10,000 hits and a float years ago
Yippee! The Peabody Gazette-Bulletin has reached a milestone of sorts. The web site for the paper has finally topped 10,000 hits. And no, 9,000 of them are not from my computer. Since I don't have a subscription to the paper, I am barred from looking at it online just like all the other non-subscribers. (We are nothing if not fair, by golly.) But it is kind of exciting to know that people have looked at it that many times.
Peabody celebrated a fairly non-controversial Fourth of July this year. Most of the complaints came from people who thought the parade was less exciting this year because (are you ready for this?)
There was a minor water balloon skirmish between the driver of the truck pulling the Main Street float and his spectator brother-in-law, and some people in that area got doused.
"That area" would be my own front yard. Naturally, since I emphatically stated that there would be no water along the parade route, two of our guests took it upon themselves to prove me a blithering idiot who doesn't know what she is talking about.
The mister and I stayed home to dog-sit for the nervous hounds our daughters brought so we missed the fireworks, but saved the house. Apparently it was a terrific show. We hope all of you enjoyed it!
I have not yet heard if the Fourth Fest Society took in enough donations and gate money to cover their costs. If you got more than two dollars worth of enjoyment out of the evening, you might show your appreciation by sending them a donation to go toward next year's production. I won't list names and addresses here, but if you send it to the Peabody city building on their behalf, the donation will find its way to them.
And we would like to thank the parade judges for the first place award won by "the Marshall family float." Actually, that is Jesse Seibel's church float and the Marshall family doesn't really own it.
A year ago, the float was donated to the Main Street benefit auction. Our daughter worked the crowd of bidders that night for donations to buy the float and keep it in the community (a couple from another town was present to buy it as a playhouse for their child.)
The "float consortium" consists of 20 or 30 people who made sure Jesse's float would continue to appear in Peabody parades.
Last year it won a $20 prize which paid for about half the paint and repairs to get it into parade condition. We had no idea it could win again and were surprised and pleased when it did!
To be fair to all the owners, we will set aside a little of the $100 prize money for upkeep and donate the rest to next year's fireworks in Jesse's name. Sound fair? All in favor, say aye. Resounding approval, motion carried.
— SUSAN MARSHALL
