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Labor Day parade results announced
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| This United Steelworkers float was judged the best union float in the Keokuk Labor Day parade Monday. |
by diane vance/gate city staff writer
Perfect parade weather brought crowds to both sides of Main Street Monday to watch the annual Labor Day parade from 20th to Fourth streets.
A mixture of businesses, unions, churches, school marching bands, cheerleaders, trucks, cars, floats, motorcycles, tractors, horses and golf carts carried the theme, “It Won't Rain on My Parade.”
This year's theme was dedicated in memory of long time parade chair Nancy Riddle, who always hoped it wouldn't rain on parade day.
Riddle, who died this past year, was the Labor Day parade grand marshal last year. In her honor there was no person named grand marshal for the 2007 parade. Instead, several of Riddle's hats festooned a bright blue Volkswagen, carrying the signs, “Grand Marshal” and “Nancy's Hats.”
Of the more than 100 entries that included about 15 tractors representing Three Rivers Tractor Club, 18 horses, five mules and one hot air balloon basket and torch shooting flames minus the balloon, 20 entries were recognized with honors from the judges.
Best of Parade
Scotts/Ortho of Fort Madison. The green (fake) grass-covered float featured a large butterfly with moving wings and oversized models of Scotts products, bringing to mind Pasadena's Tournament of Roses Parade entries on News Year's Day.
Best theme float
n First place - Hampton Inn, Keokuk. The blue and white ground piece is Hampton Inn's corporate colors. The sculpture (white lattices) is the People's Choice Award winner and also the most inspirational gate, designed by Hootie (a Hampton Inn employee) in the recent City of Gates project, sponsored by Keokuk Cultural and Entertainment District and Main Street Keokuk, Inc.
n Second place - H-Vee, Keokuk, “Sunshine and smiles.” with a tropical theme, including produce manager Perry Ellingboe wearing a (fake) parrot by his head.
n Third place - Tipenecker's Tap, Keokuk, with a deck “Tip-en-Deckers” with tables and chairs and patrons sitting under sun umbrellas.
Best Antique
n First Place - John Keppell (1968 Camero)
n Second place - Lester Clark
Best Union float
n First place - United Steel Workers 441. The float was a pirates' ship with the warning, “Rain on our parade and you'll walk the plank.”
n Second place - Griffin Wheel with patriotic streamers and American flags, as well as colorful umbrellas.
n Third place - Local 9B, Glass, Molders, Pottery, Plastics and Allied Workers.
Best walking unit
First place - Raeann School of Dance Inc., Keokuk.
Second place - Young Life.
Third place - Keokuk Area Health System.
Most humorous
Powdertown's hearse-pulled float of a graveyard with visible skeletons and body parts advertising a Haunted House in Powdertown Friday and Saturday evenings in October.
Most original
First place - Powdertown's Haunted House (above).
Second place - Intertia Center, Keokuk, with models of bubbling (baking soda and vinegar) volcanoes and a wooden dinosaur model put together by students attending the learning center one summer.
Best religious
First place - First Lutheran Church, Keokuk, which built Noah's Ark, “Just in Case.”
Second place - Keokuk Nazarene Church, showing a bright yellow sun and proclaiming “The ‘Son' always Reigns on our parade.”
Third place - Assembly of God, Keokuk, with a rainbow over the float and scripture, “I have set my rainbow in the clouds . . .” from the book of Genesis.
Best float
First place - Kathy's Pumpkin Patch, Donnellson. A tractor pulled a string of small wagons loaded with produce, flowers and pumpkins.
Second place - A large sign proclaimed Keokuk the Stock Car Racing Capital of the World, and listed Keokuk race car driver's names. Two vintage cars were trailered behind the float decorated with black and white checkered banners.
Third place - Lexington Square, Keokuk, picturing a day at the beach with palm trees, a sandcastle and beach-goers. “Come rain or shine, our employees always care.”
Other entries included musical favorites, Keokuk High School marching band and flag corps, preceded by KHS Little Feathers; Hamilton High School marching band and flags; Clark County R-1 High School, marching band, Kahoka, Mo.; the Illini West High School, Marching Chargers Band of Carthage, Ill., showing off new orange and navy uniforms with shiny silver helmets; and Keokuk's own McNamara's Band, a “semi” marching band, riding atop the back of a semi-truck.
The parade started with local law enforcement vehicles, three Keokuk fire department trucks, two Wayland, Mo., fire trucks, two Jackson Township fire trucks and fire education van, a Hamilton Fire Department truck, Alexandria, Mo., fire protection district vehicle, a Lee County ambulance and Keokuk Volunteer Emergency Corps vehicle.
