by Tom Linehan
This was the best Allandale 4th of July Parade ever!...I mean ONE of the best ever! OK, I have not been to every Allandale parade since it started 48 years ago but this one was a darn good one. Take a look at the photos and you decide. You will find them here.
Thanks to all of you who contributed to this year's photo collection. They include Bobby Wright, Terry and Sharon Echols, Barbara Wray, Kay Newell, and myself. I am still trying to get the names of all the winners from this years parade contest. I'll post it to the site once I have them. I want to thank this year's parade volunteers. Joe Reynolds took the lead on pulling everything together. We had help from Donna Beth McCormick, Nancy Edwards, Miriam Mellom, Marlene Meador, Paulette Kern, and myself. We are grateful to State Representative Elliot Naishstat, newly elected Councilmember Laura Morrison, County Commissioner Sarah Eckhart, and Constable Bruce Elfant for joining us and sharing their thoughts. Thanks to Amy's Ice Cream and Jim Jim's for the refreshments and to Roger Beasley for loaning us that nice Volvo convertible.
I tend to agree with Joe, this is one of those events that's going to happen regardless. Here's an email he sent to the volunteers following the event:
"Thanks to you all for helping and ensuring Allandale another great event.
We all do our part, like digging irrigation canals and trenches to water plants, and then the flash flood comes and waters everything. I don't think anyone 'leads' or 'runs' the parade, we can guide and influence and make sure the infrastructure is right [the trenches], but the neighbors are who make it special. None of us arranged for a bizillion bunnies, or incredible multi-bikes or 'pool' floats. We just made sure the speakers could be heard and that the music would be organized. We had bands and singer and drums and flags and decorations and signs and a stage and electricity and drinks and snacks and speakers and contests and prizes and judges and a shady place and . . . . Thank you all.
And, last night on the way to fireworks, there were ideas for next year."
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