On The Mark: Church auction is a real hoot

It's a good season for church bazaars. You can find one-of-a-kind handmade items and artworks, edible lovelies and lightly used items. I'm used to silent auctions. But I've never lived in a community where a congregation hosts its auction live.

Every November, the women of Cromwell's Bethany Lutheran Church hustle to solicit contributions, sort and arrange them for best viewing, and price items not for auctioneering. Two Bethany members, brothers Billy and Rob Switzer, were emcees at last Saturday's event, something they've done for years.

What a performance it is. Reminiscent of a summertime...