Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/976488
MAY 2-8, 2018 UCW 25 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM Hope Mills News & Views If you think getting ready for a parade just involves decorating a float or making sure you've got a good pair of walking shoes, think again. For Kenny Bullock, the challenge of putting to- gether this year's Hope Mills Fourth of July parade has already started and won't be over until the parade concludes on Independence Day. "e hardest part is getting people to follow the deadlines because of having to do the parade lineup and getting information to the Department of Trans- portation,'' said Bullock, director of the Hope Mills Parks and Recreation Department. Every group or organization that plans to have a float or vehicle in the parade has to fill out an appli- cation that is available from the recreation depart- ment, which is located at 5770 Rockfish Rd. You can pick one up in person, or if you call 910-426-4109, they will mail one to you. e application includes a long list of rules and guidelines that anyone taking part in the parade must follow. One of the biggest challenges the parade faces annually is having to hold it through the heart of the town along a state highway, NC 59. Bullock has to send a letter to the Department of Transportation 60 days prior to the parade to let the state know the road will be affected. "ey do not approve closing the road for the pa- rade because it's a state highway,'' Bullock said. "e town has to take full responsibility to close the road and make sure it is closed at the time you are given and opened at the time you specify.'' In the event of an emergency during the parade, Bullock said various people along the parade route are equipped with radios. ere have been times when fire trucks have had to pull out of the parade to respond to an emergency, he said. e people with radios include first responders, law enforcement and parks department staff. Many of the rules governing the parade were put in place with spectator safety in mind. One rule stipulates that no one on a float or car in the parade can throw candy or other giveaway items at bystanders. Bullock said there was a problem with some par- ents pushing children toward floats to grab candy. A few years ago, there was almost a tragedy when a parent nearly pushed a youngster underneath a passing float. "Anybody passing out candy on a car, float or fire truck has to have walkers,'' Bullock. at's walkers of the human variety, not the devices used by the disabled to help them walk. "e walkers have to be beside their float at all times,'' Bullock said. e walkers can then give the candy to people in the crowd so children aren't dart- ing out trying to grab it. Another challenge for Bullock and his team is in- specting floats to make sure they are appropriate for the parade. For Fourth of July, the theme is Indepen- dence Day celebration, so all floats are required to meet that standard. e final day to submit an entry is June 15. e parade is at 10 a.m. on July 4, and all floats and vehicles must be lined up at the staging area at Hope Mills Middle School by 9:30 a.m. e parade ends at Rockfish Elementary School. Bullock and the parade staff check the floats while in line and once again as they leave the staging area. ey are also randomly checked while they are on the parade route. Nothing is allowed to be removed from or added to a float once it has been approved, Bullock said. "We keep it family-oriented,'' Bullock said. "It's an old-time tradition that has been going on in Hope Mills. We want to keep the tradition going.'' e Fourth of July parade is actually one of the smallest Hope Mills puts on, averaging about 55 to 60 units. e Christmas parade is sometimes almost twice that size with 115 units. One reason the Fourth of July parade is shorter than most is it has a hard time attracting marching bands during summer. "Schools are out and the Fort Bragg bands are usually at Fort Bragg,'' Bullock said, explaining the reason for the lack of bands. "We encourage the floats and vehicles to have music.'' e town began accepting applications to be in this year's parade on May 1. Making the Hope Mills parade happen by EARL VAUGHAN JR. NEWS The town began accepting applications to be in this year's parade on May 1. The final day to submit is June 15. Photo credit: Trey Snipes.