1994 Fourth of July Celebration Report

Uncle Sam and Betsy Ross Co-Chief Marshals
Miss. Fourth Wins Title on Second Try 
Fourth of July Historian is Speaker
Bands Battle to Lead the Parade 
Gay Group Gets Invitation

For the first time since a committee to arrange the celebration of Independence Day was appointed in 1815, an all-female slate of general officers headed the celebration Committee. Leading the committee, Gena Campbell, a 15-year veteran of the committee. Mrs. Campbell said the biggest challenge faced by the new officers is fundraising. She said because the state’s new anti-gambling law prohibits Las Vagas-type gambling one of the committee’s most successful events other sources of income must be found. Also gone is a $15,000 donation for the fireworks display from the bankrupt ALMACS Super Market.

The other officers for 1994 included: Donna Marshall, Vice Chair; Donna St. Angelo, Recording Secretary; Lisa Sienkiewicz, Corresponding Secretary and Frances O’Donnell, Treasurer.

Co-Chief Marshals 
Continuing a new trend for naming Co-Chief Marshals of the parade, Committee Chairwoman Gina Campbell chose Gerry and Mickie MacNeill. Gerry came to Bristol from Winchester, MA; he worked, as a process engineer at Bristol’s Furon Dixon Co. Mickie is Providence native, a graduate of Bryant College; she worked in Barrington as a receptionist.

The MacNeills spend much of their free time as volunteers. They emerge during the Christmas season as Santa and Mrs. Claus throughout the region to raise money for Camp Stone Tower, and other child related causes. Walking the town streets during the months of the year other than December, with his trademark long white beard, children who are convinced he is Santa Claus in civilian clothes continually speak to Gerry. For the past several years the couple has donned red, white and blue self-designed costumes representing Uncle Sam and Betsy Ross. They appeared as the historic personages during their stint as Co-Chief Marshals.

As a constant observer of Bristol Independence Day activities, it is always pleasant to see the Chief Marshal witnessing the parade with his family, friends and supporters from the reviewing stand. This writer found it curious that the MacNeills only companions on the reviewing stand were the parade coordinator and his wife. In my position as Speaker of the Day, I mounted the reviewing stand for the singular purpose of photographing passing units for my continuing documentation of the celebration. My wife and I were “invited” to leave the reviewing stand after the St. Mary Church float passed.

Battling Bands 
Along with the weather, the attending anticipation of a rousing Fourth of July celebration reached a colorful and blaring pre-parade spectacle at the Mount Hope High School athletic field on the afternoon of the day before. In a competition to choose the band to march in the Chief Marshal’s Division of the annual parade, spirited musicians in colorful uniforms from Quebec and Ontario, Canada, and from Boston, California, Ohio, New Jersey and Pennsylvania performed precision drills for the honor. The victors: The Blue Devils Marching Band from Concord, California.

According to parade Committee Chair Kenneth Marshall, the parade was expected to be a musical extravaganza; he planned for about 30 floats and more music than ever before. The complements of the bands were bigger than past years; one band in the 11th Division featured 250 members.

Parade Committee 
Despite the emphasis on music, Mr. Marshall said he is most proud of the choice of division marshals. Each marshal is chosen for their contributions to the community. His pride was evident when he spoke of the leaders of the 11th Division: David Marshall, Stephen Drew and Nelson Cardoza, all veteran Special Olympians. The three men earned several medals over the years and deserve the town’s recognition and applause for their efforts, he said.

Marshall, who was Chief Marshal in 1990, worked on his part of the celebration for about a year said, “I just wanted to give something back to the Fourth of July Committee.” Organizing the parade is a team effort. Marshall had particular praise for Lynn Luiz who headed the float Committee and band Committee co-chairs Richard Luiz and Tony Mederos and all the members of those teams.

Several prohibitions were planned to be enforced during the parade: no drinking of alcoholic beverages, no Silly String, snappers or water pistols, and no bicycles on the route of march. Temporary toilets were posted at strategic points along the route, including handicapped accessible units, and reserved handicapped accessible viewing area on the corner of Court and Hope Streets, near the Burnside Building was intended.

Patriotic Exercises 
This author was doubly honored in having been chosen to be “Speaker of the Day” by the Committee, and to be introduced as “Bristol Historian” by past General Chair Betty Ann Moreira.

The subject of the address included an overview of the celebration’s 208-year history, praise for the volunteers who had guided the celebration through more than two centuries, a 1836 prayer of supplication, and homage to the flag.

The Day We Celebrate 
As every year, for over 200-years, Bristol’s celebration of the Fourth of July really began the night before. Citizens began to prepare their backyards and porches for the crowds of friends and relatives expected to partake of their hospitality. The aroma of barbecue filled the air in most of Bristol’s neighborhoods.

Hope Street residents watched the invasion of strangers who strolled the streets or lounged at the sidewalk tables of the main street bistros and coffee shops. Local bars were filled to capacity, but the crowds were in good spirits, seeking good-clean fun. And there was plenty of that at the carnival on the common. Police reported no major problems.

The Phoenix reporter said he overheard the conversation of three young men walking south on Hope Street near the bike path.

 “I didn’t know Rhode Island was this jumping,” said one, eyeing the crowds lining both sides of the street and filling the Topside’s parking lot.

 “I didn’t know Rhode Island had this many people,” another said.

 “I didn’t know there was a Rhode Island,” wisecracked the third.

The Fourth dawned clear and comfortable, the beautiful weather continued for the entire day. Everything from the weather to the crowd cooperated to make for an excellent day. By the time the parade began, promptly at 10:30 a.m., the day had warmed up and the lemonade and ice cream vendors were doing a brisk business.

Several floats and marching units drew the special attention and appreciative applause from the crowd: the Ferko String Band from Philadelphia have been favorite for over 25-years; the square dance float, featuring a senior citizens group; the New England Patriots football team cheerleaders and that all American staple of parades, the beauty queens riding on the boot of their convertibles. The best float in the parade prize went to “Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of Man’s First Walk on the Moon,” sponsored by television station WLNE.

The well-behaved crowd was estimated by veteran parade watchers Gina Campbell at 225,000 and by Bristol Police Chief Thomas Moffatt at about 180,000. “The crowd was great,” Chief Moffatt said. “There weren’t hardly any problems. To my knowledge, there were no alcohol related arrests on the parade route.”

Despite the prohibition against drinking alcohol in public, people did drink beer from cups and cans relatively openly all along the route; others disguised mixed drinks in lemonade and soft drinks. When discovered, police asked them to empty the containers.

A few people were treated for heat exhaustion, but the rescue units reported no serious problems, according to the chief.

As the end of the parade moved along, the crowd who saw what they came to witness, moved out quickly. Because of the increasing heat of the day, people chose not to linger.

Midnight Cleanup 
After the crowd that stayed for the fireworks had all left the town streets, the department of public works under the direction of Paul Romano swung into action. The town workers began the massive cleanup by sweeping and raking all the trash into the street, where it was easier to pick up. By 5 a.m., there was nary evidence of what had gone on the day before.

After the parade route and Thames Street were swept spotless, the Department of Public Works workers attacked the parks and Town Common and began to take down temporary barriers and the reviewing stand, that were stowed until needed again.