From this mornings Ashland Times-Gazette In 1931, Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler collaborated on a song that proclaims, “I love a parade . . . when I hear a band. I just want to stand and cheer as they come.” I have no idea how I know this song, as I wasn’t around in 1931, nor did I watch it on the Lawrence Welk New Year’s show in 1979. Ashlanders may not know its lyrics, but as hundreds lined up on Main Street last Saturday night, it was obvious we share its sentiment: We love a parade! The Evening Lions, parade organizers extraordinaire, asked me to be a judge this year, and I was thrilled to say yes. My personal favorites were the little Daisies and Brownies singing “Let It Go,” complete with motions, carolers crooning in four-part harmony, and the American Legion’s “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” float. Sure did tug at our heartstrings. As a relatively recent immigrant to Ashland, I don’t have the decades of Ashland parade-watching experience under my belt as fellow judge Dianne Hammontree does, but I can claim my share of memorable parade moments, including our first Ashland Christmas parade. Larry and I arrived in Ashland in June, 2006 with the challenge to get the Salvation Army’s Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center off the ground. As one of eight sites in the Northeast United States, we hit the ground running, working with an amazing local steering committee to secure a site, develop drawings, raise needed funds, and jump through whatever hoops the Salvation Army and Mrs. Kroc (from her grave) deemed necessary. By November, we’d done our fair share of hoop-jumping and eagerly awaited the go-ahead to proceed. In the meantime, we’d gathered a dozen children to march in the morning parade. Garbed in Salvation Army hats and volunteer aprons, the little darlings were equipped with kettle bells, more than ready to ring their way down Main Street. En route to the staging area, my cell phone rang with devastating news: our Kroc Center had been denied approval to move ahead. The powers-that-be at corporate headquarters had concerns about its viability, and weren’t willing to give the green light - yet. Those few blocks of parade, with the children and their clanging bells, the uncertainty swirling through my head and tears swelling in my eyes, are etched in my memory forever. Long story shortened, we got the issues sorted out, and the Ashland Kroc Center opened its doors in April 2009 – the first one completed in the Northeast. Other Christmas parade memories include a frigid appearance with our regional leaders, Bill and Lorraine, spilled soup in the Salvation Army canteen, and perfecting the Miss America wave from the back of a convertible. My hands-down favorite is the year our son Dan wore the RJ Kroc(odile) mascot costume on the flatbed with the Kroc Center’s New Adventure Band. Dan’s percussionist training kicked in when the band pulled out Sleigh Ride, and in the absence of a whip, he performed an RJ stomp at the appropriate section of the music. You had to be there. I hope you got a glimpse of downtown as you watched the parade. With its newly-planted trees (thanks, Ferguson family) and the sparkling lights, it looks great. Additional shops are joining the long-time faithful, and rumor has it there are more to come. Worn out from hustle and bustle of Black Friday? Check out our downtown for yourself. Today is Small Business Saturday, and the Holiday Shop Hop provides an opportunity to visit twenty-five local shops and businesses. Get your punch card filled and shop small, shop local. Maybe you’ll even win a prize! Ashland Main Street is also sponsoring its annual Miracle on Main (and South), with vendors filling the South Street Warehouse (formerly Gilberts’ warehouse) from noon-4. A number of local Ashland authors will join me at a table there, so stop by to get a book signed or to chat with me about your favorite Christmas parade memories. Now that Thanksgiving 2014 is history, I can say it: It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, everywhere you go – especially in downtown Ashland, Ohio. Come on down and #SHOPSMALL 2014!
Posted on: Sat, 29 Nov 2014 12:40:36 +0000
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