Source: Union-News (Springfield, MA)
Author: RICHARD NADOLSKI
CHESTERFIELD, MA – Maybe Hollywood writers could have scripted a better small town Fourth of July parade than the one that pranced, tooted, honked, howled, whistled, blared and trumpeted up South and down Main streets yesterday – but probably not.
They probably could not have created a better fantasy atmosphere than the real-life version of the “storybook” category of the kids’ parade with “The Little Engine that Could” float. It and its little driver, Christopher McFarland, won first place.
And not even Hollywood of the 1940s could have come up with a better parade highlight than the one Chesterfield provided when Yvette Mora rode by on the back of the float of Pat and Phil Hurzeler of Granby, Conn. Yvette is from Paris, France, and she was dressed as the Statue of Liberty wishing America a happy birthday.
“C’est formidable! (It’s great),” said Yvette of the parade.
There were other things “formidable” as well. Milton and Janet Lafond, owners of the The Basket Shop here, had a great woven basket made of pounded ash that was as big as a small car.
Mrs. Lafond bravely maneuvered the float which rested on a large, rider lawnmower, and simultaneously threw what the couple said was about 18 pounds of candy to the crowds that lined the route.
Meanwhile, Mr. Lafond, who sported a T-shirt that proclaimed “I got my ash pounded at The Basket Shop,” shouted navigational orders as he huffed and puffed along at the side of the road.
The parade’s start was definitely Hollywood.
Four jets from the Massachusetts Air National Guard’s 104th Tactical Fighter Group roared in formation overhead shortly after 10:30 a.m. giving the signal to American Legion Commander Arvilla Dyer to begin.
The legion’s color guard from Cummington Post 304 stepped out sharply on South Street followed by Parade Marshal George G. Smith who was riding in a convertible driven by his son, former selectman Arthur K. Smith.
Next came the town’s Board of Selectmen, Edwin Lawler, chairman, Donald Houghton and David Kielson, followed by a contingent made up of Northwestern District Attorney Judd Carhart, Northampton Mayor David B. Musante Jr., state Rep. Jonathan Healy, R-Charlemont, and Hampden County Commissioner Bernard Kubiak.
What followed them was a montage of what the Rev. John P. Richards of Goshen called “Americana.” Floats for all ages and staffed by all ages. Antique cars. Fire trucks young and old. Ambulances. Boy Scouts. Girl Scouts. Parade crashers.
“We welcome parade crashers,” laughed Peg Quinn Erb, chairwoman of the parade committee.
They all made their way past the U.S. Post Office, the Bisbee Funeral Home and the side of Town Hall. They all took a left onto Main Street (Route 143) at the town’s library and congregational church and headed west past the Davenport School ending at the Chesterfield General Store and cool drinks.
Afterward there was the chicken barbecue, hot dogs and ice cream. They ate to their hearts content and listened to the American Legion band from Northampton as it played on the Town Hall front lawn.
Fire departments from Chesterfield, Williamsburg, Goshen and Barnes Airport in Westfield held a “mini-muster” competition near the tennis courts where they competed to accomplish three separate firefighting maneuvers in the lowest amount of time.
This year there was something new. A “golden nozzle” trophy would be presented to the winning muster team but only if they promised to come back next year and defend it.
Defending champion Chesterfield was the odds-on favorite and won the first two events but Williamsburg rallied and took first and second in the last event and stole the competition, beating Chesterfield eight points to six.
“All they could say is, ‘We’re no. 1! We’re no. 1!’ as they paraded around the town with the trophy,” said Chesterfield Firefighter and EMT Thomas Oborne.
Oborne said his team let them win.
“We want to make sure they come back next year,” he said.