" refers to the upcoming Election. "A beautiful nectar so valuable" referred to Sen. Barry Goldwater who with his Vice Presidential running mate ("speedy mate") lost in the 1964 Presidential race and therefore "came in second place." The VP candidate was William "Miller.
Clue Five: "Boundaries are not always distinctive" referred to the blending of adjacent properties. The "Miller" Center blends in with First United Methodist Church and "Miller" Park with Riverfront Park. The Church Parking lot behind the Miller Center is landscaped in a way that looks like "islands" with separation between them for walking and water run-off. "Famous Drivers" brought back the Earnhardt and Busch reference; the "famous actor" was brought in later; and "forty-one" and "forty-three" are President George H.W. Bush (41st President) and George W. Bush (43). The medallion was hidden in a bush and "Bush 41" is often referred to as "the senior President Bush." The whole second verse refers to the small courtyard almost "hidden" on the east side of the Miller Center. Its close proximity to the Lagoon cause it to "reflect" off the water.
Clue Six: The first verse required some research. But that's what three-day weekends are for! The "good old war movie” is "Saving Private Ryan" which I developed in subsequent clues. "Felling groovy" is an "old" expression. In the second line. "Eugene" V. Debs is an historic "labor" “leader.” The “western state” is Oregon and "a funny named place" was "Eugene." "Special play" refers to the historic playwrights I used often. "Special delivery" referred to UPS. They're famous advertising phrase was “What can brown do for you?" The Miller Center is predominately brown. The "two things that seem out of place" were the restrooms that were built before the Center and the concrete driveway on the south side of the building. All other paved areas are asphalt. As a further hint, notice the word “relieved" for the restrooms and "delineated space" for the parking lots.
Clue Seven: Much of this clue employs basic "trivia," but in the first verse, "stuck in the middle" refers to center. "Life on a river" brought the hunter's attention to Miller Park. However, when considering "duplicity" you're reminded that there Is another Miller - the Miller Center. In the second verse, "a musician who served his country" was Glenn Miller; "a lucky guy who wrote lots of plays" was playwright Arthur Miller, who married Marilyn Monroe (lucky guy); "a main character in a movie" was Tom Hanks, the "Oscar" winning actor, who starred in the "war movie", Saving Private Ryan - a film centered around the D-Day invasion (D is the fourth letter in the alphabet). Hanks played Captain Miller. Finally, I began this clue with the word "Sugar." We lost our much-loved dog of 15 years just before I wrote this clue. Her name was Sugar. This was my tribute to her. I apologize if it created confusion but dog lovers will understand.
Clue Eight: The first verse denotes the theme of aging and long ago past. "Four score and seven years ago" - taken from the Gettysburg address equals 87. Anyone who is 87 is a Senior Citizen who was "created a long time ago." Senior citizens can remember when "Mercury was on a dime." The Mercury head dime was imprinted from 1916-1945. In the second verse, I elaborate a bit about Clue 7. The "lucky guy" was again Arthur Miller; "in the movie they were seeking a yank" was about Saving Private Ryan; "counting the days" which "should have really been letters" (A, B, C, D) was D-Day for that movie; and the "actor's name” that "rhymes with thanks" was Tom Hanks who played Captain Miller.
Clue Nine: The clincher that had to be more specific. The first verse focuses on seniors as in "longevity” and "turn one's hair gray." "Beating the bushes" is self-explanatory. In verse two, "last year in high school" is your "senior" year. "Far reach" told you that the medallion was deeply hidden in a bush on the south ("where most go for the winter") side of the building; which was "so near where it's bad if you curse” - the Methodist Church.
That's it! Notice the simplicity in Clue Nine. It took minutes to interpret. That's why, to make any hunt last, I have to stay intentionally vague or make interpretation difficult. This one was no different. I "write em as I see em" and let fate take care of the rest. My hope is that the finder worked the clues and earned their prize. That certainly describes Scott and Angela Jones. They have been passionate hunters for years and work together as a family. The fact that they are repeat winners is testimony to their diligence and determination. Congratulations to them and all who participated. I don't know how the hunt was for you, but to me as always, it was fun. Finally, a big thank you to Pepsi who has sponsored this event for 21 years. Without them, this event would not be the popular icon that it has become.
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