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St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Lee Enterprises

Monday, December 1, 2008 2:44 PM CST
Christmas Parade ushers in the season

By ROB STROUD, Staff Writer
rstroud@jg-tc.com

CHARLESTON — The 10 a.m. Saturday start time for Mattoon’s Christmas Parade rolled around and the River Bluff Council’s Girl Scouts were still in their pajamas.

The Girl Scouts had not overslept. They were dressed in pajamas and blue night caps to go along with the “Girl Scouts Dreaming” theme of their parade float.

“We just had to wake up and go out in our PJs today,” said Dawn Albin, who accompanied her 9-year-old daughter, Kierstyn, in the parade.

Albin said the idea for the float provided a way for the Girl Scouts to dress up with a theme while staying warm under bathrobes, heavy blankets and stuffed animals. Her daughter found an added way to keep the chills away as the Girl Scouts waited for the parade to begin.

“I am jogging in place to keep warm,” Kierstyn said, with her stuffed dog “Spot” tucked in her arms.

The parade featured the Mattoon middle and high school marching bands, Mattoon JROTC cadets, Shriner scooter teams, fire trucks, pageant royalty, floats and many other entries, including Santa Claus.

One of the floats was assembled by the new Mothers Making a Difference Everyday group from Central Community Church. They turned appliance boxes into open-topped wrapped Christmas presents to accept items for their toy drive.

Group member Marcia Harner said her children, Tristan, 10, and Kayleen, 6, were anxious to help decorate the float and ride along in the parade with Mothers Making a Difference Everyday.

“We are just trying to reach out to the community and help out in any way we can,” Harner said.

The float entries also included an elaborate pirate ship mounted on a truck and trailer by Jason Caylor, general manager for Long John Silver’s restaurant.

Caylor’s float included a hull built from 2-by-4s with paneling, a shower curtain sail painted by students from Vandalia, cannon made from black PVC pipes, and a crow’s nest holding a stuffed toy parrot.

The pirate ship was manned by the pirate captain mascot of Long John Silver’s and the “Great Root Bear” mascot of A&W, which shares restaurant space in Mattoon with Long John Silver’s.

“We are passing out the pirate hats for Long John Silver’s. The children all go pretty crazy over that,” Caylor said.

Contact Rob Stroud at rstroud@jg-tc.com or 348-5734.

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illinibill wrote on Dec 1, 2008 10:34 AM:

" Uh, Why the Charleston byline? Pictures would be nice. And for goshsakes could you "Try" to maybe help the local merchants & economy a little? "

Rob Stroud wrote on Dec 1, 2008 2:41 PM:

" Sorry about the Charleston dateline. I typed it by mistake instead of Mattoon. "

The Question wrote on Dec 2, 2008 8:49 AM:

" Another headline that provides no news. "

Steve Senteney wrote on Dec 2, 2008 8:58 AM:

" It was nice to see the Mattoon high school and middle school bands march in the parade. Hopefully school officials will make sure these bands participate in most Mattoon parades. The students spend many hours practicing, but seldom march in parades.

I believe it is more beneficial to the students to march in local parades where hundreds see them perform than some out of town band contest. Hopefully next year these two bands will march in the EIU homecoming parade.

It is opined if they performed more in parades and local concerts versus out of town band contest, more students would become band members.

My hats off to the students who are members of these two bands and to their parents who encourage them to practice at home, drive them to before school or after school band practice and purchase their instruments. "

English Bob wrote on Dec 2, 2008 9:55 PM:

" All right! Another chance to play the headline writing game. Are you game Question?
I am okay with the story's headline, but will give a new one some thought. How about "Girl Scouts turn sleepwear into parade wear." This is problematic though because the Girl Scouts only account for five of the story's 13 paragraphs, albeit the the opening paragraphs. What do you think Question?

Any other posters out there want to join in the game? The headline has to be brief and accurately give an overview of the story's contents. And to paraphrase what the Question wrote, it's gotta have news. "

Rotty wrote on Dec 2, 2008 10:45 PM:

" I'll bite....

"People take to the streets in last attempt to stomp out boiler slag - Ho Ho Hose Job"

LOL! "

The Question wrote on Dec 3, 2008 4:33 AM:

" Good one, Bob. The problem with this kind of article is that there necessarily isn't much news in it, with news defined at a minimum as something the reader doesn't already know.
I'd suggest, "Pirates parade down Broadway." "

English Bob wrote on Dec 3, 2008 11:07 AM:

" Glad you liked the "sleepwear" headline Question. Your "pirate" headline would fit the story. I would say their parade story, as written, fits more of a feature/human interest category than news. "

The Question wrote on Dec 3, 2008 1:31 PM:

" "I would say their parade story, as written, fits more of a feature/human interest category than news."
---
Yes. But even feature articles should contain and emphasize information the reader doesn't know, or else they are pointless. "

English Bob wrote on Dec 3, 2008 5:38 PM:

" Hello again Question (uppercase). I see your point, but the question (lowercase) might be asked what does the reader already know and not know? If some readers were unable to attend the parade but were mildy curious about it, the story would give them a somewhat detailed description of three floats and a very generalized description of the rest of the parade. I do think a story that had a hard news angle, such as some kind of economic angle, or a feature angle, such as an indepth look at preparing a float would be better. "

CLICK TO ENLARGE

Broadway Christian Church youth dream of a white Christmas â€” with help from artificial snow hours before the real thing descended late Saturday â€” as they ride on the church's Mattoon Christmas Parade float on Saturday morning on Broadway Avenue. Ken Trevarthan/ Staff Photographer