Veterans carried the flag near the beginning of the parade and many people clapped and cheered for any veteran or military personnel in the parade.
Several candidates for local and national offices were represented by election workers and tons of candy were thrown along the street.
A mixture of businesses, unions, churches, school marching bands, cheerleaders, trucks, cars, floats, motorcycles, tractors, horses and golf carts carried the theme, “It Won't Rain on My Parade.”
This year's theme was dedicated in memory of long time parade chair Nancy Riddle, who always hoped it wouldn't rain on parade day.
Riddle, who died this past year, was the Labor Day parade grand marshal last year. In her honor there was no person named grand marshal for the 2007 parade. Instead, several of Riddle's hats festooned a bright blue Volkswagen, carrying the signs, “Grand Marshal” and “Nancy's Hats.”
Of the more than 100 entries that included about 15 tractors representing Three Rivers Tractor Club, 18 horses, five mules and one hot air balloon basket and torch shooting flames minus the balloon, 20 entries were recognized with honors from the judges.
Best of Parade
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Best theme float
n First place - Hampton Inn, Keokuk. The blue and white ground piece is Hampton Inn's corporate colors. The sculpture (white lattices) is the People's Choice Award winner and also the most inspirational gate, designed by Hootie (a Hampton Inn employee) in the recent City of Gates project, sponsored by Keokuk Cultural and Entertainment District and Main Street Keokuk, Inc.
n Second place - H-Vee, Keokuk, “Sunshine and smiles.” with a tropical theme, including produce manager Perry Ellingboe wearing a (fake) parrot by his head.
n Third place - Tipenecker's Tap, Keokuk, with a deck “Tip-en-Deckers” with tables and chairs and patrons sitting under sun umbrellas.
Best Antique
n First Place - John Keppell (1968 Camero)
n Second place - Lester Clark
Best Union float
n First place - United Steel Workers 441. The float was a pirates' ship with the warning, “Rain on our parade and you'll walk the plank.”
n Second place - Griffin Wheel with patriotic streamers and American flags, as well as colorful umbrellas.
n Third place - Local 9B, Glass, Molders, Pottery, Plastics and Allied Workers.
Best walking unit
First place - Raeann School of Dance Inc., Keokuk.
Second place - Young Life.
Third place - Keokuk Area Health System.
Most humorous
Powdertown's hearse-pulled float of a graveyard with visible skeletons and body parts advertising a Haunted House in Powdertown Friday and Saturday evenings in October.
Most original
First place - Powdertown's Haunted House (above).
Second place - Intertia Center, Keokuk, with models of bubbling (baking soda and vinegar) volcanoes and a wooden dinosaur model put together by students attending the learning center one summer.
Best religious
First place - First Lutheran Church, Keokuk, which built Noah's Ark, “Just in Case.”
Second place - Keokuk Nazarene Church, showing a bright yellow sun and proclaiming “The ‘Son' always Reigns on our parade.”
Third place - Assembly of God, Keokuk, with a rainbow over the float and scripture, “I have set my rainbow in the clouds . . .” from the book of Genesis.
Best float
First place - Kathy's Pumpkin Patch, Donnellson. A tractor pulled a string of small wagons loaded with produce, flowers and pumpkins.
Second place - A large sign proclaimed Keokuk the Stock Car Racing Capital of the World, and listed Keokuk race car driver's names. Two vintage cars were trailered behind the float decorated with black and white checkered banners.
Third place - Lexington Square, Keokuk, picturing a day at the beach with palm trees, a sandcastle and beach-goers. “Come rain or shine, our employees always care.”
Other entries included musical favorites, Keokuk High School marching band and flag corps, preceded by KHS Little Feathers; Hamilton High School marching band and flags; Clark County R-1 High School, marching band, Kahoka, Mo.; the Illini West High School, Marching Chargers Band of Carthage, Ill., showing off new orange and navy uniforms with shiny silver helmets; and Keokuk's own McNamara's Band, a “semi” marching band, riding atop the back of a semi-truck.
The parade started with local law enforcement vehicles, three Keokuk fire department trucks, two Wayland, Mo., fire trucks, two Jackson Township fire trucks and fire education van, a Hamilton Fire Department truck, Alexandria, Mo., fire protection district vehicle, a Lee County ambulance and Keokuk Volunteer Emergency Corps vehicle.
Veterans carried the flag near the beginning of the parade and many people clapped and cheered for any veteran or military personnel in the parade.
Several candidates for local and national offices were represented by election workers and tons of candy were thrown along the street.
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