Posted: 6/18/03

City Band ready to march

Cliff Buchan
News Editor

At 22 years strong, Forest Lakeís City Marching Band is gearing up for another Fourth of July performance here in American Legion Post 225ís Independence Day parade.

Founded in 1981, the marching band resumed its traditional holiday appearance in 2001 and continues to make the hometown parade its one major showcase each year.

For Steve Hursh, one of the original band members, the summer performance is a fun and rewarding way to enjoy music and the marching band tradition that many of the members learned at Forest Lake High School.

But with 22 years of the bandís existence now history, Hursh says new members and new blood are needed.

ìWe really want to see this program continue, but we could use some new faces,î Hursh said this week in announcing the bandís practice schedule.

Membership is not exclusive. Hursh says musicians from anywhere in the area are welcome to join. All that is needed, he says, is a love of marching band and the music that has made it popular.

The thrill over stepping down Broadway or Lake Street before hundreds of cheering parade watchers is moving, Hursh says.

As the band forms for the 2003 performance here on Friday, July 4, Hursh is encouraging former high school marching band members who still have an interest in music and marching to join the effort.

Being a Forest Lake High School graduate is not a requirement, Hursh stressed.

With many new residents moving to Forest Lake, Hursh said he is hopeful that among the new residents will be people with marching band experience who are looking for an outlet in Forest Lake.

As a bonus for this yearís parade, Hursh and Legion Post 225 officials confirmed this week the City Band will be the lead band in the paradeís first division.

As of early this week, the Independence Day parade has registered more than 200 parade units. ìFreedom is not Freeî is the 2003 theme and the Legion is encouraging local businesses, organizations and families to take part in a new hometown pride theme.

Call 651-464-2600 or 651-429-3830 for parade details.

A new parade route is also in the works this year because of a relocation of the carnival site to the Post 225 grounds and NW 3rd St. where the parade route made its turn north off Broadway.

Because of the carnival relocation, the route will now proceed east on Broadway before turning north on Centennial Drive parallel to the Hardwood Creek Trail.

Practice details

Three more practice schedules remain for the City Band. They are:

ïThursday, June 19, 6:30 p.m., behind American Legion Post 225.

ïThursday, June 26, 6:30 p.m., behind American Legion Post 225.

ïTuesday, July 1, 6:30 p.m., behind American Legion Post 225. An informal potluck is planned by band members on the last date, the tune-up for the 10 a.m. parade on July 4th.

Anyone in the area interested in marching with the band or learning more about the band may call one of the following:

ïKresti Lyddon and Jay Voelker, 651-433-3328.

ïSteve Hursh, 651-464-1936.

ïGeorge and Vicki Mickelsen, 651-257-1453.

Any former City Band member or anyone from the Forest Lake area who plans to be home for the July 4th holiday but not available to practice is still welcome to march in the parade, Hursh said.

Hursh says Rollin Nelson, the City Bandís original director in 1981 and a long-time high school director in Forest Lake, is likely to be involved again this year in some capacity.

Celeblration Update

Don Skow of Lindstrom, a long-time Post 225 worker and volunteer at the Post, will head the 79th annual Independence Day Parade on Friday, July 4.

The Independence Day Parade is a highlight of the Legionís celebration, set to run this year from Thursday, July 3 through Sunday, July 6. Fireworks at 10 p.m. over First Lake cap the big day.

Skow will be joined in the parade dignitary column by Tom Zangla, Lino Lakes, as honorary grand marshal. Zangla has logged 20 years as a parade volunteer worker.

This yearís parade will have a new judging category and a new parade route.

Because of a relocation of the carnival from the Lakeside Memorial Park municipal parking lot to the Legion grounds and NW 3nd St., the parade route will change.

No longer will the parade route go north on NW 3nd St., but will move east along W. Broadway Ave. to Centennial Drive where it will turn north and follow Centennial Drive to NW 2nd Ave. Once at 2nd Ave., the parade route will follow its original route back to Lake St. and its march south down Highway 61.

Parade planners said this week anyone who has traditionally planned their viewing spots along NW 3rd St. and NW 2nd Ave. to make note of the change. Good viewing spots of the Centennial Drive section of the route will be available along the Hardwood Creek Trail.

For the July 4th parade, a new award category has been created in an attempt to generate more local interest in parade entries. A parade award will be presented for ìHometown Pride.î

Families or businesses can enter the parade in this category with no parade entry fee. Entries will be encourage to follow the parade theme and decorate their entries in red, white and blue.

The 2003 celebration will see another major change with a new site for the carnival. Carnival rides and attractions will operate this year on the east side of Post 225 and on NW 3rd St. north of W. Broadway Ave.

Downtown redevelopment has forced the carnival to move from the municipal parking lot next to Lakeside Memorial Park where it has been a fixture for many years. The Legion bingo tent and food stands will remain on the Legion grounds.

For more parade information, call Patti Black at 651-429-3830.

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