Labor Day Parade 2000

Will Be ‘History In The Making’

By Steve Bigham

Those lining the streets Monday morning will get to see “History in the Making” as the 39th annual parade kicks off at 10 am.

This year’s theme honors the town’s 295-year history and Town Historian Dan Cruson is the obvious choice to serve as parade marshal. Organizers say they wanted to recognize Mr Cruson’s tireless efforts to tell the story of Newtown. Mr Cruson is indeed a storyteller who brings the past to life with his vivid and accurate descriptions of life during days gone by. His down-home personality, resonant voice, and lucid way of speaking help enliven the stories. Mr Cruson always manages to provide the telling details that bring the history off the pages and into the imaginations of the people living in the present day.

And he looks the part. His white beard and handlebar mustache give him a distinguished, professorial presence.

“When we were thinking about the millennium, we wanted to recognize a new century and a new decade. We wanted to recognize the past and look forward to the future. We wanted to honor Dan because he brings the past to life,” noted parade co-chair Lisa Franze.

Appropriately, Mr Cruson will travel the parade route in a 1930 Buick Phaeton Touring Car owned and driven by Newtown resident Bill Downing. The massive car was given to Mr Downing by his grandfather at the end of World War II in 1946. It had been purchased in the Richmond section of Staten Island. The car was used for Mr Downing’s wedding as well as the weddings for both his son and daughter.

Speaking of parade cars, the Newtown Historical Society docents will be riding in a 1930 Model A owned and driven by Newtown resident Les Burroughs.

As the parade kicks off Monday, a bomber plane will fly over the parade route followed by a smaller plane that will spray colored smoke. It is all being done by Connecticut Air Adventures. The fly-over is being sponsored by American Legion, George A. Powell, Sr, Post 202.

Moments after the fly-over, Mark Boudreau will fire off three shots from an old military cannon in Ram Pasture. Cover your ears. This cannon is reportedly a real boomer.

The parade kicks off just north of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument at the far end of Main Street with more than 110 marching units expected to participate. For those newcomers, the parade makes its way south down Main Street before making a sharp turn left onto Glover Avenue. The procession then turns left onto Queen Street, passing the judges’ grandstand before coming to a stop just before Church Hill Road.

A tradition here since 1962, Newtown seems to have cornered the market on Labor Day parades. It is believed to be the biggest of its kind in the state and always attracts hundreds of musicians, clowns, politicians, cheerleaders, horsemen, and oversized men in little cars. And the people of Newtown are the beneficiaries, as are many out-of-towners, including a contingent of foreign dignitaries who will be on hand for the parade (see related story).

Organizers are hoping for drier conditions this year. In 1999, intermittent downpours throughout the two-hour event drenched parade-goers. The good news is forecasters are calling for partly cloudy skies with a high of 77 degrees for Monday.

Another large procession of politicians is expected in this election year. There is still no word on whether or not Sen Joseph Lieberman will be on hand. The US Senator turned Democratic vice presidential candidate has become a national celebrity in recent weeks and his national campaign tour has taken him to all corners of the country. However, his senatorial seat is also up for election and he marched in Newtown during his two previous senatorial campaigns in 1988 and 1994. Last week’s Bee article entitled “Will Sen Lieberman Be Marching In Newtown” was reportedly sent to his Hartford office by parade committee members.

The town has placed a restriction on the number of outside vendors permitted to sell items along the parade route. Instead, you may notice more non-profit entities on hand. For example, the Newtown Soccer Club will be selling water and, once again, Newtown Rotary will be selling hot dogs near the reviewing stand.

The parade is once again being sponsored by the Newtown Summer Festival, which includes committee members Brian Amey, Anne Marie DeWeese, Lisa Franze, Lynda McDow, Dale Meier, Lana Patane, and Kim Stendahl.

Parade organizers have requested that people not throw candy from parade vehicles and floats. Instead, they ask that someone walking alongside pass out the candy. The policy change was made in an attempt to reduce the hazards to children.