LAKEPORT – The Annual Lakeport Memorial Day Parade was a true grand opening to the Lake County summer season! Beautiful weather and large crowds greeted the several hundred people who brought almost 50 entries down Main Street on Saturday.
“Thanks to our major sponsors, WestAmerica Bank and Piedmont Lumber & Nursery, and to the many volunteers who spent part of their Memorial Day weekend working on the parade lineup, barricade duty and judging,” said chamber Chief Executive Officer Melissa Fulton on behalf of the board of directors for the Lakeport Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Fulton also thanked the city of Lakeport's Public Works Department and Lakeport Police Department for all their efforts; and the Lake County Fairgrounds for their cooperation in allowing the lineup to take place on the grounds. Although the entries this year were down a little from last year, a great deal of space is still necessary to get everyone in place, Fulton said.
While to the public watching the parade it may seem a simple chore to organize the lineup, Ginny Clinton, the parade's lineup chair for close to 18 years now, puts several hours in to make sure everything goes well, said Fulton. Clinton goes over every entry, determining where best to place each one. Some of the considerations are children’s groups not too close to horses, conflicting music presentations by entries, music or loud sounds which might frighten horses, the list goes on.
A matrix of all entries is made for the fairgrounds and then Clinton, with around six or seven volunteers, makes sure that the entries are placed to the matrix and then as the parade begins, the various entries are blended into the correct lineup order from their various locations on the fairgrounds.
Fulton said they take great pride in this parade always starting at 11 a.m. Lineup volunteers this year were Barry Clinton, Dan Comacho, Dianna Hendrick, Eli Hendrick, Dana Kearney, Lori Coovert, Mary Southard and Jim Magliulo.
A very important volunteer task is placing the barricades into the intersections from First Street to Clear Lake Avenue. (These were put out on the corners Friday afternoon by the Public Works Department.) It’s important to the safety of all the entries and spectators that traffic is kept off of Main Street during the parade, Fulton said.
This year Cindy Parlee of Renee’s Restaurant organized the team of John Whitehead and Richard Bruch who also took them out of the intersections after the parade. The City Public Works Department was working on this as well.
“My personal thanks always to husband John Fulton, who brings all the tables, chairs, umbrellas and cold water for the judges and sound system for our stage. He also helps to put up the 'no parking' signs so the streets are clear for spectators!” Melissa Fulton said.
The official announcer was Paul Reading, who always does an excellent job, being the pro that he is. Parade judges this year were Anna Girod, past president of the Lakeport Regional Chamber and owner of AGM Property Management; Ted Mandrones, marketing director for Piedmont Lumber & Nursery who provided the stage; and Chuck Holder, owner of Holder Ford Mercury. Assisting with tallying the judge’s slips was Brittany Maldonado. The CSHA Equestrian Judge was Kim Cipro of Lower Lake.
The results of Saturday's Memorial Day Parade are as follows:
GRAND SWEEPSTAKES: Pearl Harbor Survivors, Chapter 23 North.
THEME AWARD: Two-way tie, Pearl Harbor Survivors, Chapter 23 North; Operation Tango Mike.
JUDGES CHOICE: Operation Tango Mike.
DIVISION I, FLOATS, Best of Division: Piedmont Lumber & Nursery.
COMMERCIAL: First place – Piedmont Lumber & Nursery.
FRATERNAL/SERVICE ORGANIZATION: First place – Lake County Shrine Club, Lower Lake; Second place – Delta Iota Tau, Lakeport/Kelseyville; Third place – Elks Lodge No. 2704, Lakeport.
MILITARY: First place – Vietnam Veterans of America, L/County Chapter 951; Second place – Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2015.
DIVISION II ~ VEHICLES Best of Division: Lake County As, Kelseyville.
CLUBS: First place – Lake County As, Kelseyville; Second place – Lake County Corvettes.
CARS AND TRUCKS: First place – Piedmont Lumber, Lakeport; three-way tie for second place – Allen & Donna Thomas of Lakeport, Jim and Claire Gill of Lakeport, and Bob Lininger of Lakeport; Third place – Cadillac Pat Sperling, Lakeport.
OTHER – First place: Kulture Shock Car Show, Lakeport.
DIVISION III ~ GROUPS, Best of Division: Pearl Harbor Survivors, Chapter 23 North.
ORGANIZATION: First place – Pearl Harbor Survivors, Chapter 23 North; Second place – Operation Tango Mike; two-way tie for third place – People Services Inc., That Other Quarter Quartet, Lakeport.
SENIOR: First place – Lakeport Senior Center; Second place – Red Hot Mommas of the Red Hat Society; two-way tie for third place – Konocti Kuties - Red Hat Society, Whatever Red Hat Society.
DIVISON V ~ JUNIOR Best of Division: Kelseyville Youth Football League.
SCHOOL: First place – Kelseyville Youth Football League.
DIVISION VI ~ MUSIC Best of Division: Clear Lake High School Band.
BANDS: First place – Clear Lake High School Band.
DIVISON VIII ~ EQUESTRIAN Best of Division: Clear Lake Junior Horsemen.
MOUNTED GROUP: First place – Clear Lake Junior Horsemen.
The following equestrian classes had only one entry per class, so all receive first place awards:
Senior Arabian Costume Mary Ann Reece, Sebastopol;
Senior Novelty Lonne Sloan, Lower Lake;
Senior Western Working Beverly Baxter, Santa Rosa.
