CATLETTSBURG — A steady rain soaked paradegoers in Catlettsburg on Monday but it did little to dampen spirits.
Children and parents splashed through puddles in pursuit of candy being hurdled into the wet streets from umbrella- and rain-coat-laden floats.
Some, like Shalayna Hazlett, 8, of Ashland, and her brother, Josh, 7, counted the rain among the best parts of the parade.
“I think it’s really cool,” Shalayna said.
“I wasn’t prepared for it but I just like rain,” she added, with raindrops dripping from the end of her freckled nose.
“The baton people, the bands and the belly dancers” were Shalayna’s other favorite parts of the parade. Although candy wasn’t too far behind.
“Tootsie rolls or anything chocolate” were her preferred finds.
Their mother, Angie Hazlett, 28, of Ashland, was soggy herself but kept a grin on throughout the morning even as the Hillbilly caravan passed by squirting even more water on her.
“We’ve been doing this since I was a little kid,” she said, “So I want them to be able to experience it also. The rain is worth it. It doesn’t seem to bother them.”
“It’s great, it’s like tradition. Everyone loves doing things that they did when they were little with their kids,” she added, saying no amount of bad weather was likely to keep them away. “Maybe umbrella’s next year.”
Ashland Junior Football League Cheerleader Coach Kristen Stewart, 22, also kept a bright smile while she marched with the children.
“It’s pretty crappy but we’re keeping it all pepped up with all our spirit and everything,” she said.
“They are loving it, playing in the rain,” she said of the girls who followed behind her.
“I’m having a ball,” said Taran Smith, 5, blinking at rain drops that landed on her dark lashes.
Catlettsburg resident Kristina Smith, 26, huddled under an umbrella in front of her father’s Oakland Avenue home while her daughter Cassidy, 3, stomped in the water with other children gathering just below the curb.
“It’s for candy,” Cassidy proclaimed when asked what she thought about the parade, promptly displaying a couple of rain-softened Now and Later’s.
Smith, who said she lives a couple of blocks away, never considered skipping the parade either.
“It’s just dependable even in the rain. Every year it’s like the end of summer — just a big celebration. We love to go down in town and our church sets up a chuck wagon. It’s just a family thing,” Smith said.
Another parade participant, Larry Maynard, 39, with the Carpenter Local 472 and Millwright Local 1031, wasn’t going to let the showers wash away his chance to support unions on Labor Day. “It’s fun. We just really enjoy it,” he said.
“We just take a lot of pride in our local unions. Rain or shine, it doesn’t matter to us,” Maynard said. “Labor Day means alot to us, especially being in the union trade. It represents labor, the workforce and we’re pretty proud to be union. It’s just a good day,” he said.
By the time the last fire truck found its way through Catlettsburg’s soppy streets, the sun was beginning to peak through the clouds.
CARRIE STAMBAUGH can be reached at cstambaugh@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2653.
Local News
Related Photos
-
John Flavell
Discussion
Slide show: Celebrating in the rain
- Local News
-
-
UW campaign tops $780,000
While the economy of this region continues to struggle, the people of northeastern Kentucky again proved this is a caring and giving area by easily surpassing the ambitious $750,000 for the 2011 campaign of the United Way of Northeast Kentucky.
-
LRC plans to appeal judge’s ruling
The leadership of the General Assembly announced Thursday it plans to appeal Franklin Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd’s ruling that the legislature’s plan to re-draw state legislative boundaries is unconstitutional.
-
School personnel pleased to be in ‘unprecedented’ territory with snow days
Mid-February usually is the time when school administrators start worrying about how many days they will have to tack on to the end of the year to make up for the ones missed because of snow.
-
Opposition to planned sewer extension
The Boyd County Fiscal Court could be removing $60,000 in grant money after complaints about the sewer project it would have funded.
-
Business touts better living
Yvette Pennington is a true believer in the power of living better as we live longer.
-
Police beat: 2/9/12
The following information was taken from Ashland Police Department reports:
-
Safe Harbor benefits from Shop and Share Day
Shop and Share Day brought a record number of donations to Safe Harbor of Northeast Kentucky.
-
Local briefs: 2/9/12
For the fifth year in a row, Susan G. Komen for the Cure has given the Southern Ohio Medical Center Cancer Center funding to support the Hands of Hope grant program.
-
Judge's ruling paralyzes General Assembly
Confusion reigns in the wake a judge’s ruling that state redistricting maps passed by the General Assembly are unconstitutional. That ruling says until the legislature offers a plan which meets constitutional muster, 2012 candidates for the legislature must run in the districts drawn 10 years ago.
-
10 most romantic hotels in the U.S.
Valentine’s Day will be here soon, and a romantic getaway may be just what the heart needs. TripAdvisor has released its list of the 10 most romantic hotels in the country, based on travelers’ reviews about the beautiful scenery, friendly staffs and romantic amenities like hot tubs and fireplaces.
- More Local News Headlines
-
UW campaign tops $780,000
Obama Gives Education Waivers to 10 States
Giffords Aide to Run for Her Seat
LA School in Sex Abuse Scandal Reopens
Winter Slamming North Asia, Parts of Europe
Syrian Forces Renew Bombardment of Homs
States, Banks Reach Foreclosure-abuse Settlement
Raw Video: Italy's Mount Etna Bursts Into Life
Greeks March; Angry Despite Debt Deal
Raw Video: U.S. Pullout Celebration
Raw Video: Annual Empire State Building Run-Up
Man Killed in Courthouse Shootout
Air Force Airlines: Leaders Get Polished Service
Ga Girl Fights Off Kidnapper at Walmart
Nevada Highway Patrol, City Settle Beating Case
Homs Bombardment Continues, Global Outcry Grows
Raw Video: Dog Rescued From Icy Colo. Water
Skip the Coffee Cup and Inhale Your Caffeine Fix
