A group of second-graders from Cerra Vista School try to find their way through the A-Maize-ing Corn Maze on Santa Ana Road on Thursday. In the lead is McKenzie Cassidy followed by Lauray Gutierrez, Katie Lewis and chaperone Tina Cassidy.
The morning sun shone brightly on the faces of about 30 second-graders from Cerra Vista school, as they expectantly awaited their chance to run through the A-maize-ing Corn Maze on Santa Ana Road.
The almost five-miles of paths and 12-foot high stalks of corn loomed formidably above their heads as one of the owners, Joe Tonascia, looked on to witness the joy his endeavor brings to the young patrons.
"We got the bright idea that we should try something different, just to have some fun," Tonascia said. "We all have young kids and we wanted something family oriented."
Tonascia, along with his partners David and Anthony Griffin, and Lloyd Herrera, who designed the maze, decided to construct a maze just for their children to run around in three years ago, Tonascia said.
Last year was the first year they opened it up for the public, with an entrance fee of $5, and children under 5 free.
"We try to keep it family priced," Tonascia said. "I've got four kids and I know how expensive it is to go do things and have some family fun."
The goal of the maze isn't necessarily to make huge profits, but rather to break even and then give the leftover money to local groups and charities, Tonascia said.
They donate about $3,000 to groups like the YMCA, Boy Scouts and others that help support the maze.
"When (these groups) come, we just mark it on there that they were here and how many, and based on their support we support them," he said.
The group planted the nine-acre maze in July by using basic methods of designing the maze on graph paper and then laying it out on the ground by hand, Tonascia said.
After they mark the ground where they want the pathways to be, they walk through and use "good ole' back breaking hoes and start hoeing out the corn," until they are satisfied with the outcome.
When the paths are correct they widen them, and about every 10 days until they open in early October, clean out any weeds and maintain it for the season.
The hours of hard work pay off when local families are able to come out and enjoy the fruits of the group's labor.
"It's really a kick in the pants to see some of the things the kids come up with and do in there," Tonascia said, as a young girl came running out of the maze yelling, "We all got lost, why'd you make it so hard?"
The overlying principle around the maze is to key in on local families. They don't have a lot of scare-tactics that the older crowd and out-of-town visitors may be looking for, like at the other local maze, Swank Farms Corn Maze.
"People who want to get scared we send to Swank's," said Karen Tonascia, Joe's wife.
Tonascia isn't trying to compete with the Swank maze and has no problem sending people to their maze if they think they're going to Swank's and get confused, he said.
"We get very few people from out of town," he said. "I have no problem sending them over there - it doesn't bother me one bit."
Kathie Gerken, one of the mother's chaperoning the second grade troop from Cerra Vista, had already visited the maze two times and plans on coming back with the rest of her family before it closes for the year, she said.
"We spent an hour and a half taking pictures when it was closed, because it's a great photo op," Gerken said. "It's really amazing, and because (Tonascia's) so great we've been back."
In conjunction with the maze and pumpkin patch, Tonascia educates the groups that tour the maze about the intricacies of making the maze and a little about farming as well.
"It was nice that (the kids) were able to learn about the process," said Summer Chamblin, a second grade substitute teacher at Cerra Vista. "The kids are really excited."
The maze is open to the general public every day from about 3 p.m. until dusk, and from noon to about 11 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
It is located at 960 Santa Ana Road, right across from Gabilan Hills Elementary School.
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