Jay County knows how to celebrate

That’s how you celebrate, Jay County.
There had been talk in the weeks leading up to the local celebration of Indiana’s bicentennial that our community was ahead of the game, that we were better organized, that we were planning a larger event that most of our counterparts.
While we haven’t been in other counties during their celebrations, given the execution of and turnout for Tuesday’s celebration, it’s hard not to believe that hype. From the time the bicentennial torch arrived at the Jay/Randolph county line to the moment the final firework lit up the sky above Jay County Fairgrounds, it was a sight to behold.
By 3 p.m., a half-hour prior to the scheduled torch arrival time, a group had gathered at U.S. 27 and county road 900 South. Vehicles were parked on each corner, with a few dozen Jay County residents — enough to make their presence known while at the same time not causing a giant traffic hazard on a U.S. highway — waiting together.
When the state bicentennial contingent arrived, those who had gathered took turns touching the torch and getting pictures with Cindy Denney, our county’s first torchbearer. And then it was off.
At each successive stop along the way, there was another small group gathered to greet the torch and wish our local torchbearers well. And when the relay arrived in Portland, residents lined the streets to join in the celebration.
Vintage cars, pageant queens, scouts and elementary school students and, of course, the Jay County High School Marching Patriots trailed behind in a parade honoring our state’s 200th birthday.
But our celebration didn’t stop as the parade concluded and traffic started flowing down Meridian Street once more.
It continued for hours at Jay County Fairgrounds, first with the lighting of the state cauldron. There were also historical exhibits, games for children, a beard competition and a variety of entertainment. A free hog roast drew at least 1,500 hungry residents, many of whom gathered later at the grandstand for a closing ceremony that preceded the fireworks.
“This is first class,” said Bob Schmit, one of the county’s torchbearers. “I wish everybody in Jay County could be here. It just gives you a good feeling."
None of it happened by accident.
It was possible because when the state started talking about plans for the bicentennial celebration, a group of local volunteers wholeheartedly bought in to the idea with Sandy Bubp, Vicki Tague and Cindy Denney leading the way. They started planning more than a year ago — June 2015 — and managed to raise more than $26,000.
The time, hard work and money set the stage for everything that made Tuesday so special.
So, if you see Bubp, Tague or Denney, or any of their fellow committee members, take a moment to say thank you.
And give yourselves a pat on the back too, Jay County.
You throw one heck of a party. — R.C.