By RHEA-FRANCES TETLEY
Staff Writer
With the warm weather here, can summer and Jamboree Days be far behind? Plans by the Crestline Chamber of Commerce are already underway to make this 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence one of the best Jamboree Days yet.
Plans are to celebrate numerous local anniversaries, as well as the nation’s birthday. The theme for the two-day celebration on July 3 and 4 is “Purple Mountains Majesty.”
This year’s America’s 250th anniversary is becoming known as the Semiquincentennial or America 250.
To start the two days of celebrations, on Friday, July 3, Crestline will open up the holiday weekend with fireworks shot off at 9 p.m. over Lake Gregory, sponsored by the Regional Park and the Crestline Chamber of Commerce. The chamber will start fireworks fundraising events and activities this month.
Then, on Saturday at 10 a.m., the Jamboree Days parade will step off, followed by a full day of music, beer gardens, bounce houses and activities throughout Crestline. Saturday evening, after that full day of activities, at 9 p.m., fireworks will be shot off over Lake Arrowhead.
Because the holiday is designated to celebrate the American Revolution, the Jamboree Days committee decided that the grand marshal for this year’s parade should also honor those who made America safe. They chose the heads of the three local veterans organizations to head this year’s special semiquincentennial Jamboree Days parade. The Mountain Fifes & Drums Corps has already promised to march in the parade.
The co-grand marshals will be Darrel Artiaga, president of VFW Post 9624 located in Cedarpines Park; Cliff “Doc” Bennett, founder of Rim of the World Veterans Outreach; Michael Brewer of the Marine Corps League; and Dale Ele, commander of American Legion Post 360, located in Lake Arrowhead.
The Crestline chamber is now seeking an appropriate vehicle for them to ride in as co-grand marshals. Does anyone have a lead on a wide modern convertible, or maybe an old convertible with a rumble seat? Please let the chamber know at their office on Fridays or Saturdays from 10 to 2 p.m.
The chamber has already opened the website, www.Jamboreedays.com, for those who want to reserve a spot for their floats, marching bands and other entries in the parade. Deadline for registration is Friday, June 27 at midnight. The fee to enter the Jamboree Days parade is $40. The nonprofit entry fee is $25; for a car club with numerous individual cars the entry fee is $20, with a maximum of 12 cars per club.
The chamber is also open to register local vendors who would like a spot along the main street on July 4. Locals are getting a first opportunity to register for a space, before the chamber opens the registration for off-the-mountain vendors.
Nominations for Citizen of the Year will soon be accepted by the chamber of commerce. Each person who wants to nominate someone will have that opportunity. So, start thinking now about someone you know or have seen who deserves that honor.
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