, 54°
Wind: mph,
More than 10 years have passed since the last sighting of Chessie, the serpent-like Chesapeake Bay monster. That is until this year’s 50th annual Independence Day parade, organized by the Greater Severna Park and Arnold Chamber of Commerce.
The Linstead on the Severn neighborhood recreated Chessie in the form of a 65-foot parade float that won the categories of Best Overall and Best Community.
With temperatures in the low to mid 80s and more than 100 entries participating, this year’s parade treated spectators to a memorable family friendly experience. From Cub Scout Pack 855 kicking off the parade by carrying the Nathaniel McDavitt memorial flag to Wild Kid Acres bringing horses and gotügo stumbling through the procession with wobbly portable toilets, the entries kept spectators on their toes.
Throughout the event, one truth remained evident: 50 years since its inception, the Independence Day parade is as beloved as ever.
Linstead resident and float coordinator Brian Donovan credited “overwhelming enthusiasm from the whole community” for the neighborhood’s Chessie entry.
“We spent lots of evenings carting the extra mini trailers around the neighborhood with everyone spotting and figuring out how to make it all work right,” he said. “There was a lot of failure and a lot of group learning, but it all paid off because it worked perfectly today!”
Trained artists worked on color and texture details, and the kids were a huge help in assembling and decorating pieces. As a final touch, they coated the float in pink handprints to support the “Paint the Park Pink” movement to support girls who alleged abuse.
“This community is truly special and very worth supporting,” Donovan said. “It’s a community worth winning for and so we built a massive winning float!”
Round Bay may not have won the title of Best Community, but its float impressed onlookers. Ashley King said her community wanted to honor the parade’s 50th anniversary with a birthday theme that featured a cake and child bakers. Over the two weeks it took to assemble the float, many residents had input on the layers, colors and drips.
“We have plywood that’s a base and the sheet. We had some community members do the stripes, someone else did the strawberry filling,” she said. “We had someone else donate aprons that the kids are wearing. Some of them have icing and flour on their faces. And then, of course, the bubbles are moving with (the float).”
Severna Park Voice publisher and parade judge Dianna Lancione marveled at the creativity of the neighborhoods.
“We’d love to have (more) communities participate because they, hands-down, always do the best job and come up with something special,” she said.
With the help of several sponsors, Magothy River Association (MRA) created a float called “The Mills that Built the Magothy.” The design represented a sawmill, complete with a mill house and a working water wheel. With that combination, the MRA earned the Best Club/Nonprofit honor from the judges.
“The design illustrates how water was diverted to turn a wheel, which in turn powered a shaft connected to a saw blade,” MRA President Paul Spadaro explained in an email. “Did you know that there were nine water mills around the Magothy, beginning with Beards Mill on Old Man Creek in 1698? These mills were critical for the prosperity and survival of early settlers along the Magothy River.”
A community staple, SPAN tweaked a familiar concept for its third-place entry.
“We had these foods for the last couple years, and this year we added on to show how we help with evictions and utilities and medical, so you see all the medical equipment and prescription bottles on there,” said Michele Sabean, SPAN’s director of development.
Severna Park residents since 1955, Terry and Darlene Thompson settled near the corner of Benfield and Evergreen roads to watch this year’s event. For Terry, a Vietnam veteran, the parade is significant because servicemembers of his generation did not always receive support.
“We come here because it’s very patriotic and I wear my hat,” said Terry, who was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1967. “Sometimes I get recognition.”
“I got a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart, one for being in the wrong place at the wrong time,” said Terry, who is now trying to get compensation for lingering medical issues caused by Agent Orange. “I still feel for the Vietnamese people who got devastated by it, and no one’s helping them.”
A 23-year Coast Guard veteran and Magothy Forest resident, Mike Moore watched the parade with his wife, Alice Moore, who retired from the Navy, and other family members.
“We had three kids and they’re all grown … but they participated in numerous things: Boy Scouts, bicycles, dance stuff, Severna Park (High School) band, everything you see in the parade,” Mike said. “So we come back to see it again and again and again.”
Sitting next to Mike and Alice were Mike’s sister and her husband, Kevin McGee, who served in the Marine Corps from 1973-1979.
“In today’s world, you don’t get a lot of chances to be with the community,” McGee said. “I’m not really out here to be recognized as a veteran. I just want to share in the communal experience. Ball games, parades, concerts — what else is there?”
Michael Drew traveled from a Colorado community where veterans are celebrated year-round. He’s grateful for his 13 years in the Air Force and nine years in the Army, a military career that took him all over the world, from Grenada to Panama to Korea to Thailand. Not bad for a history major.
While some people traveled across state lines for the parade, others had a close commute. Maggy Cullman has lived in Severna Park for 45 years and has seen almost every parade.
“It’s the way a Fourth of July parade should be – it’s small town, it’s the locals, everybody waves at their neighbor on the float,” she said when asked what makes the parade special. “I’m on the Olde Severna Park Improvement Association and our float is outstanding every year, and we always win; sometimes Linstead wins.”
David Opdycke enjoyed the parade with his three children — Holland, Elyn and Nicholas — and his friend Lori Repko. Opdycke stated it was their fourth year in a row watching the parade; he grew up in Magothy Forge and remembers the Severna Park parade being around when he was a kid.
“I just like all the different vendors, the people that are in the parade,” he said. “It’s got a good mix of different services and the scouts and the police – I just like all the different entries that are in the parade.”
Repko added, “I teach right here at Severna Park Elementary, so I enjoy watching all my students go by, and the Girl Scouts and the Boy Scouts and all the kids that are involved.”
Jaspreet Blevins attended the parade with her son, Joseph, and her parents, who came from Georgia. Blevins had been to the Annapolis parade before but not Severna Park’s event.
“This is monstrous. This is great,” she said. “And then it’s just beautiful to see the amount of people here. (Someone) was telling me that they stage the night before, and I’m in awe of that.”
The judges also left in awe of the parade and its 50-year legacy. The route has changed, and the number of entries has grown, yet the small-town Americana feel has endured.
“It was great to see so many people from our community come out and celebrate how special our country and Severna Park are, and commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Fourth of July parade and our town,” Lancione said. “I really appreciate the chamber of commerce, and all the communities and organizations that helped support the parade and are an integral part of making Severna Park great.”
Meredith Winter contributed reporting to this story.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here