IRON MOUNTAIN - The Iron Mountain-Kingsford Independence Day Parade was a huge success with spectators some six-deep in places lining the streets.
The weather was perfect and so was the crowd. Theme for the parade put on by Americans for Constitutional Enforcement (ACE) was "Salute America, Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow."
Winners for the parade follow.
- Business/Organization: 1st, Pine Mountain Resort; 2nd, Decorations Plus; 3rd, Home Depot.
- Patriotic: 1st, Veterans Administration Hospital; 2nd, Iron Mountain/Kingsford Veterans; 3rd, Just 4 Kids Child Care.
- Miscellaneous: 1st, Kingsford/Iron Mountain Combined Bands; 2nd, Rolling Thunder; 3rd, Studio 360.
- Kids: 1st, Lynn Walsh; 2nd, Crystal Lake Angles 4-H; 3rd, Sheer Happiness; 4th, Emma Kay Nasi.
Prizes for all of the above will be at The Daily News on Friday of this week to be picked up after noon that day, and not before.
In addition to all those entering the parade, ACE acknowledged the following contributors: Recreation Lanes; Wendy's; McDonald's; Burger King; Holiday Kitchen; T &T Supper Club; Hardee's; Dina Mia; Solberg's; Northside Cafe; Pizza Hut; Domino's; Damian's; C & R Bar; Doug's Hilltop; Romagnoli's; Pasty Oven; Taco Bell; The Drug Store/Front Porch; Barb's Cafe; Shirt Tales; Hopehouse; Advanced Auto Parts; Lofholm's; Rocconi Ace; Logo Sports; Pine Mountain; Family Video; Midas; Riverside Auto; Protech; Town & Country; Home Depot; Threads; Perennial Gardens; Smokey River; Days Inn; Holiday Inn; Comfort Inn; Super 8 Motel; Edwards Chevrolet; Pomp's; Storhiem's/Pizza Pete's; Tri-City Cinema; Daily News; WJNR; 50 Plus; Whispering Pines Outpost; Era Chevrolet; Main Street Pizza; Subway; Fontana's; Valeski Family; Neuens Auto Sales; Jensen Church Supply; Kingsley North; Barb's Cafe; Birchwood Mall; Midtown Mall; Ginny's Hallmark; Auto Value; A & W; U.P. Propane (formerly Iron Mountain Gas Co.); Scotty's Muffler and Brake; Book World; Oak Crest Golf Course; Bears Den; Julia Rose; Decorations Plus; Mr. Tire; B's Cafe; Country Kitchen; Koinonia; Northern Michigan Bank; First National Bank; Upper Peninsula State Bank; CJ Graphics;
Dickinson County Library; Schultz Equipment; Scotty's Potties; Neil Johnson; Beacon Ambulance; Steve Coron of Cerasoli Motors.
Members of ACE volunteering for the parade included Richard Abraham; Wayne Funderburg; Jim Gardner; Steve Trask; Frank and Charlotte Novak; Tony Erickson and Diana Miller.
The grand marshal was Charles (Chuck) Lantz, commander of the Iron Mountain VFW; oldest citizen of Dickinson County is Mary Ropelle of Freeman's Nursing Rehabilitation Community of Kingsford; the oldest born on July 4, David McDowell, (79), also of Kingsford and the youngest born on the 4th, Aiden Valeski (age 1), son of Lindsey Martin and Adam Valeski. The convertible they rode in was provided by Adam Valeski's parents.
The convertible for the grand marshal was provided by Town and Country driven by Steve Juul and the other convertible was provided by Neuens Auto driven by James Gardner.
