June 25, 2006 - Sunday

06/25/06 SUNDAY
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Todays Gazette is brought to you by all the wonderful folks that
attended Grafton's 2006 Summerfest Celebration.
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The current temperature is 68 degrees.
Total moisture received throughout this years celebration registered
.12 of an inch in the Skeeterville rain monitor.
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"Profanity makes ignorance audible."
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L O C A L news & stuff,.. mostly stuff.
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The 2006 Grafton Summerfest celebration will go down in history as one
of the best celebrations ever.
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Saturday June 24, 2006 is a day I shall never forget. I woke up
especially early Saturday morning and for a few minutes I laid in bed
wondering what the day would bring. Above all, I thought, I hoped the
weather would be nice for the parade and all of the activities at the
park, and of course for the "grand finale", the Johnny Holm band at the
Centennial Center.
I went to Granny's (as usual) and was surprised to find several
"visitors" had come to meet and congratulate me for my part in the days
festivities.
After consuming more caffeine than a truck driver on a long run, I
returned home to get ready for the parade. As I walked in the door, I
good sense something was wrong. Pat was standing in the center of the
kitchen crying. Tears were dripping off her cheeks and she could hardly
speak. When I asked her what was wrong, she swallowed hard and said,
"Wally,.... Wally and Ione DeSautel did this!" After she calmed down
she told me what happened. She said that a delivery van from Grafton
Floral pulled up in our driveway and delivered a dozen of the most
beautiful roses there ever was. Along with the dozen roses there was
also a beautiful rose corsage for Pat, and a rose boutonniere for me.
(According to my brother AK, Ione and Wally wanted him to deliver the
nicest roses he could get to our home in time for Saturdays parade.) You
can believe me when I say, "He certainly did what Ione and Wally asked."
About the time we both got our emotions under control, our son Jeff
pulled in our driveway with Renae and Gene Fayette's pretty little white
convertible. By this time I am beginning to feel the complexity of the
coming day. First we covered the back seat with a red white and blue
blanket our daughter Wendy had made for us. It made a perfect backdrop
for the bouquet of Roses. We filled every available spot in the back
seat with thousands of pieces of candy from Kelly and David's Grafton
Sweet Delights. Jeff set up his movie camera in the front seat so all
our kids could see what we looked like as we went through the parade.
Then, we were off to the parade staging area to get ready for the
parade.
Denny Schneider, dressed in patriotic shorts (flag) directed us to our
spot near the front of the parade. As we were waiting, several people
stopped by to congratulate us and told us how nice they thought the
picture and article in the Walsh County Record was, a few even took our
picture. Bill Kingsbury, one of the areas more avid photographers also
looked at us through his lense finder.
I felt reasonably relaxed during this period of the parade. Then the
car started to move and I heard John Maxwell playing his trumpet in
front of us, and I realized the next twelve blocks would be full of
folks, from throughout the area, that make this community one I have
become so proud of.
From the very beginning, I saw people sitting and standing 5, 6 and
often more deep, on both sides of the street. Then, in the first block I
noticed my very first great granddaughter, and something really funny
happened. For some reason I was no-longer sitting on top of the back
seat of that convertible alone with Pat. My entire family was there!
I hoped I could do justice to the honor I had been given. That somehow
I would be able to see and thank everyone on both sides of the street as
we passed bye.
I remember the day I received my first bike, my first fishing trip, my
first car, the first day we spent in our new home. I remember each and
every birth of our children and every milestone on their way to
adulthood. The feeling I felt as I rode down the parade route was like
no other I can describe, save one, and that was the first time Pat said
she loved me.
Thank you everyone, for making my wife and me extremely proud and
humble citizens of the Grafton area community.
I owe this community much, and, in some small way. I hope I can continue
to pay.
I must thank my entire family, without whom I would not exist.
Thanks to all of those that participated in my nomination and selection
to the honor of Home Town Hero.
Thanks to the hundreds of people that sent us e-mails, cards and to
those that personally extended congratulations and best wishes.
Thank you Ione and Wally DeSautel, not just for the beautiful roses,
but for all your thoughts and prayers as well.
Thank you Renae and Gene Fayette, for the use of your beautiful white
convertible.
Thanks also to those that called and offered the use of their
"suncrusiers".
Thank you Kelly and David, and all the staff at Sweet Delights for the
thousands of "treats" you allowed us to share.
Thanks to Dawn Castro for the marvelous
article in the Walsh County Record and to Larry Biri for the magnificent
picture. Finally, and ultimately most important. Thank God
and the military for giving us the freedom and the ability to enjoy so
many wonderful events across this great nation of ours.
Sincerely, Pat and Gary Moe & Sami
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The 2006 Grafton Area Summerfest Celebration was, without question, the
best Summerfest ever. Every single person involved deserves a standing
ovation.
The festivities at Leistikow Park will only be exceeded by next years
presentation. The folks at Elmwood did a super job adding real
"class" to Summerfest.
The folks at Fair Oaks Golf Course are to be commended, as are the many
businesses the comprise my home town.
The Demolition Derby was another "smash hit", pardon the pun.
And, as in years past. The Johnny Holm Concert & Dance was packed with
energy.
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The 2007 Grafton Summerfest is, already, less than twelve months away.
With the benefits of this years successes, coupled with positive
"constructive" criticism. Next years celebration can't miss, "going over
the bar".
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GOTTA GO WORK ON MY DASH
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The Gazette works best, when the folks that read it, write it. Or so it
seems to me.
P.S.
If you should call, and I don't answer. You can probably find me at
Rocky Point, teaching my leaches to speak walleye.


Write if you can, call if you can't, and, tell your loved ones they are,
before it's too late.