Image provided by: Oregon Historical Society; Portland, OR
About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (July 13, 1979)
Page 6 July 13,1979 July 13,1979 Warm Sp ngs does it in a big way The Fourth- Vehicles of every description crept out of garages. Little people with painted faces and papier mache heads began scurrying about.. Indian maidens on horseback seemed to be multiplying at an alarming rate. It was like a midsummer night’s dream for campus residents who had not yet acknowledged the day. For those ready and waiting it was a pre parade parade. The backward procession of floats and other entries hinted that this Fourth of July parade was to be the best in recent memory. Spectators were not disappointed, despite the usual half- hour-or-more delay. Warm Springs has had a monopoly on Fourth of July festivities in central Oregon for some time. But this year, the community outdid itself. The long day of celebration started at 7:00 a.m. with a huge and inexpensive breakfast at the community center. In nearby rooms, summer rec program kids were having their faces transformed with greasepaint or being fitted with potato sacks and spider man heads. Last minute touches were being put on bicycles and banners, and a pink elephant made of tissues was hoisted onto the bed of a brand new Warm Springs Forest Products truck. Another truck was bedecked with layer upon layer of fir boughs and crepe paper. In a number of private homes 9-13 year old girls were climbing into their Indian regalia and applying rouge to their cheeks, while outside their horses were being covered with beadwork. New this year, the beauty contest encouraged 12 girls to parade and compete for a bicycle and shawl. Over at the fire hall, volunteers were polishing up the two engines and ambulance even as the first spectators began lining the streets. Horse trailers descended on the campus, emptying mounts for princesses, queens and rodeo clubs. Baseball players were shuttled by mini-bike and car to the muster area at the grade school, and the summer rec floats flew by fluttering and dropping decorations. After hasty judging, the entries were lined up and pointed in the right direction to greet the campus crowds. So long was this year’s parade that when Grand Marshal Clayton Earl had arrived at the court house, the tail of his parade was just leaving the school. Winners of the float contest were: l) the Ike family’s regalia-decorated car dedicated to Veterans of All Wars, 2) the Summer Recreation Program, which comprised a good fourth of the parade with two floats and scores of costumed kids and colorful bikes, 3) the mounted Indian royalty, including Miss Warm Springs and Miss Oregon NAIWA, and 4) Kah-Nee-Ta, offering an impressive sampling of the resort’s recreational opportunities, including the new stable’s hay wagon followed by kids stuffed into pony express mail bags. It started with early morning face painting and ended with the gyrations of disco dancing. The Fourth was a day designed fo r everyone. Fran Moses turned Joni Wallulatum into a clown after transforming herself and Virgil Windy Boy (top left). Fred Ross and Lyle Rhoan tied down a giant pink elephant made o f tissues in preparation fo r its ride on the bed o f a WSFPI truck (top right). One spectator waved to Katie Kangaroo on the Alcohol and Drug Program's float while another scampered fo r tossed candy (middle left). Meanwhile Kahseuss Williams, with his own private float, expressed playful annoyance with the photographer (bottom left). After the parade hundreds of people lined up fo r salmon and eel cooked on an open fire (bottom center). Night brought out the firebugs who risked life and limb to set off a spectacular sky show (far right). Honorable mention went to two visitors: “ Miss Jefferson County Fair” Katie Wallan and “Jefferson County Miss” Christy Miller. Judging the parade this year were Art Statt, Rich Little and Donna Behrend. The beauty contest was captured by Becky Rhoan, with second place going to Ruthie Anderson and third to Lovina Colwash. Every girl received $5 for participating, compliments of the Porterhouse. Following the parade down to its destination at the community center, spectators gathered around the barbecue pit for a luncheon of beef, salmon, eels, fried bread and watermelon. Visiting AFS students grimaced while sampling the eel, leaving it to the locals. Spontaneous volleyball and softball games helped people work off the hearty meal. Bingo games lured some into the community center during the early evening, but many went home to rest up for the climax of the day—the fireworks. As dusk approached, the pop of firecrackers could be heard throughout the community. Sparklers danced across lawns and fields, occasionally being catapulted into arching trajectories. Families wandered out into the open, spreading out blankets and huddling inside parkas to keep out the chilly winds. Daring young men with head lamps and flares began stuffing bombs into metal drums, and with obvious delight,lighting the long fuses. Jumping back to safety, they proudly watched the bombs burst skyward, sometimes indulging in an ooh or aah at a particularly spectacular display. The volunteer fire depa. i.nent made a second appearance in one day, founding its sirens not for amusement but to clear a 5ath to a grass fire ignited by stray embers carried by the wind. With a deafening series of “salutes” the $2,000 display ended and dogs tentatively came out from under the beds that tired kids were being tucked into. For them it was the end of a long, fun day but many older members of the community made the day even longer with a “disco dance.” To the live rock music of Tan-Ru, crowds of people elbowed for room to move in the community center social hall. Those with sharper elbows came away with prizes: in the 30 and under division Nisa Sohappy and Oswald Tias took first, AFS’ers Tassos Kalantzis (Greece) and LilyAnn Sealy (Barbados) won second and CeCe Suppah and Charles Frank took third. The under-30 winners judged the old folks and found the liveliest of the over-30 crowd to be Delson Suppah and Jo Mantell, the second liveliest Vicki Still and Papo Cruz, and third Laverne McConnville and Peter Reed. In other communities the Fourth might end with a bang, but in Warm Springs “boogie” is the word. Photos by Cynthia Stowell and Donna Behrend Page 7
