Ruralite Cafe: Published 11/30/00

By Lynn Hotaling Associate Editor

Christmas parade may have been best ever

It might not have the polish of Macy's or the excess of the Tournament of Roses, but, like our annual Fourth of July downtown celebration, every year's Christmas parade makes me glad to be in Sylva, where we still turn out in big numbers to celebrate holidays together.

Watching a parade live is so much better than watching one on television. And in Sylva, you know so many of the participants. From the first police car, driven by Sylva's town administrator Tommy Thompson to the last, steered by Assistant Police Chief Mary Cook, it was great to see all the familiar faces.

Standing in front of The Sylva Herald, our fingers frozen around our cameras, Rose and I watched them all roll by. We saw the politicians, including Rep. Phil Haire and newly-elected Rep. Marge Carpenter. We waved to Commissioners' Chairman Jay Denton and Sylva Mayor Brenda Oliver, who headed a float filled with commissioners and town board members.

And, as Rose observed, who better to introduce a "storybook" Christmas than a float full of local authors? Not a one of them - especially frequent Herald contributor Gary Carden - was short on words as they hollered holiday greetings to the enthusiastic crowd. We saw Jessica Philyaw of Cullowhee, Thomas Crowe of Tuckasegee, Lesa Postell of Greens Creek, Mack Mangham of Balsam, Amy Garza-McCann of Whittier, and Barbara Murray, Jim Harbin J.D. McRorie and Sue Ellen Bridgers of Sylva, along with several others.

From the tiniest of Daisy Scouts and Termite cheerleaders to the Heritage Hills senior citizen float, enthusiasm agelessly unfolded as Sylva's parade participants threw candy and shouted "Merry Christmas!" Like candles before electricity, Main Street's heritage street lights provided just the right glow as floats passed as quickly as the pages turn in a good book.

Parents did the reading as children asked with each passing float, "What's it say? What float is that?"

And in a straight line they came down Main Street - musicians, churches, organizations, businesses, youth groups, Shriners, beauty queens, cheerleaders, dancers, babies in strollers, flag wavers, firefighters, hometown heroes, hot rod Chevrolets, horseback riders, carolers, scouts, Rudolf the Red-nosed Reindeer and a John Deere tractor. We had horn-blowers, bell-ringers, drummers, snowmen and angels. We even had Elvis! Like our library down on the other end of town, our storybook parade had something for everyone to enjoy.

And what a great theme this year's organizers chose! As we watched Tuesday night, every float really did tell its own story. It truly seemed to be the beginning of a "storybook" Christmas.

Watching the floats arrive was a little different this year because the paraders headed west, toward our historic courthouse and the brightly-lit Hospice Tree of Remembrance. No one seemed to mind the directional shift, and the parade moved through town without a hitch.

Our hats are off to parade coordinator Betty Foxx and all the others who worked so hard to present us with a wonderful parade. The members of SPIR's promotions committee are to be commended as well, along with new director Richard McHargue.

And let's not forget Sylva Police Chief Jeff Jamison, who had the idea for the parade's change in direction, and all the members of his department who were on hand to help with traffic control. They deserve our thanks for a job well done.

What a great parade! Let's have another one next year.

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