Partygoers Savor The Parade

Shouts went up from the crowd, “Up there!” All eyes focused on the beautiful blue sky, and one by one, four skydivers in different colors floated down and made a perfect landing on Sunset near Swarthmore. ”Michael Owens, in his Palisades Fourth of July parade debut, landed with the American flag floating behind him. His three teammates’Carey Peck (yes, the son of Gregory Peck), Anne Helliwell and Tom Falzone (a ’79 Palisades High grad)’have started the parade for 13 years. They couldn’t stay around to chat, because they had to land at a parade in Rosemead at 3:30 before splitting up, with two members going to festivities in Redlands and two to Chino. ”After the skydivers landed, Sandra Beckwith and Louis Lebherz sang the national anthem in front of the VIP grandstand as the parade got under way over on Via de la Paz. Crowds of people sitting in chairs and on the curb, or simply standing, all lined the parade route. Bobby Kahn, who was born and raised in the Palisades, provided an inside piece of advice: “The key is getting your chair on the shady side.” ”Of course, a few lucky residents have the parade go by their front yards along Sunset and Toyopa. And they know how to throw a party. Sheryl Hallmark, who moved close to Fire Station 69 four years ago, has an elevated yard above Sunset. “Until I moved here, I was always in the category of having to set up chairs,” she said. “It’s great to be a little bit above the passing parade scenery.” ”Three policemen at one location on Sunset? What was the crime? It turns out there wasn’t a crime, but with savvy detective work they had found a party with gourmet food made by Sharon Shaw. She and her husband, Barry, volunteered as usual for PAPA People the morning of the parade, then managed to throw together a party for 40-50 people. The menu included tri-tip sandwiches, gravlax (salmon marinated in vodka, lemon, dill, salt and pepper for four days) and several luscious salads. ”Farther down the block, Karen Clark started a new tradition with her parade party this year. Her family staged ping-pong and foosball competitions before the parade started, which seemed like a good way to keep the children entertained, but Karen clarified, laughing, “The kids were fighting to get the tables from the adults, who were so competitive, it got ugly.” I briefly joined the Patriotic Pups brigade, where Denise DeSantis reported there had been some drama among the pooches. A dead squirrel, lying on the road, had been surveyed and snatched as a prize by a large black dog. The owner squeamishly tugged at the squirrel, trying to get it out of the dog’s mouth. The dog won and proceeded to devour the road kill. All the dog-walkers, totally grossed out, said in unison, “Ooohh.” ”Along Toyopa, Jim Buerge explained that 30 fried chickens, six tri-tips, two racks of lamb, and three kegs of beer helped nourish the 350-400 people who stopped by. Jim and his wife, Colleen, were born and raised in the Palisades, and their families’ presence here goes back to the 1930s. After sending out about a 100 invites, they kept running into people around town and started inviting them as well, and before they knew it, they had a yard full of people that spilled over into their neighbor’s yard. Buerge said he may put up grandstands next year. It looks like hard work, especially since they have three small children, ages 7, 5, and 2, but Jim said, “It’s always fun; it’s the best time of the year.” ”An entire yard on Toyopa was filled with the Misty Isle Pipe Band. Bagpiper Gary Shaw, a beer in one hand and his pipes in the other, told me that one of the players knew the owner. It’s an annual event for the band. “We always come by after we’re done marching,” Shaw said. “In exchange for a few beers, we play a few tunes.” ”Last year, 8-year-old Andrew Slate shouted at his mom Susan, “You wrecked my Fourth of July!” She explained on Monday that last year their house on Toyopa was under construction and for the first time in 11 years, they didn’t have their party. Andrew looked much happier this year, seated with friends on the curb and blowing a red horn. Susan gives all the adults little flags to wave and all the children get party bags. Guests were making ice cream sundaes with chocolate syrup, sprinkles, and whipped cream, when suddenly the Impulse Drum and Bugle Corps from Santa Ana crowded the curb in front of the house. Some of the members hopped the lawn and started playing for the partygoers. When the band went back into formation and marched down the street, the guests wanted to know how Susan managed to get them to perform specially for them. ”She laughed because she had no idea why they decided to stop. But her husband, Dan, summed up the Fourth of July for partygoers, parade watchers, and Palisadians in general, when he said, “It’s wonderful. It’s tons of fun!”