BankFirst Float Was A Real Treat
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DAVE’S WORLD
By David Howell
That there is an RV (Clark).
Yes it was, and I think I was as surprised as Clark in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation when the RV rounded the curve during the parade Friday night. I was busy trying to take pictures of each entry and didn’t notice it until it was almost in front of me. This was a first for me – I have taken parade pictures for 26 years in seven different towns and can’t recall another RV rolling in a parade. It was certainly fitting for this year’s parade theme, “Christmas movies or shows.”
The BankFirst float, a decorated RV pulling a trailer with the dinner scene with bank workers gathered around a table was a hit. The float even featured the burned Christmas tree, remember Cousin Eddie’s dog drank the water under the tree in the movie leading to the cat mishap. Tyler Hill portrayed Cousin Eddie, wearing what appeared to be a lime green suit that easily could have been pulled out of Eddie’s closet. When the float paused in front of the parade judges, the BankFirst crew and recited the Pledge of Allegiance. Jessie Gurner captured this moment, the picture is on the cover of our greeting section.
I had to know, how did BankFirst come up with a burned tree for the float?
Tyler explained that Jim Caulder helped him burn it using his blow torch welder. Apparently it took longer than they thought, but it was a perfect burned tree. Tyler said it was a fitting Christmas Vacation float, when they pulled out of the ballpark driveway the Christmas tree caught a low-hanging limb and broke a cable that was bracing it. One of the bank employees had to hold the tree for the entire parade. And Tyler’s suit, let’s just say it was borrowed. You will have to ask him whose wardrobe it came from.
The RV came from BankFirst employ Mike Ellis’ garage. Thanks – Tyler, Cam and the crew at BankFirst. The float was a real treat and very worthy of the overall award for best float. We may even have a new nickname for Tyler – old cuz or Cousin Eddie.
Ironically I decided this year that I would try not to watch Christmas Vacation until closer to Christmas, maybe even Christmas eve. The holiday favorite has been on for weeks, and usually by mid-December I have seen bits and pieces of the movie and lose enthusiasm for watching it before Christmas. It’s hard to believe the movie was released in 1989, 35 years ago. For full disclosure, I have a little Clark in me when it comes to Christmas and maybe that is why I enjoy the movie.
Rewinding a week, I didn’t intend for last week’s edition to morph into a full crime edition. When I was doing the Looking Back section that included a murder 15 years ago, I decided to feature the unsolved murders in the county during the last 20 years. I try to publish the list of unsolved murders every year or so, you never know what it could trigger.
Then came the drug busts by the sheriff’s department and the Coffeeville armed robbery and the Herald was almost cover to cover in crime.
Thankfully this week is our Christmas edition and there are plenty of holiday photos and good news to report.
On Monday, I took a picture of the winners of the raffle sponsored by members of the Masonic Lodge No. 8. Keith
Larson donated $300 in groceries for the grand prize winner. The Larson family are strong contributors to so many different organizations, clubs and groups in the community– often with little or no publicity. I think this shout-out to Larson’s Cash Saver is fitting for this Christmas edition.
