By Carolyn Leal
Saratoga's second Hometown July 4 Celebration is shaping up to be a giant community party, as successful as last year's event, which drew some 1,500 people.
Villa Montalvo is again donating the use of its grounds for the noon to 5 p.m. celebration and West Valley College is donating its parking lot. Celebrants will be shuttled to Montalvo from the college.
Chair Marilyn White said this year's event will feature famous figures from history, such as Uncle Sam and Betsy Ross (Saratogans Don and Fran Miller). Historian Willys Peck, as Abraham Lincoln, will deliver the Gettysburg Address. Jack Mallory will portray Thomas Jefferson.
Saratoga first-graders will be invited to participate in a flag ceremony. The American Civil War Association will return to stage an encampment, and the Montalvo Association will open the Villa for tours, White said.
Free entertainment will include Saratoga Taiko, the Saratoga Brass Ensemble, the Skillet Lickers and the Old Smoothies singing group from the Saratoga Retirement Community.
One of the secrets to the event's success is that most Saratoga organizations will be participating. Barbara Major, from the Saratoga Lions Club, is entertainment chair; Dick Angus of the Kiwanis Club is in charge of food; Barbara Schmidt, from the Soroptimist Club, games; Bita Farvar, West Valley College, children's activities; Bob Holmes, Lions Club, permits; Art Okuno of the Saratoga Taiko, music; Sue Boyd, League of Women Voters, ice cream; Saratoga Education Foundation, children's games; Friends of the Libraries, book sale; and Ham Radio Operators of America, traffic control.
The Lions Club is co-chair of this year's celebration and will take over the event next year, White said. Last year, the city of Saratoga sponsored the event, but the city is not participating this year because of budget cutbacks.
The next planning meeting will be at 3 p.m. Friday, May 9 at Saratoga City Hall.
"We need all the help we can get," White said. "The idea of this is not to make money. This is the community getting together."
[ Back to Contents Page | Saratoga News Home Page | Archives ]
This article appeared in the Saratoga News, May 7, 1997.
©1997 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.