2017 October PASO Magazine

B y Milli e Dr u m
W h e n t he ic o nic C o nest o g a Wa g o n a p -
p e ars o n t he c or ner of 1 0t h a n d S pri n g
streets, t he d a ys see m t o r oll by a little
q uic k er. F or t he B o ar d of Direct ors, c o m -
mitt e e a n d v ol u nteers, it re prese nts a ye ar
of w or k i n b ar ns, g ar a ges a n d iel ds, o nli ne
a n d i n c o nf ere nce r o o ms, t o pr o d uce a n
i ncre di bl e p ar a de a n d acti vities t o h o n or o ur
Pi o n e er h erit a ge.
his p ar a de is T H E best dis pl a y of a nti q ue
tr act ors a n d w a g o ns, h ar vesters, vi nt a ge b u g-
gi es, a n d r are f ar m e q ui p me nt i n o ur bel o ve d
c o u ntr y; a tri b ute t o t he h ar d- w or ki n g f ar m -
ers, r a nc hers a n d t heir f a milies w h o w or ke d
t hr o u g h t he De pressi o n. Pi o neer D a y be g a n
i n 1 9 3 1 as a d a y free of ‘t oil a n d tr o u ble” a n d
t o “ L e a ve Yo ur P oc ket b o o k at H o me.”
h ere are al w a ys a f e w s ur prises — s o m e
wit h h o o ves! — i n o ver 2 0 0 e ntries t h at
i ncl u d e l oc al sc h o ol m arc hi n g b a n ds, c o m-
m erci al a n d f a mil y l o ats, a n d ki ds o n l at -
b e d tr uc ks, bi kes, sc o oters a n d s k ate b o ar ds,
vi nt a ge a n d cl assic c ars a n d milit ar y ve hicles.
Al o n g wit h t he le ge n d ar y tr act ors, y o u’ll see
d a nci n g st alli o ns, m ajestic Perc her o ns, f or -
m al m o u nte d u nits c arr yi n g A meric a’s l a gs,
t e a mst ers, o utri ders a n d t heir tea ms of h orses,
m ul es a n d li vest oc k. M a n y of t he tea m -
st ers a n d tr act or dri vers c o me fr o m all o ver
t h e West t o be i n o ur p ar a de!
B y 7 o’cl oc k, 8 a. m. at t he l atest, t he best
s h a d y s p ots al o n g t he p ar a de r o ute are t a ke n,
s o c o m e e arl y!
If y o u d o n’t b u y a S m o ot h P uss b a d ge, y o u
mi g ht e n d u p i n t he H o ose g o w! Mea n der
d o w nt o w n t o see t he f a mil y me m or a bili a i n
t h e st ore wi n d o ws. D o n’t miss t he C hil dre n’s
Pet S h o w a n d Little C o w b oy/ C o w girl c o n -
t est st arti n g i n t he Cit y Par k G a z e b o at 8
a. m. Ki ds i n pi o neer c ost u mes a n d pets of
all si z es a n d s orts are welc o me; fr o m p u ps t o
p o ni es, t o f ur a n d f e at hers!
St o p by t he bea n p ots t hat start si m meri n g
l o n g bef ore t he s u n c o mes u p, t ha n ks t o Larr y
East w o o d, Darr yl Dr u m a n d me m bers of t he
Li o ns Cl u b. he li ne of 1 0 0- gall o n p ots t hat
were salva ge d fr o m a w hali n g s hi p c o ntai n 1 6
p o u n ds s h ort of a l o n g t o n — 2, 2 4 0 p o u n ds —
of i n gre die nts! he gas li ne is lai d, t he la mes
i g nite d, t he bea ns are stirre d wit h gia nt w o o d-
e n pa d dles fr o m da w n t o ar o u n d n o o n s o t he
b ott o m d oes n’t b ur n. he F R E E bea n fee d
starts after t he para de. he li ne t o get a b o wl
of bea ns a n d a fres h r oll l o o ks l o n g, b ut g oes
prett y q uic k. After t he Para de
Pic nic i n t h e p ar k n e ar t h e g a z e b o f or a
c o ncert by West er n S wi n g B a n d. At 1 p. m. at
t he ste ps of t h e C ar n e gi e Li br ar y, m e n wit h
a “ nice gr o wt h of f aci al h air” c o m p et e i n h e
W his keri n o C o nt est, a l o n g ti m e Pi o n e er
D a y tr a diti o n a n d j u d ge d, m uc h t o t h e m e n’s
deli g ht, by t h e B ar b ar y C o ast Girls.
Bri n g y o ur s h o es, h ors e of c o urs e, f or t h e
H orses h oe Pitc hi n g c o nt est, als o st arti n g at
1 p. m. at t he pits n e ar by.
F or hist or y b u fs, t h e C ar n e gi e dis pl a ys
hist or y d ati n g b ac k t o t h e S p a nis h l a n d
gr a nts; n o w f e at uri n g S h are d Hist ori es 3
— a c ollecti o n of gl ass pl at e p h ot o gr a p hic
ne g ati ves c oll ect e d by R.J. Ar n ol d.
he Pi o neer M use u m o n Riversi de Av -
e n ue dis plays m ore tract ors, wa g o ns, ol d
gas e n gi nes a n d wa g o ns. Of s pecial i nter -
est is t he Jea nsville P u m p, t he Ge nesc o
Sc h o ol a n d re plica of Pas o’s irst jail! he
Gy m k ha na, s h o wi n g o f t he tale nt of ri ders
a n d t heir h orses be gi ns at 1: 0 0 at t he P R
Eve nt Ce nter.
F or t he l ast 1 2 ye ars, D otti e R ei f h as
c o or di n ate d m a n y of t h e t e a mst ers a n d o ut -
ri ders t h at tr a vel f ar dist a nc es t o Pas o; s o m e
of w h o m p artici p at e i n o ver 3 0 p ar a d es e ac h
ye ar. As t he y s ettl e i n t h e b ar ns a n d st alls at
t he P R E ve nts C e nt er o n Fri d a y, D otti e will
gi ve t he m a w ar m, p ers o n al welc o m e. M a n y
tell t heir fri e n ds t h at t h e h os pit alit y i n Pas o
is t he best t h e y’ve e ver rec ei ve d.
D ottie’s 8 8 t h birt h day falls o n t hat Fri day...
t he 1 3t h. S he’s al ways bee n s u perstiti o us —
leer y a b o ut blac k cats a n d s uc h — s o s pe n di n g
her birt h day hel pi n g t o preser ve t he tra diti o n
will ma ke it ha p py day! D ottie h o pes t o w or k
wit h tea msters a n d o utri ders f or t w o m ore
years a n d cele brate her 9 0t h birt h day al o n g
wit h t he 8 9t h A n n ual Pi o neer Day i n 2 0 1 9.
D otti e s er ve d as t h e Pi o n e er D a y Q u e e n
i n 2 0 1 4.
“It’s still s uc h a n h o n or f or m e t o a p ast
Q u e e n a n d c o nti n u e t o re pres e nt o ur area
a n d c arr y o n t h e Pi o n e er D a y tr a diti o n,”
D otti e s ai d.
Si nce t he 3 0’s, loc al b usi nesses,
or g a ni z atio ns a n d citi ze ns of o ur are a h a ve
pitc he d i n to m a ke Pio neer D ay possi ble.
Not m uc h h as c h a n ge d o ver t he ye ars.
h at’s e x actly w h at Pio neer D ay is all a bo ut –
ho nori n g a n d preser vi n g t he tr a ditio n!
1 6 P A S O M aga zi ne, Octo ber 2 0 17