Let's face it: Staff members at the Merced County Administration Building have seen better days.

Well ... people in general are pretty depressed about the local, state and national economies, but imagine what it must be like if you are working at the Tax Collector's office or the Auditor's office.

"People are too serious and frowning around here as we try to tackle our budget problems," says Karen Adams, the county's treasurer-tax collector.

So Adams — an office leader known to wear red eye contacts on Halloween and walk around like a she-devil — took it upon herself to bring back a little moral booster that she came up with last year: Fun Hat Day.

Wearing a hat that stands out puts people in a good mood and can be the ultimate economic blues fighter, Adams says.

"I love hats," Adams said last Friday as about 20 county staff members assembled in the County Building's main lobby, all wearing something original atop their heads. "I think they are fun. We've been doing a casual Friday and hats are just a good idea during the winter."

Alex McCabe won best over all for his agricultural hatThe second annual Fun Hat Day featured the honorable Superior Court Judge Brian McCabe, new county Auditor Lisa Cardella-Presto and Adams as the judges. Among the winners for "most unique, creative, funniest, ugliest and best over all" were Sharon Richards (most unique), Jeff Giles and Tony Perez (funniest) and Alex McCabe (best over all).

Perez' hat was equipped with lights and what looked like an Energizer Bunny and McCabe sported a cowboy hat decorated with real alfalfa and almonds, and a plastic cow.