Babies and puppies are a number one draw at any parade. Our community’s Fourth of July celebration offered so many examples once again, as a huge crowd of visitors and residents alike took advantage of the great weather. Most of them staked a claim to the few shady spots by arriving hours early (reportedly even the night before), and leaving their empty chairs in a long row on both sides of the street. While this has been happening for years, there is usually a way that latecomers with children can wind their way through the chairs to plop down onto the curb. This year was very different.
The chairs were double-parked and some blankets spilled over the edges of the curb. I watched as quite a few parents edged closer for the best view after the parade first started. A few of the chair occupants and their families blocked any access, as a large numbers of their families and friends joined them. The increased numbers of standing, sitting, or sprawling group members created a problem, and they all seemed to be so busy visiting with each other that they often didn’t notice the little ones rushing out in the street to grab the candy. There were many frustrated parents and caregivers that spent much of their time trying to keep their children close at hand.
I admired the successful efforts of so many who were able to keep both their children and canines from harm. They quickly jumped into the fray, as they moved side to side and back and forth throughout the parade. Most of them did a good job reigning in the little ones and I did not see any accidents, as those close to my group kept both their kids and dogs safe.
All of the parade participants tried to make sure bottles of water or candy were passed out to viewers, and it seemed that most parade viewers were cordial. Watching dogs and toddlers wander between the legs of strangers kept the tone upbeat. While some folks continued to stay back with their group, it was fun to see the ease with which so many in the crowd included these interlopers. I was not the only one who could not resist the gravitational pull of a little one of either species. It was highly entertaining to watch all morning. There was a point however, when the candy tossing, the heat and the huge number of motorized conveyances made people on the sidelines a little cranky. Luckily it never reached a mass meltdown because there were lots of diversions close at hand. A steady group of customers took advantage of the offerings of the booths and food carts or tables shortly after the parade ended.
A short statement has succinctly summed-up most of Meeker’s July 4th festivities in this newspaper for more than 125 years. It is only right that it be pulled out of the yearly archival mothballs and uttered once more. “A good time WAS had by all.”
By DOLLY VISCARDI – Special to the Herald Times
