Jackson County Chronicle

Holy Smokes wrote on Jul 23, 2008 5:57 PM:

" "We folks in BRF are good people"...according to who...yourself?!?! "

Surprise wrote on Jul 23, 2008 2:01 PM:

" Black River Falls is the County Seat. I just thought I would remind you all. So why should it have to bow out of things time and time again for other communities? They can establish their own 4th of July celebrations and as the county seat should take the "back" seat to no one. "

Sad day... wrote on Jul 22, 2008 8:37 PM:

" It truly is a sad day when a supposedly learned man spouts such stupidity and arrogance.

To claim that there is less patriotism in BRF because they don't have a parade & celebrate on the 4th of July is just plain dumb and clearly out of touch with reality.

I believe many years ago, BRF did have a celebration on the 4th also, along with Hixton and Melrose. It was a problem. People couldn't get to each celebration to participate in the parades. The competition doesn't help the smaller communities raise funds for their events.

I wonder if the Rev. Cavanaugh bothered to make an effort to travel the great distance to either Melrose or Hixton. He doesn't say in his writing. It's probably just as well that he didn't, because neither of their celebrations would have been good enough for him.

Such a sad day... "

From BRF wrote on Jul 22, 2008 9:12 AM:

" I'm a BRF resident and am tired of the "BRF thinks their the boss of everything and we don't like them" mentality that the smaller communities in Jackson County have. Sheesh people - it's so adolescent! BRF can't win no matter what it does. We quit having 4th of July celebrations for several reasons - one being the fact that it conflicted with the celebrations in Hixton in Melrose. Festival in the Park date was also moved for several reasons - one of which was to avoid conflicting with the Strawberry Fest. By the way, AC moved it's festival date back a weekend a few years back (for what I'm sure must have been good reason) and then complained when Festival in the Park was the same weekend. Festival in the Park tried to avoid conflicting with other area festivals, but conflicts can't be avoided if dates change. Can't we all just get along? We folks in BRF are good people! "

Not the only town wrote on Jul 21, 2008 6:08 PM:

" 40 years. Wow. BRF could say that if they didn't hand over everything to worship butterflies and worry about the Lunda Park funds. I honestly think that 4th of July celebration should be in the forefront of this town's attention. I would much rather celebrate the men and women fighting for us and others around the world and honor America than giving money because the City can't figure out how to budget to care for the park. It isn't about just the marines either. Every part of our Country's military have done amazing things and we need to commend them all no matter what branch. This holiday is about our country and our honor to it. Not what it has become in this town. I realize all of the celebrations and conflicting schedules, but BRF has almost all but removed itself from the tried and true traditions it once had. "

th of July wrote on Jul 18, 2008 5:27 PM:

" Hixton and Melrose have been having their celebrations for over 40 years. Hixton has their parade at 10:30 am, Melrose has theirs later so both parades can be attended by the Queen floats, bands, etc.
No bands in the Hixton parade this year. Where was BRF BAND!!
The Legion always leads the Hixton parade with the flags and everyone stood & clapped. We had several Legion units attend the parade this year. We are very proud of our fire departments also and this is a major fundraiser for them. Many different towns bring fire equipment to the parades.
BRF has always had a seperate weekend to celebrate. Please keep it that way. BRF is not the only town in Jackson County. "

One of...The Few wrote on Jul 18, 2008 1:50 PM:

" It IS true that Marines are always in the forefront!!

"I have just returned from visiting the Marines at the front, and there is not a finer fighting organization in the world! General of the Armies, Douglas MacArthur; Korea, 21 September 1950

Why in hell can't the army do it if the Marines can. They are the same kind of men; why can't they be like Marines. Gen. John J. "Black Jack" Pershing, USA 12 February 1918

You can not exaggerate about the Marines. They are convinced to the point of arrogance, that they are the most ferocious fighters on earth-and the amusing thing about it is that they are. Father Kevin Keaney 1st Marine Division Chaplain Korean War

Don not attack the First Marine Division. Leave the yellowlegs alone. Strike the American Army.
Orders given to the Communist troops in the Korean War; shortly afterward, the Marines were ordered to not wear their khaki leggings.

