Labor Day is not the same

Since I was a child, Kettering's Holiday at Home parade was a staple in my life. The city of Kettering started hosting the parade in 1959 when it envisioned the event as a way to keep people off the roadways during a major holiday and building more interest in the young city itself.

Every Labor Day morning we were there on Far Hills Avenue watching myriad floats, bands, dance groups and of course the ubiquitous group of Shriners driving their miniature cars in moving formations. I spent hours the summer of my senior year stuffing tissue paper into chicken wire to help build the float for Fairmont East High School that would become an award-winning entry.

As an adult Denny and I were involved in the parade in another manner; Denny was involved in security and traffic control as a police officer and I answered a zillion and one questions about the parade over the telephone or handled street traffic and parade problems over the radio from the police dispatch center. I was still able to catch glimpses of the parade on a small black and white tv kept in the room.

It's been years since we've seen the parade, which has evolved into a weekend-long event. We certainly don't miss the stress of dealing with the details of parade traffic, lost children and people calling to ask questions about the parade. But the city has created an enjoyable tradition that is attended by thousands annually and every Labor Day morning some small part of me expects the phone to ring in the morning and to hear the question "What time does the parade start?"