Large numbers turn out for 4th activities

Amid all the sewer line work throughout the city, reconstruction of Tower Bridge, and renovations to the courthouse and Onaway Area Community Schools, the Onaway July Fourth Festival went off without a hitch. It was spectacular, indeed, as it is every year. Events began a week earlier with Jessica Havel being crowned Miss Onaway the Friday before.

Onaway, known far and wide for its outstanding parade and the best fireworks display in the north, attracted viewers and participants from distant places and from nearby. Hours before the noon start of the grand parade, Onaway?s parking spaces were filled and sidewalks along the parade route held an overflow of people.

CONTRARY TO the weatherman?s predictions of rainstorms, July Fourth was bright and sunny, hot, and humid. It was a relief during the parade when the fire departments sprayed the crowd with water from their trucks. Much of the crowd seemed to appreciate the water, which helped cool them off from the heat of the day. Numerous local businesses and organizations entered their floats in the parade, including the long-anticipated entry by Moran Iron Works. The crowd waited with high hopes to get a glimpse of what Morans had in store for them this year.

Tom Moran and his staff?s imagination and skill had again reached a new high with their bust of an Indian. The bust, a tribute to Native American culture, was an alloy steel structure inside, with Onaway stone, fit, and pegged with steel pegs on the outside.

NO MORTAR or cement was used to make the bust. The Indian wore a leather headband with two feathers made out of stainless steel and brass. It measured 11 feet in height, ten feet in width, 14 feet in length and the largest stone used was 1,500 pounds. The total weight of the bust was 37 tons. The project took more than 1,000 hours to complete.

The water fight between Onaway and the Forest-Waverly Fire Departments began as soon as the parade was over. State Street held a throng of people ready to be cooled off by the hoses of the fire departments. Fire chief Eric Rose, when asked who won the water fight, said, ?Not Onaway, they soaked us. What counts is the kids had a good time and got soaking wet.?

MAXON FIELD was crowded with visitors during

the afternoon. People of all ages gathered to enjoy the arts & crafts, games, and music performed by the Rogers City Band. Later in the afternoon it was race time. The racing was breakneck and extreme at the Onaway Motor Speedway. Drivers were striving to become a July Fourth winner. Anticipation built as spectators gathered along the roadways at dusk to await the spectacular fireworks show put on by Rose and the Onaway Fire Department. As the impressive fireworks show began at dusk, the crowd oohed and aahed as showers of bright light and vibrant colors lit up the skyline accompanied by reverberating booms..

According to Rose, he and the fire department had $6,000 to work with this year. The last shell was 12 inches in size, about the size of a basketball, and went 1,200 to 1,300 feet in the sky.