No place like Home Show
Sunday, November 14, 2004

By GRETCHEN LOSI/Staff Writer

VICTORVILLE — Many holiday shoppers who attended the Home and Recreation Show on Saturday got a head start on the holiday shopping season.

Kevin Daniels of Hesperia said he bought candles for his mom and sister in Oklahoma, some jewelry for his nieces and a little something for himself.

"I'm going to sign up with the Poop Troop," said Daniels, referring to a business that removes dog waste from their clients' yards. "I work down the hill so don't get around to that chore as much as I should. It'll be money well spent."

That's what Poop Troop owners Darlene and Brock Buccola hoped for when they paid to be vendors at this year's show.

"We do a lot of advertising in the paper and on the radio," Darlene Buccola said. "This was a chance for us to come face-to-face with the community and meet some new customers."

This weekend's event marks the 20th annual High Desert Home and Recreation Show at the San Bernardino County Fairgrounds.

Duane Bygum, a general contractor who produces the show, said up to 9,000 people attended on Saturday, a 10 to 15 percent increase over last year's show.

Jason Holmes of Victorville said he has brought his wife to the show for at least 10 years with one goal in mind — a new shed.

"I drag her here, kicking and screaming, because she knows I'm going to grovel for a new shed," Holmes said. "Then she ends up getting stuff and I go home moping with nothing."

His wife, Susan, carrying several bags of freebies and purchased goodies, laughed and explained it wasn't quite that bad. An empty handed husband smiled back as he shrugged, "There's always next year."

Dennis Pierson of Hesperia didn't leave empty handed.

He bought a large wall hanging from the Santa Fe Trading Company and said he may return with his wife so she can check out High Desert Home Turf's artificial turf display.

"That stuff looks pretty good," Pierson said. "The man said it will always look like that and takes no water, no mowing and no fertilizer. You just can't shake a stick at that."

Pierson admits his wife will not likely "go for the idea" but said he hopes to get her to come back with him to look at other things.

"They've got a whole mess of RVs over there. That'll put some color in her cheeks," Pierson said.

 

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