Lansing Woman Finds Festival Medallion

By Todd Pittenger May 22, 2023

It took a woman from Lansing just 8 clues and 3 days to find the Smoky Hill River Festival Medallion.

Sheri Chase Jones found the Medallion at around 10:30 Sunday morning. It was a small bottle with a note in it, dangling from a storm grate in the downtown alley behind Ad Astra Books and Coffee.

Chase Jones tells KSAL News after getting off work Friday she traveled to spend the weekend hunting for the Medallion with her son, who lives in Salina. She said the very first clue led her to the area of Santa Fe and Ash, the area where she eventually found her treasure.

Chase Jones has been a participant in the quest dating, back to 2012.  Even after she moved to Lansing in 2016 she continued to participate.

Chase Jones receives:

  • $1,000 in cash
  • $2,000 in Festival Gift Certificates, to be used for purchases in the Fine Art and Craft Show or Art/Craft Demonstration Area, during the Festival weekend
  • Four complimentary Festival admission wristbands
  • One on-grounds Festival parking pass (weather permitting)
  • An invitation for four to attend the evening PREMIERE Art Patron Party on Thursday, June 8th
  • Four Smoky Hill River Festival t-shirts

Here were the 8 clues:

1. A measuring cluster.

2. Some are not sighted.

3. Hanging down.

4. Beside a trail.

5. A great location.

6. Refuse containment.

7. Power Changes Here.

8. First command to Dooley.

The small bottle with the note in it is dangling from this storm grate in the downtown alley behind Ad Astra Books and Coffee.

All Clues Explained:

  1. A measuring cluster – group of gas/electrical
  2. Some are not sighted. – Not sighted=Blind-Blind alley
  3. Hanging down – Misdirection!
  4. Beside a trail – Alley parallels Santa Fe
  5. A great location -great-Grate
  6. Refuse containment – Trash corral
  7. Power changes here – Transformer nearby
  8. First command to Dooley – “Hang down your head, Tom Dooley.” Look down
  9. Add three to get nine. -1+3+5-135 is Ad Astra’s address
  10. Not by crook. – Hook
  11. A kind of cat. – Alley cat
  12. Between tree and metal -Ash and Iron streets
  13. Fish nemesis – Hook
  14. When you’re feeling low -You can always go Downtown-Petula Clark 
  15. Rectangle row – Grate
  16. A Carolina creature – Bull Durham mural
  17. Bound and hot goods –  Books and coffee-Ad Astra
  18. Lots of slots – Grate
  19. Where to find a sinker  -With “hook” and “line”
  20. Rooms and waves -Townsite building-apts. & KSAL (radio waves)
  21. Near reds and yellows – Red and yellow paint marks
  22. Two red verticals- On the back of Townsite building
  23. Look for YR- YR=Wire
  24. Hanging around a bar- Placement of medallion 
  25. Pull up and pull out- How to retrieve Medallion