Settlers Day Parade – More County Board Politicians & Other Entries – Part 2

Yesterday, I started my wrap-up of the Marengo Settlers Days Parade. I started out to highlight the political aspects of the event, but all the high school bands and floats sucked me into deeper coverage.

The Evanston High School Band makes the turn.

Still another high school band came around the corner, this one from Evanston.

This may be my best photo of the day. You can see the Marengo Settlers Days Parade crowded reflected in the Evanston High School Band's tubas. It reminds me of the reflections from Chicago's Bean, except these are concave and the Bean's are convex.

It was a really big band.

Full-day kindergarten was promoted on the St. John's Lutheran Chruch float.

Union’s St. John’s Lutheran Church put pre-schoolers on a decorated hay wagon to advertise its full-time pre-school. The banner indicates it is called “Little Blessings Center.”

A concrete truck from Stark's Service joined the parade of fire trucks.

I have to admin never having seen a concrete truck in a parade before, but I guess if townships and municipalities can draw crowds to see trucks, why not give kids a close-up look at one.

Marching bands I've seen often, but I think this is my first view of marching violin players.

The 4 Stings Attached Children’s Violin Performing Group was next.

It was weeks from Halloween, but these kids were getting a headstart on filling their jack-o-lantern decorated candy bags.

And, as usual at a parade, children waited for candy.

Maybe people would vote for Hubert, the Harris Bank Lion. After all owner Bank of Montreal didn't get bailed out with taxpayer dollars.

McDonald’s wasn’t the only company trotting out its symbol. Hubert, the Lion, was perched atop a float waving to people.

A blue-wigged, red-nosed clown walked by.

A clown was the next to enter my viewfinder.

From far-off Greenwood Township near Wonder Lake came the parade entry of County Board candidate Rachel Smith.

And, then, what I came to take photos of, another candidate.

A trailer with a sign saying, "Make the Right Call, Vote Smith March 20, 2012," was being pulled by the pickup truck, but where was the candidate?

District 6 Republican candidate Rachel Smith had a pickup truck with her name on the front. Good idea.

Wearing a referees' shirt, Rachel Smith worked one side of the parade route in Marengo.

Suddenly, there she was. Handing out cards along my side of the street.

I tried to read the tee shirt message, but couldn't make out the bottom. Kites fly from the float.

I didn’t figure out what the next kid-laden hay wagon was sponsored by, but it clearly had a kite theme. “Ready, Set, Soar,” said the sign on the back.

The Wheeling High School Marching Wildcat Band Director can be seen on the left side leading the music. The band pretty much fills the Route 23 part of the Marengo Parade route.

Still another high school band followed the kites.

The horns led the Wheeling High School Wildcat Marching Band in Marengo

It was the Wheeling High School Marching Wildcat Marching Band.

The Tabala Motor Patrol members followed their leader like geese flying south.

After the band came the Shriners’ Tabala Motor Patrol.

The Zion Lutheran School Band rode a flatbed truck used to carry heavy equipment.

Next came a band that didn’t march. It was from Marengo’s Zion Lutheran School.

No sign covered the grill of this 1954 Cadillac convertible.

Round the corner came an old Cadillac with worse shock absorbers than my 1995 model. Of course, it’s 41 years older than mine.

Although there was no sign on the front of Corey Brackmann's 1954 Cadillac convertible, there was a big one on the side.

When I saw its side, there was a good-sized sign proclaiming, “Corey Brackmann, McHenry County Board.”

McHenry County Board candiate Corey Brackmann.

This was a new County Board candidate for me, so I crossed the street to get some close-up photos as he greeting people who, it turns out, are from the town where he lives.

Women on roller skates were next.

The Rockford Rage made their presence known at the Marengo Parade.

Who knew that Rockford had a roller derby team? (Or at least that’s what I used to watch on a black and white TV in the 1950’s.)

A siouped up blue Cadillac hearse following the roller derby woman. Is roller skating really that rough a sport?

No doubt that Crystal Lake is in a different media market from Marengo.

More tomorrow.


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