Floats and festivities highlight rodeo parade

Sunlight flashed off sequins, buckles and chrome when the 1997 Sisters Rodeo Parade marched through town last Saturday in nearly perfect weather.

Saddle leather creaked, old Fords backfired and the drums and horns of the Sisters High School Marching band could be heard blocks away.

Grand Marshal Eva Poole rode in a buckboard with her grandson, Marcus Arends. Eva, who always avoids the limelight, was chosen for more than 10 years of dedicated service to the rodeo association as secretary/treasurer.

"For years she kept the books and did the secretary/treasurer job. When we split her job, we realized how much work she did, silently and behind the scenes," said Rodeo Association Treasurer Cathy Williams of Poole's selection.

According to Alinda Dunn, who co-organized the parade committee with Judy Kell and Kate Tuefel, 97 entries registered for the parade. Participants began lining up at 8 a.m. for the 9:30 siren that signaled to start.

"I think that overall, the entries were spectacular," Dunn said. "I think that everybody did a very fine job."

Dunn said the Governor's Mounted Guard was a special entry this year, joining past favorites, including old cars, newer cars, rodeo queens from around the state and the overall Grand Champion, Ethel Mikolich, 82 years old, dressed in veils and riding her 26-year-old Arabian horse, Sharm.

Disney characters made an appearance on the Miss Sew-It-All float, and the Red Devils from Lincoln City/Devil's Lake pulled people from the crowd for devilish fun.

One unofficial entry joined the parade about midway through -- a B-17 bomber flying rides out of Bend airport. The W.W. II-era plane made a couple of low passes over the town, and "brought a tear" to more than one pair of eyes as people remembered a war where such a sight was much more common.

Dunn said the parade moved smoothly through town because of so many volunteers and Sisters Police, whom she described as "very nice to work with."

Acting police chief Rich Shawver said his officers were busy guiding through traffic onto Hood and Washington avenues. Next year, he hoped to position an officer at the east end of Main Avenue at Camp Polk Road to better help west-bound motorists.

Shawver also hoped to coordinate with the Oregon Department of Transportation to post signs to the west that would alert drivers of large trucks and motor homes that they may prefer to wait a couple of hours rather than thread their way through the parade's city street detour.