By GLYNIS HART
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CLAREMONT — The annual St. Mary’s indoor yard sale, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8 will be held this year in spite on the ongoing construction on Main Street.
“There won’t be any construction that day, anyway,” said Norma Limoges, who has been organizing the sale for 11 years.
To pull off the huge sale, Limoges orchestrates the volunteer efforts of more than 100 people. There are eight cashiers, each with two baggers, and each table has someone assigned to it. Three people help customers with layaway, and kids help people carry their purchases to their cars.
“I try to assign people to whatever makes them happy,” said Limoges. “One lady measures and folds all the linens, and writes the size on a piece of tape and labels them. We have a lady who’s 99 years old. She puts stickers on, and wipes the tables afterward. All the electric appliances, we make sure they work. One man plugs them in and checks them before the sale. It’s a very important job.”
Volunteers come back to the sale year after year, so it’s almost like a family reunion. “It’s just a wonderful core group,” she said.
Some shoppers stay all day, assisted by the food court. Donuts and coffee are sold in the morning, and then hotdogs and meatball subs, chips, and honeynut squares are available for lunch. “If you’re really a shopper,” said Limoges, “it’s going to take you a long time to look at everything.”
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