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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
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