The last time I seen the Guards they were in front of the Black River Amory spinning their heads on a baseball bat. Some sort of bat race. Maybe it was training. "

Hixton and Melrose wrote on Jul 18, 2008 11:51 AM:

" The Hixton and Melrose July 4 celebrations are longstanding traditions, but they are also fund raisers for the local fire departments. To introduce a competing celebration in BRF would create a financial hardship for these smaller communities. "

Another view wrote on Jul 16, 2008 7:59 PM:

" I do not agree that the Declaration of Independence and the nation's birthday have been "co-opted" by a bug in Black River Falls. The fact that BRF does not have a "4th of July" celebration does not mean that there is any less patriotism, or any less respect or pride in our Troops and founding fathers. As much as everyone likes to celebrate our independence, not every city, village, or town in the county can have a 4th of July celebration. It would result in competition, smaller crowds, shorter parades, and less fun. Melrose and Hixton already have celebrations, and have been doing so for the 20+ years that I have lived in this area. The exact number of years, I do not know. I do not think it would be right for BRF to try to horn in on the date and also have a celebration at the same time. As things are right now, parade units go to Hixton, go through that parade, then head straight for Melrose to participate in that parade. To try to squeeze another parade in would be very difficult. Therefore, if BRF tried to have a celebration and parade on the 4th, there would be competition for parade units, and all of the parades would suffer. As far as spectators watching the parades, people would attend the parade nearest their home, so overall, attendance would be split 3 ways instead of 2. This means smaller crowds. Black River Falls does not always need to be the center of attention in Jackson County, even if it is the county seat. Let Melrose and Hixton keep on with their tradition without BRF feeling the need to steal the show. Do you feel this same way about Alma Center's Strawberry Fest? That was only 2 weeks before the 4th of July. Were they trying to hitch the 4th of July onto a piece of fruit? No. These are distinctly different community celebrations, with dates chosen to not conflict with events going on in neighboring communities, in an effort to attract people from the entire county and beyond. I really think that the BRF Downtown Association chose the weekend they did for the KBB Fest so that it did not conflict with the neighbors, not to hitch the 4th of July onto the "wings of a pretty blue bug".

As far as the Karner Blue parade is concerned,I attended the parade, and I distinctly remember there being a unit from the National Guard in the parade, with some of our fine men and women in uniform along with the unit. And where I was standing, as they went past, most of the spectators stood up and applauded them. Also, as the color guard went past at the very start of the parade, I recall ALL of the spectators where I was standing being quiet, removing headgear, and paying respect to our flag and the veterans that were carrying our colors. Patriotism is still alive in BRF. And the fact that BRF is not the local community that has the 4th of July parade does not say anything different. "

Bravo wrote on Jul 16, 2008 1:03 PM:

" I took part in the Karner Blue Parade and wondered if there was nearly as great a turn out for anything on the 4th of July, and it dawned on me that there was certainly more excitement attached to the KB Festival than the 4th. How can we say that the men of women of today are going out to defend our way of life, or our freedom, and then sort of slough of the very day set aside by our government to celebrate that freedom? As a child I remember walking in a parade that had some really old veterans from I think before WWI (Yes I am old now too) And I was amazed and awed by them, and the uniforms they still wore with pride. It was events like Memorial Day and 4th of July that made me respect the American Flag ALMOST as much as any religious icon, it symbolized so much to me then, and even now. These are the lessons many of our children are missing, and maybe a big parade with girl scouts and boy scouts and veterans, and bands and beauty queens, and heros, local or otherwise and all those things we are known for, would help remind us what our freedoms are and why they so desperately need to be defended, on our home soil. "

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