The Willow Glen Resident

Photograph by Lea Tauriello

A Place of Honor: Maybelle Dolen Digges, 90, helped lead the Founders Day parade Saturday night. As one of the oldest alumni of Willow Glen Elementary, Digges was given a place of honor in a car at the head of the parade.

25,000 pack the Avenue for Founders Day

Merchants report high sales; WGBPA set to discuss reinstating arts fair

By Cecily Barnes

Thousands of people hunkered down on Lincoln Avenue's curbs Saturday to watch the 16th-annual Founders Day parade. With 1,200 people in the march, it was the biggest one yet.

The evening celebration went smoothly with few problems to report, except, perhaps, the little surprises the sheriff's horses left behind as they made their way down Lincoln Avenue.

"I think it's been awesome," said Kathy McDonald, president of the Willow Glen Business and Professional Association, which sponsored the event. "There's been no major problems, and I think we're even a little bit bigger this year than last year."

Police estimated nearly 25,000 people showed up for the parade, about the same number that participated in the Saturday event last year.

To take care of any problems, WGBPA board members cruised the event in electric-powered golf carts, delivering weary festival-goers to their destinations and napkins, tickets and sodas to the vending booths. But their small white carts were hardly the highlight of what passed down Lincoln Avenue during the parade.

Just before the colorful entourage made its way down the spectator-lined Avenue, a skydiver slid into the intersection of Willow Street and Lincoln Avenue. After the awed crowd recovered, nearly 800 Willow Glen Elementary School students, teachers and alumni began their march. An old car led the show, carrying the two oldest alumni found and the youngest student.

Dozens of other Willow Glen groups and prominent individuals marched or drove down the strip, including Booksin Elementary School, District 6 Councilmember Frank Fiscalini, Assemblyman Mike Honda and a host of Boy Scout troops, preschools and fire trucks. Spectators watched with beaming smiles.

"I think it's just wonderful to have a neighborhood activity that everyone's involved in," Willow Glen resident Kathy Knapp said during the parade. "It's fun and it gives you a sense of community."

Immediately after the parade, Willow Glen Elementary School alumni congregated at tables marked for different graduating classes. The school's principal, Lois Allen, called the group to order with the school bell used 90 years before. First, however, alumni were given the chance to reunite with old friends.

"It brings tears to your eyes," said JoAnn Bjerkhoel, who graduated in 1948. "I've seen four people I haven't seen in years."

As the sun sank behind the trees, the food and beverage lines grew longer, the music got louder and people started to boogie. The Joe Sharino band stole the evening, with hundreds of people swaying and singing in the parking lot adjacent to La Villa Delicatessen. Closeby, a fair number of people gave line dancing a shot, and further up the Avenue, teenagers danced to disco music.

Earlier in the day, merchants said business was excellent. Right until sundown, stores up and down the strip were packed.

"I've had a couple of $2,000 sales," said Louis Masciarelli, owner of the Diamond Vault. "When they have these things, I get a lot of credit card activity. These festivals really make a difference."

Still, most merchants agreed they still would have liked to see the Sunday event happen. Festival-goers, too, wished they had another day to celebrate and shop.

"There were a lot of complaints about not having a crafts fair tomorrow," said Becky Boudakin, owner of Little Things for Children. "I sure hope they can revise this thing--that would have been an extra day for us. Something needs to be done."

Some folks hadn't even heard that Sunday was canceled.

"That's too bad," San Jose resident Patricia Rodriguez said.

"It was nice because this time of year, it's getting close to Christmas, and you could get presents," her husband, Richard, added.

Willow Glen Business and Professional Association Manager Demetri Rizos said meetings will be held in November to determine the fate of next year's Founders Day.

"The purpose of the committee will be to look into next year's Founders Day," Rizos said. "We might possibly put it back to a Sunday, but it is highly doubtful that we will do a two-day event again."

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