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About Seaside signal. (Seaside, Or.) 1905-current | View Entire Issue (July 10, 2015)
July 10, 2015 • Seaside Signal • seasidesignal.com • 5A Don’t rain on the Fourth of July parade It’s summer, after all! D espite what the calendar tells you and what the sun- shine says, summer doesn’t usually start around here until July 5. That’s why there’s so much cel- ebrating on the Fourth. Yes, there’s a certain nod to the theory of liberty, freedom and Un- cle Sam, but, locally it’s summer that everyone is excited about. In fact, it’s an inside joke around here: We don’t really get summer until after the parade. But what a lead up to summer do we offer on the North Coast! It’s what a small town does best: celebrate the Fourth of July, and we have so many small towns along our stretch between the sea and the mountains, it’s extra special. In Cannon Beach, where I live, the locals are likely to parade down Hemlock Street any time. We have parades to pay tribute to Earth Day and Sandcastle Weekend. So, it would be a crime not to have a Fourth of July parade. And, boy, is it done right. The police sirens signal the start, and for the next hour, downtown Cannon Beach is red, white and blue pandemonium. It’s not time to stay home: Everyone comes out for the parade, either to cheer it on or to be in it. There’s even room in line for pets. Dressed-up bicycles mingle with À ag-carrying color guards, which give way to À oats ¿ lled with kids and balloons, just ahead of Hula-Hoopers and jugglers, who are followed by dancing neighbors dressed in multi-print shorts and orange clown wigs twirling their lawn chairs, and after the crowd’s applause, decorated wagons with sleepy-eyed toddlers are pulled by cheerful parents who are followed by ¿ retrucks and fren]ied teenagers in holiday garb who just joined the parade for the fun of it. The scene is duplicated in Sea- side, Gearhart and Warrenton, where the Fourth of July parades also are classic small-town celebra- tions. I MPRESSIONS B Y NANCY McCARTHY Yes, there’s a certain nod to the theory of liberty, freedom and Uncle Sam, but, locally it’s summer that everyone is excited about. But the parades are only a start. In Cannon Beach, the ¿ re¿ ght- ers cook and give away hot dogs, and the women of the PEO sell strawberry shortcake. In Seaside, the Historical Museum holds an old-fashioned ice cream social, and there’s a drum and bugle corps concert. A spectacular ¿ reworks display on the beach caps the day’s festivities. But Warrenton isn’t to be out- done by Seaside. In Warrenton, the day starts with a community break- fast for Uncle Sam (I never thought about it before, but I guess Uncle Sam does need to eat, doesn’t he?), and later, classic cars are on display, a motorcycle tailgate party is held (do motorcycles even have tail- gates?), kids decorate their bicycles and play games and ¿ re¿ ghters of- fer a free barbecue. In addition to Seaside’s ¿ re- works display, Astoria also lights up the sky over the Columbia River. The Fourth of July is one day that the North Coast doesn’t forget. Cynics might say that’s because the events attract tourists and it’s one of the best money-making weekends of the year for businesses. I, however, ignore those naysay- ers, preferring, instead, to don my rose-colored sunglasses and head to the beach — following the parade, of course. EO MEDIA GROUP FILE Many of the spectators of Seaside’s Fourth of July parade were as laden with holiday spirit as those in the parade last year. Thousands of indi- viduals lined the streets along the parade’s route to catch a glimpse of the excitement. Crossing the Oregon Trail Gearhart’s magical Fourth of July parade Join the Seaside Public Library Thursday, July 16, at 7 p.m., for “Little Belle Crosses the Oregon Trail” with Nancy Bell Ander- son. The event will take place in the Community Room. This story is taken di- rectly from the journals of Arva]ena Cooper and tells of the family’s ¿ ve-month journey, from Missouri to Oregon, in 1863. Life in Missouri had become un- bearable due to unrest and lawlessness, so the young Cooper family headed to Oregon. They traded their land for a covered wagon and ox team, and along with other family mem- bers, began the perilous trip west. Their daughter, Little Belle, was only 16 months old when the expe- dition began. Arva]enea’s account of their trip tells of monot- By R.J. Marx onous days traveling the plains, learning to make meals in uncomfortable circumstances, childbirth on the trail, dealings with Native Americans, and the challenge of caring for a young child in harsh traveling conditions. Their new life in Oregon was ev- erything they had hoped for and Little Belle grew up the oldest of 15 broth- ers and sisters. She even- tually became a medical doctor and received her degree from the Universi- ty of Oregon in 1897. She had a successful medical practice and co-founded The Dalles Hospital. Author Nancy Bell An- derson is a direct descen- dent of “Little Belle” and had the journals of Arva- ]ena Cooper passed down to her. Anderson’s re-tell- ing of her ancestors life on the Oregon Trail is a Seaside Signal SUBMITTED PHOTO Learn more about Little Belle and her journey to the West at a lecture at the Seaside Public Library. glimpse into the founding of our state. The Seaside Public Li- brary is located at 1131 Broadway. For more infor- mation call 503-738-6742 or visit www.seasidelibrary. org and www.facebook. com/seasidepubliclibrary. The Gearhart Fourth of July parade is a phe- nomenon — this tiny city of only 1,500 swells with thousands of visitors ded- icated to celebrating the American spirit. This year, with the sun shining and perfect temps, for urban visitors and small-town parade-goers alike this was the ultimate destina- tion. They lined up near McMenamin’s and made their way up Marion Ave- nue, with children throw- ing taffy and candies into the crowd. Surreys and trikes and Captain Ameri- ca marched by, along with the crowd-pleasing Tiki bar À oat and rescue dog brigades. Bob McEwan, at 92, the patriarch of Gear- hart, was accompanied by his great-grandson Ed- die and black Labrador retriever Pearl, riding in the cart behind Pancho, the proud red-white-and- blue bedecked donkey. The parade rounded left onto Paci¿ c Way, where crowds lined the row, and some spectators even found perches among the shingles of local build- ings. At the Gearhart Market, the line was eight deep for cold drinks and snacks. Down the road the ¿ re station hosted a July Fourth hot dog feast, with ¿ re¿ ghters serving up the fare and cold bot- tles of water available free. What happened next was a townwide celebra- tion, as gatherings were to be found on nearly every porch in town. Deaths June 25, 2015 FULWILER, Kathleen D. (Markstrom), 75, of Tolovana Park, died at home. Services are pending. Hughes-Ran- son Mortuary in Seaside is in charge of the arrangements. June 26, 2015 CARUSO, Marie, 69, of Portland, died in Sea- side. Hughes-Ransom Mortuary in Seaside is in charge of the arrange- ments. June 28, 2015 WITTE, Adele, 90, of Seaside, died in Sea- side. Hughes-Ransom Mortuary in Seaside is in charge of the arrange- ments. 0"+&,/12"0!60/" ( 1 ,01%/!4/" # # " , 3 6 1 2" "/6 10% Shop at Coast Hardware for hardware, electric, plumbing, lighting, and outdoor supplies! 0! 65RRVHYHOW'U 6HDVLGH25