Historical October 1982 report or notice. Original dates, prices and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
Bluegrass music, hot dogs, games, a Western parade and down-home hospitality were the hallmarks of this year’s Parkview Picnic, held in the Washington park on Saturday, Sept. 11.
An estimated 150 Parkview residents gathered in the park to listen to the group, Cimarron, and to mingle with their neighbors from all parts of the subdivision.
The music, which lasted from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., was a highlight of the annual event for many residents. “It was delightful; the music was great,” Rita Magyar of Westgate said. Terry Vanicelli of Washington said the band was terrific and was pleased that the group played Bluegrass rather than Country and Western.
Before the band started its performance, the neighborhood children got their opportunity to show off their Western costumes in keeping with the theme of the picnic. Nancy Klepper of Washington coordinated the parade of kids, which followed the Parkview police car down Westgate and around the park.
There were several covered wagons, girls in old-fashioned sunbonnets and boys with ten-gallon hats and six-shooters.
All the children who participated in the parade received prizes. Nancy Klepper, a relative newcomer to Parkview, enjoyed directing the parade.
She said it was “fun to see the kids all dressed up.
The parents were even more excited than the kids.” She was also glad to see such great neighborhood participation.
After the parade those weary from being on the trail could avail themselves of soda, beer, hot dogs, ham sandwiches or popcorn. Nancy deBettencourt and Mary and George Gilley, all of Washington, stoked the fires to keep the hot dogs going, as Tom Martin sold tickets for the food.
The picnic was coordinated by Anne and Bob Spencer, Cindy and Tom Martin, Mary and George Gilley and Nancy and Joe deBettencourt.
The planning was a collective effort, according to Bob Spencer. Nancy deBettencourt got the grab bags for everyone in the parade and Joe deBettencourt got the prizes, Spencer said. Joe deBettencourt, George Gilley and Bob Spencer coordinated the food and the lighting. Spencer urged that there be a picnic every year and recommended that two or three couples organize it together. “I have been involved in three of these (picnics) and this was the most fun because we enjoyed planning it and getting together..
We had fun doing it,” Spencer said. Cindy Martin, one of the organizers, said that the planning “did not take that much time or energy to do, and it was a lot of fun.” She hopes that other couples will take the opportunity to plan one next year. “The cooperation and community involvement evident at the picnic makes this neighborhood very special,” she said. “We didn’t know our neighbors in Richmond Heights when we lived there,” she added.
She felt that there is a tremendous sense of community here. Ms. Martin was responsible for securing the musical group, Cimarron, as the result of a recommendation from the Bluegrass Association of St. Louis.
She said that they had a great time playing and were really impressed that a neighborhood got together for such an event.
They were especially pleased, she said, to see the little kids dancing to the music. Bob Horner of Washington was pleased that all the children received a prize of some sort, rather than having just a few winners. Terry Vanicelli was pleased with the picnic because the “hot dogs met ball park standards but did not cost ballpark prices.” He said he was also delighted that the mosquitoes kept their distance. Other credit for this annual event goes to Kate Rogers and Anne Bischoff, both of Washington, who coordinated the children’s games.
The hot dogs, beer and soda were supplied at cost by Blueberry Hill through Joe Edwards of McPherson. Bob Spencer mentioned that there were two items found at the picnic.
One was a cloth bag with the initials L.G.
The other was a pair of prescription sunglasses that are bi-focals. Anyone who lost these items may obtain them from him.
Originally published in The Neighborhood Paper, October 1982.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times1982_10.pdf, printed page(s) 6; PDF page(s) 6.
