Gwen LeGrand, pictured here with grandson DaQuan Moore, was sitting pretty in Saturday's heat as she waited for the parade on Front Street in her cool green canopied chair.
Strategies to enjoy the parade while coping with extreme heat were vital Saturday as the city held its 90th July Fourth celebration.
My original plan was to catch the 59 bus, get off at Johnston Avenue and walk back to Front & Somerset. But I forgot it was Saturday and I would have missed the step-off at 10 a.m. if I waited for the bus. So I walked up Watchung and along Front to the 500 block, hoping to meet the start of the parade. It was a long wait.
Meanwhile, I admired this woman's parasol. I had thought of buying a
lace one online but dawdled too long.
Trees provided welcome shade as the wait went on.
The parade finally began with a passel of politicians, not all recognizable to a commentator stationed in front of Richmond Towers. She elevated Linda Stender to senator and drew a blank on two City Council members.
Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs waved her parade farewell from a red Thunderbird.
Next up, police, fire and rescue vehicles, all making the maximum noise possible.
The Fire Division's Public Education vehicle shot red, white and blue confetti into the air, although a spray from a pumper might have been more welcome in the 90-degree heat.
Lots of motorcycles made themselves heard as well as seen.
The first big float was one honoring veterans.
Among the community groups, Stone Square Lodge had a float.
Girl Scout Troop 40263 marched.
Cub Scout Pack 716 marched.
Steppers stepped.
Check out the ladybug umbrella.
And how about these guys?
Balloon wrangling - the strings got tangled.
I counted three bands, from Plainfield High School, Camden High School and Pleasantville High School.
Who's that guy with the orange shirt? Maybe he has more photos on his blog.
TAP reporter and PCTC videographer Analis Rivera was gathering news and images.
I didn't stay until the very end, due to the heat. Maybe I will post more photos tomorrow.
--Bernice
I had a wonderful time at the Plainfield 6th of July Parade. The Marching Bands The Military Men and Woman that represented the Armed forces. The Floats and Revolutionary War Soldier reenactments . The Patriotic Theme that ran through the entire parade was wonderful. Then I woke up and realized it was all a dream and it never happened.
ReplyDeleteBernice: I volunteer at the parade so was out before 9 am. The parade started an hour late because Her Dis Honor was an hour late, didn't matter to her it was more than 90 degrees, and some of the parade participants were wilting under musical instruments, costumes or balloon ropes.
ReplyDeleteThe parade was fine, and at least Plainfield had a little bit of July 4th spirit. However, the mayor being an hour late - how do her supporters justify that. There were kids who were wilting under their uniforms - but did a great job anyway. Animals were waiting in the sweltering heat also. What is with her, and why do people think so little of themselves that they make excuses for her behavior?
ReplyDeleteThe fireworks were beautiful, but I could have done without the constant throbbing music in the background while they were being displayed, and the constant advertising of the DJ and where he will be appearing.
The reason the parade started so late--after 11:00 AM (!!!), was because the mayor hosted a "Pre-Parade Breakfast" (more taxpayer $$$ spent on what she views as her own mayoral perk--food) in the City Hall Library at 9:00 AM, thus ensuring that the parade would not step off at the posted 10:00 am start. There is no reason that any pre-parade event could not have happened at 8:00 am, so that the parade participants would not have to deal with the threat of heatstroke. The kids in the band uniforms were sweating in the 93-degree weather--those uniforms certainly made it at least many, many degrees hotter. As I went to line up, I was met by complaints from several constituents who expressed concerns--about the kids, especially, but also about the utter disrespect and contempt they felt on the part of the mayor. So much for caring about the "youth." Of course, the food parade didn't end there--roughly 3 hours later, the mayor then hosted a "Post-Parade Luncheon"--again, your tax dollars at work--in the parking lot behind city hall. I guess she wanted to make her last appearance as mayor conform to her standard for the past eight years--waste our time, disregard our residents, and continuously feed her face on taxpayer dollars.
ReplyDeleteRebecca
Hello Rebecca,
ReplyDeleteI do not find your comments constructive. The Mayor lost the election so she will not be returning. You can move on from your current role of Critic in Chief and instead begin acting like a leader. You were elected to act as a leader. To make leadership decisions and arrive at solutions towards creating a better Plainfield. Instead you have treated the political process like a high school cafeteria game. It is not leadership to constantly comment on these essentially minor issues when the city has major issues which you and the council have not addressed effectively or you have failed to even propose workable solutions. . Further blaming the Mayor for every issue in Plainfield or constantly directing residents to take their complaints to her is not productive as it serves to question why do we need a city council if the Mayor is responsible for all matters of governance. Adrian will be Mayor next year, I am hopefully we will have a more productive City Government and hopefully you will be more constructive and cease being petty.
Hey... Anonymous... It's only MONEY right ???
DeleteWho gives a damn if the Mayor pisses it all away.. It's not hers, it's not totally yours...
I guess next time the mayor wants to provide free food just for shit's and giggles you should forward her a blank check and then we'll see how insignificant and unimportant it truly is.
The only thing SRB responds to is BEING SHAMED so therefor you owe Rebecca a thank you.. cause neither the Regular Democrats or "NEW" Democrats on the City Council have been half as vigilant as her with OUR MONEY.
The parade this year was much better organize and longer than last year. For once I really enjoy the parade. They need to get North Plainfield and the surrounding communities to come back again. The North Plainfield parade was only 35 mins. long and only a few people were on Somerset Street. Plainfield need to go out and see if they get more high school marching bands from Newark to come and participate in our parade. I still feel the July 4th celebration should be on the 4th and not on a saturday, because it loses its true meaning or purpose. Pay those few city workers to work that holiday and forget about the cost.
ReplyDeleteTo Anonymous at 1:06 pm: Perhaps you find the egregious outpouring of municipal funds and grant money expended on food for the mayor and her cohort to be "essentially minor issues"--the majority of constituents to whom I have spoken do not. Every penny adds up--the amount of money spent on food each month could comparatively pay the equal of one or two police officers' salaries for that amount of time. I truly enjoyed the parade, as I always do--as a matter of fact, I walked the parade route twice. However, the excessive amount of money this administration wastes on frivolity is why the "major issues" to which you allude remain compounded.
ReplyDeleteRebecca
To 1:06pm - Would it be better if you did not know about the excesses and the waste of your money?
ReplyDeleteYou may not like what Rebecca said, but you cannot dispute the fact that she speaks the truth, and that she keeps us informed of how the citizens are being treated like fools.
Maybe you don't care about such things, but I do, and I thank Rebecca for her vigilance.
BERNICE! It's Analis. I don't even remember taking that photo! I love the caption!
ReplyDelete