1995 Bristol Fourth of July Celebration Report

Native Americans Warmly Received
Parella Siblings Co-Chief Marshals
Vietnam POW Patriotic Speaker
Concert Location Flap
Street Striping

For several months, workers at Meffifield-Roberts Inc. on Broadcommon Road were building a fiberglass replica of Miss Liberty’s torch for The National Broadcasting Company. NBC planned to use the torch in commercials during the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.

Kim Roberts, a spokesman for Merrifield said, “We own the torch, though NBC paid for it. We’re going to hold onto it and see if we can rent it out from time to time,” he said. “NBC may even have a float using the torch in this year’s Fourth of July parade.”

Patriotic Speaker

Porter Halyburton, the 1995 Speaker, spoke about his experiences in a Vietnam prisoner-of-war camp for seven years and what freedom means to him.

Co-Chief Marshals Chosen 
When Committee Chair Gina Campbell considered who to ask to act as this year’s parade Chief Marshal, she wanted someone who has made a significant contribution to Bristol, someone who gets out and gets involved. That’s when the Parella name came to mind.

The faces and smiles of Town Administrator Joseph Parella and his sister State Senator Mary Parella are familiar throughout town. The Parellas were the second brace of siblings to lead the annual parade together; the first was the Januario brothers in 1985.

The Chief Marshals were popular favorites all along the parade route where they exchanged shouts, waves, and handshakes with well wishes. Their reception under a large tent on the Linden Place grounds was a non-alcohol affair where only ice cream cones and sundaes were served.

Concert Location Flap
For several months before the celebration a controversy raged over the relocation of the site of the pre-celebration concerts from the Colt Memorial School terrace to the Guiteras School athletic field.

In a February 16, letter to the Phoenix Chairperson Campbell argued that the limited space at Colt precludes inviting some of the big bands and larger groups who would be interested in performing. Also, without exterior lights at the school performances must be early in the evening. For these reasons the Guiteras site is favored over the Colt Memorial School site.

Past Committee Chairman Joseph Caromile, in a February 23, letter of rebuttal took issue with the way and the reasons the Guiteras School site was chosen.

An article in the March 16, issue of the Phoenix stated that Ms. Campbell planned to call a meeting of the executive Committee to discuss the protest of the new concert location.

The article continued, “Former committee members Joseph Caromile and Ronald Armillotto — protesting a decision by a Subcommittee to move the concerts — obtained more than 500 signatures on a petition that was presented to the Town Council.... the council agreed that the full Fourth of July Committee should have voted on the issue and expressed that sentiment in a letter to Ms Campbell.

Ms. Campbell downplayed the petition’s significance. “We could go out, and get 800 signatures to hold the concerts at Guiteras,” she said.

Concerts from June 19-26, took place at the Town Gazebo on the Common and in front of the Reynolds School from June 27-July 3. In case of inclement weather, arrangements were in place to hold the concerts in the Colt Memorial School auditorium.

Parade Highlights 
“Everything from the weather to the crowd cooperated to make the parade one of the best,” said Gina Campbell.

By the time the parade stepped off at 10:30 a.m., the bright sun and cloudless skies combined to warm the shaded streets, which generated brisk business for the lemonade and ice cream trucks along the parade route.

As usual, local and state politicians were out in full force waving and shaking the hands of their many admirers.

Governor Bruce Sundlun marched with his wife, Marjorie, who stole the show. She was making her first public appearance since recovering from severer head injuries suffered in an automobile accident.

Several floats and marching units, such as the Mummers String Band, the square dancing float, the New England Patriots cheerleaders and the beauty queens riding in open convertibles, drew raucous applause, shouts and whistles from the crowd.

Well-behaved Crowd 
“The crowd was great,” said Bristol Police Chief Thomas Moffatt. “There weren’t hardly any problems. There were no alcohol-related arrests on the parade route.”

Despite the prohibitions against drinking alcohol along the route, people drank beer from cups and cans relatively openly all along the route. When they were spotted, police officers asked the drinkers to empty the containers onto the ground.

A few people were treated for heat exhaustion, but the rescue units had no serious problems.

After the last parade unit had passed a section of viewers, they immediately packed up their chairs, blankets, and cooler and left for their cars. The crowd, estimated at 180,000, exited the town that there were no reports of extended traffic snarls on the roads. Police Captain Paul Borges speculated that it was too hot for people to linger around town after the parade.

The Committee held its end of year meeting at the Burnside Memorial Building on September 26, 1995, where Subcommittee’s final reports were read. Treasurer Frances O’Donnell reported treasury balance of $57,062.38; in checking $16,651.10 and $40,411.28 in savings.

Activity

Budget

Expenses

Profit

Drum & Bugle Corps.

0.00

0.00

6,151.07

Ecumenical Service

180.00

355.70

-175.70

Enlisted Men’s Picnic

800.00

408.92

391.08

625.00

550.00

75.00

Fireworks [1]

7,500.00

6,497.45

1,102.55

0.00

0.00

6,004.72

Souvenir Program [2]

Considering the number of Subcommittees and diverse projects undertaken by members, the committee was certainly understaffed with an active roll of only 77 members. The bylaws were amended to allow a new cap of 125 members.

Seemingly uncharacteristic of the Bristol Town Council, they communicated with the Committee requesting Jerome Squatrito and Richard Ruggerio be considered for membership.

[1] Fireworks Chair Roger Dubord reported that he was not particularly satisfied with this year’s display. In response to his complaint, the pyrotechnic company offered a free $5,000.00 show to be held at the Committee’s pleasure. Dubord suggested that the free show be offered to the Christmas Festival Committee.

[2] The Souvenir Program Sub-Committee reported that many of the advertisers had not yet paid their bills; a total of $4,000.00 was still owed.