Published: July 04, 2009 09:05 pm      

Parade has sense of community

FRANKFORT -- Donald Jones often rides with other veterans in the Frankfort Fourth of July parade.

Not this year. He sat beside his daughter, Judy Curtiss, in the front seat of a passenger van, his military uniform looking crisp through the window.

Jones, 91, is part of an aging group of World War II veterans across the country; he served in the 1943 Battle of Attu in the Aleutian Islands. Saturday, the longtime Frankfort resident said, was a perfect day for a parade.

"Today I feel special sharing it with him," said Curtiss, of Flint, who regularly spends the holiday with her parents. Her mother rode behind the van with the Benzie County Community Band.

"I love saluting all the people going by," Curtiss said. "Every part of it is just exciting."

Hundreds of people gathered along Main Street in Frankfort to celebrate the 233rd anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

One of the event's biggest draws, it seemed, was its sense of community. Local businesses, school groups and interested residents participated, many throwing candy to children along the parade route.

Many people, both marchers and spectators, had vacation homes in the area or were visiting relatives.

Sandy King, of Sarasota, Fla., stayed with her grandparents in Frankfort. Her four children stood in the street, hoping to collect as many sweets as they could.

"This is my favorite holiday, because of this," King said, waving her arms as the parade passed. "Everybody knows everybody. It's kind of fun."

Students from Frankfort's junior and senior high school band classes played a version of "My Country, 'Tis of Thee" as they marched.

Teacher Dan Wilson said the students spent the last three weeks of school learning the music, but Saturday was the first time both classes performed together. They had a practice run in the parking lot that morning.

"It's easy for the kids to keep in their heads during the three weeks they have off," Wilson said. "It's like being a rock star when you march in the parade. Everyone screams and yells. It's great."

Eleanor Mrak, 7, of Marshall, and her grandmother, Pat Brasseur, of Battle Creek, both wore navy shirts with flag-patterned bandannas around their necks. They spent parts of two days decorating their bicycles to ride in the parade.

Streamers stuck out of the handlebars of Eleanor's bike. The second-grader said she learned about the meaning of Independence Day in school.

It's great, she said, "that we have our own country and our own freedom."