“The Community is what makes it happen!”

Mayor LuCus Spencer spent his last December presiding over the Teuscher Square Lighting as mayor, but it’s not a tradition he has any plans of missing in the future.

“Oh, I’ll be here next year!  My kids come down here every year.  We’ve been doing this ever since we moved here…seventeen years ago.  It’s a great thing for the community that everyone looks forward to.” 

It was a sentiment that was echoed by many of those gathered around the burn barrels throughout the square on an incredibly brisk late fall evening.  “We get a lot of volunteers, but it’s also a lot of city workers that volunteer their time,” Spencer said.  “We got the people running around in costumes—I’m not saying high school kids—but they just come and have a ball with it, because they get to come and be kind of like a Santa Claus handing out candies and stuff.”

City Clerk Debbie Swensen added that “our volunteers who stepped in made all the difference in keeping the hot cocoa running and things moving.”

Jason Perkins, for instance, provided the music.  “We feel fortunate to have him come and put on our music.  The fact that he comes in to our little town and puts this on is amazing,” Clerk Swensen said.  She also noted the amazing cooking of LaRue Workman, who desserts are always a huge hit (spudnuts and cookies—sugar cookies and ginger snaps).  City Councilwoman Jessica Thurman served food in full crown and sash.  Mrs. Lish’s class decorated one tree for about an hour.  The employees of the city do all the other decorating.  

“People just stepped in and helped, and it was amazing.  Jyll Kern from Soda Springs jumped in and helped me served. Having all the volunteers made a big difference,” Swensen said.

Mayor Spencer agreed, and talked about some of the other volunteers from inside town and out. “It’s an awesome community event where everybody gets together.  This year with Caribou Memorial and the Fire Department coming in and doing the hotdogs and hamburgers for the fundraiser, you couldn’t ask for a better turnout with the people and them being able to come and help us—it’s been awesome!”

The Lighting of the Square is one of the singular events of the year in Bancroft, and also the surrounding county.  This year volunteers came from Soda Springs, Grace, and other parts throughout the county.

Assistant Fire Chief Travis Krebs from Grace was one of the volunteers cooking food for the visitors.  

“Well, after some pretty devastating fires last summer that we are glad we were able to assist on, we just had the idea to support the community and do something to help.  We grill burgers all the time over there, so we said we’d do it for whatever activity they wanted, and they chose this. We thought it would be great to show some community support between us, so we came right over,” Krebs said.

The Fire Department was joined by members of the Grace Chamber of Commerce as well.  “Most everything we do is kind of tied in with the Chamber or Commerce.  The Fire Department is community outreach in a lot of ways, and so we join up with the Chamber a lot.”

Grace Chamber members Caribou Medical Center were also part of the countywide support.

“We love doing this stuff,” CMC’s Dillon Liechty said, from his customary place at the grill. 

“The hospital’s just been awesome to provide the food and help out and It’s all of use coming together here,” Krebs said.

The hotdogs and hamburgers were donated by CMC and the Grace groups and cooked “for donations.” According to city officials, they were able to raise more than they even expected, and will be using those funds to help rebuild the Volunteer Fire Department in Bancroft.  As a result of the summer fires in town, there was significant damage to some of the equipment, which will need to be repaired or replaced.  

One thing that is difficult to replace is human power, and the city is looking for volunteers who would like to join the department.  Since the fire, the city has gained four  new fighters, and is looking for more.  Like all fire departments, the fire trucks can assist on fires outside city limits if requested, so the city is not just looking for people from Bancroft.  Every person who gets trained is an important resource.  According to city officials, there is something that almost anyone can do to help with the Fire service.  Those interested are encouraged to stop by the city office at 95 south main. 

Additionally, people who would like to donate directly to the city Fire Department can stop by city hall or send donations to PO Box 39 Bancroft, 83217.

As Mayor Spencer prepares to leave office in January, he won’t be leaving town.  And he’ll definitely be involved in the Lighting next year.  “I’ll come and support however I can, to keep things going and all that, but the community is what makes it go,” Spencer said.