Hyde Park mayor's wife spoofs herself in annual Pumpkin Walk display

Photo courstesy of Gina Worthen

By Brittny Goodsell Jones

October 28, 2008 | NORTH LOGAN -- Bubble, bubble, who's in trouble? Three local mayors got publicity this weekend after their names were associated with a scene depicting their wives as witches at North Logan's annual Pumpkin Walk. A sign names Mayor Dave Kooyman of Hyde Park, Mayor Randy Watts of Logan, and Mayor Cary Watkins of North Logan as creators of the three witches. But the idea was brewed by Joleene Kooyman, wife of Dave Kooyman.

"It's tongue in cheek," Joleene said with a laugh. "Everyone knows that the mayors are not going to do that -- they don't have time, nor are they capable of doing it."

Joleene, who helped with this year's Pumpkin Walk, said the idea came about because a space needed to be filled along the walkway. With assistance from a friend, three witches with paper mache heads were found and placed in the empty Pumpkin Walk spot. The scene was dubbed "Our Wives, Our Heroes" and showed three witches dressed in woman's clothing. Joleene said she is the witch to the right who has a finger up the nose and a hand on the hip.

"I thought it's got to have a sign where I'm not taking credit for it … and I thought, 'OK, three witches and Mayor Watkins, Watts and Kooyman are all good friends and Lucy, Kathy and I are friends,' so I just thought 'I 'm going to do this,'" Joleene said.

So far, a few people have approached Joleene about the witch's scene and made "off-the-wall" comments, she said, since many believe her husband really took part.

"One guy said, 'Is your husband in the doghouse?" she said. "I said, "No, why?" He said, "Because I just came back from the Pumpkin Walk."

At first, Joleene wasn't going to say anything about the witch scene to Mayor Kooyman, her husband of 36 years. Instead, she had plans to drag him over to the Pumpkin Walk and let him see for himself. The more she thought about it, however, the more she wanted to make sure he was fine with it ­ which he said he is.

"Some people have been worried but it's just good fun," Mayor Kooyman said.

Besides keeping things lights and working hard, Mayor Kooyman said his wife is just what the sign states ­ his hero.

"She's amazingly dependable," Mayor Kooyman said. "She goes 110 percent if she does something."

Even though Joleene is friends with the other two wives named in this witch's scene (Lucy Watkins and Kathy Watts) she wanted it to be a surprise.

Lucy Watkins found out about the display when she went to the Pumpkin Walk with family. Her husband, Cary, saw it first and pointed it out to Lucy.

"I didn't equate it with us," Lucy said. "I didn't catch it, as far as what is said. I took a picture of it and then Carey said, 'You didn't get it.'"

Lucy is the middle witch. She said "they got me pretty right," since she is taller than the other two ladies in real life. However, her nose is not that long.

And just like Joleene, Lucy said she is her husband's hero.

"I let him do exactly what he wants to do," Lucy said with a laugh. "I give him a lot of space, I'm always supportive and we're a good partnership. I'm also his hero because before he met me, he had a diet of nachos and salsa and I'm a good cook ­ his cholesterol isn't as high."

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