July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Fourth is a meaningful celebration (07/07/08)
Editorial
It's normal that, over time, the original vision of an enterprise becomes distorted.
Priorities shift, the personalities of those involved change, turf battles erupt. And, along the way, the original vision gets lost. Something else takes its place, is substituted.
On Friday, walking around the Jay County Fairgrounds, watching kids line up for free games, watching families gather to listen to free entertainment, we found ourselves thinking of the original Jay County Fourth of July Committee.
It came together about 1978, 30 years ago, though that's hard to believe.
For much of the 20th century, the biggest aspect of the local Fourth of July celebration was the fireworks display put on at the Sky-Vue Drive-In on the north edge of Portland.
But in 1978, in the wake of that year's blizzard, there was a fire at the Sky-Vue's projection booth and concession stand.
And that seemed to take the wind out of any celebration of the Fourth.
There had been other celebrations over the years, of course.
In the decades before the Sky-Vue, there were parades and festivities. And though many forget it, there was a significant community-wide celebration of the Fourth in 1976 in recognition of the nation's bicentennial.
But the celebration put together by the Jay County Fourth of July Committee was different, and it has stood the test of time.
From the beginning, one of the essential pieces of the puzzle was that the celebration should be free.
Times were tough in the late 1970s and early 1980s, much as they are tough today, and keeping the celebration open and low-key and free was important.
But what was striking on Friday afternoon was that the original organizers - especially people like Jack Stephenson, who played such a critical role in leadership - had the recipe right and that the current committee - folks who don't do this work for pay or for praise but for love of their country and their community - has stuck to the recipe so well.
The Fourth will always be a meaningful day on the calendar, but the right sort of celebration guarantees that the meaning will not be forgotten. - J.R.[[In-content Ad]]
Priorities shift, the personalities of those involved change, turf battles erupt. And, along the way, the original vision gets lost. Something else takes its place, is substituted.
On Friday, walking around the Jay County Fairgrounds, watching kids line up for free games, watching families gather to listen to free entertainment, we found ourselves thinking of the original Jay County Fourth of July Committee.
It came together about 1978, 30 years ago, though that's hard to believe.
For much of the 20th century, the biggest aspect of the local Fourth of July celebration was the fireworks display put on at the Sky-Vue Drive-In on the north edge of Portland.
But in 1978, in the wake of that year's blizzard, there was a fire at the Sky-Vue's projection booth and concession stand.
And that seemed to take the wind out of any celebration of the Fourth.
There had been other celebrations over the years, of course.
In the decades before the Sky-Vue, there were parades and festivities. And though many forget it, there was a significant community-wide celebration of the Fourth in 1976 in recognition of the nation's bicentennial.
But the celebration put together by the Jay County Fourth of July Committee was different, and it has stood the test of time.
From the beginning, one of the essential pieces of the puzzle was that the celebration should be free.
Times were tough in the late 1970s and early 1980s, much as they are tough today, and keeping the celebration open and low-key and free was important.
But what was striking on Friday afternoon was that the original organizers - especially people like Jack Stephenson, who played such a critical role in leadership - had the recipe right and that the current committee - folks who don't do this work for pay or for praise but for love of their country and their community - has stuck to the recipe so well.
The Fourth will always be a meaningful day on the calendar, but the right sort of celebration guarantees that the meaning will not be forgotten. - J.R.[[In-content Ad]]
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