Ashtabula parades its holiday spirit

By SHELLEY TERRY - Staff Writer - sterry@starbeacon.com
Star Beacon

November 17, 2007 03:21 pm

— ASHTABULA — The cold weather was soon forgotten as hundreds of children began to holler, “Here comes Santa Claus! Here comes Santa Claus!” and they jumped in the air, clapped their hands and pointed south on Main Avenue.
This was the moment Kylie Warner, 5, of Ashtabula, waited for — to see the jolly old elf.
Sure enough, Santa and Mrs. Claus appeared, wrapping up Ashtabula’s annual Christmas parade, which started an hour earlier with the mighty roar of the new Ashtabula Police Department’s Harley-Davidson motorcycle, driven by Capt. Gerald Cornelius. A police officer and his K-9 partner, as well as one of the department’s new detailed cars followed Cornelius. The city fire department’s ladder truck, the Lakeside High School Marching Band, a charge of cheerleaders, more than a dozen decorated holiday floats, teams of horses, more than 25 wiener dogs, three big rigs, baton twirlers, a bevy of beauty queens and hundreds of Ashtabula Area City schoolchildren all turned out to participate in what everyone called, “the biggest and best parade” they could remember.
“It’s cold, but we’re here to see our daughters twirl their batons,” Tammie Clawson of Ashtabula said, shortly before the parade began. “We’re excited about it.”
Eight-year-old Dennis Clawson said he came for the candy, and he wasn’t disappointed.
The parade was sponsored by the Ashtabula Downtown Development Association, which got the festivities off to an early start by urging downtown businesses to host open houses before the parade and handing out goody bags to attendees. As parade-goers sipped hot chocolate, holiday music played from speakers mounted along Main Avenue.
Judges awarded cash prizes to the top three floats: Windermere Preschool won first place and $150; Saybrook Cub Scout Troop No. 52 took second place and $75; ABC Child Care; third place, $50, and the Lakeside Band, honorable mention.
Beth and Bob Sackett of Dorset, cheered for ABC Child Care because their daughter, Tammy Luther, works there. The float’s 13-foot high snowman garnered applause from the crowd, as did the bubbles which appeared to make snow.
“Tammy helped build that snowman,” Beth Sackett said. “It’s terrific.”

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