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Patriotic road show hits Firth |
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Thursday, 02 July 2009 |
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By Leslie Mielke FIRTH — To celebrate the Fourth of July, members of the Basalt and Firth communities held their first patriotic road show Wednesday evening. The variety show started at 7 p.m. in Basalt and 7:30 p.m. in Firth. After each act was performed in Basalt, people traveled to Firth to perform it once more.
 Contributed Photo
The founding of the nation was celebrated in the patriotic road show presented in Basalt and Firth on Wednesday evening.
Some fanciful moments included the following:
In the Revolutionary War period, the audience learned that George Washington was “cool” and the color red didn’t work from flag maker Betsey Ross.
The song, “Clementine,” was sung to represent Westward Expansion in the early 1800’s. Clementine’s “ruby lips above the water, blowing bubbles soft and fine” was an exercise in delightful humor.
More historical moments included the following:
In 1863, during the Civil War, the U. S. Senate requested President Lincoln to designate and set apart a day for National prayer and humiliation.
Between 1840 to 1870, 500,000 immigrants traveled westward. Thousands died from cholera but they kept coming despite lack of food or no food and freezing weather.
Firth residents Holly Johnson and her mother, Carol Meina, highlighted some of the travels of poet Katherine Lee Bates that influenced her in the writing of her poem, “America the Beautiful.” In 1960, the U. S. launched a satellite that broadcast the first song heard from outer space back to earth. That song was “America the Beautiful,” Meina said.
American inventions were not forgotten. Some historical facts follow:
potato chips were invented in 1853,
light bulbs in 1854 and
Levi blue jeans in 1873.
Firth resident Delbert Clayson died in 2001. Twenty-seven minutes after the first troops landed on Normandy Beach on D-day during WWII, Clayson and his buddies came ashore, Firth High School teacher and author Stewart Portela said.
About this experience, Delbert was quoted as saying, “They told us to dig in when we landed on the beach. I dug in so deep and dug in so fast, the MP’s arrested me for desertion.”
Firth High School Coach Brett Hill said he had to grow up in a hurry after his mother died. He was was nine-years old. “She died just before Christmas, so my four brothers and sisters and I were told there would be no gifts for Christmas,” he said.
As Hill displayed a worn race track and two old race cars, he said, “This gift was wrapped up for me that Christmas; it was given to me from people in my church.”
“Our country is founded on service,” Hill said. “Look for those in need and lift them up by serving them.”
“In many ways, we can serve others,” he said. “We can, in turn, build a better America.”
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Last Updated ( Friday, 03 July 2009 )
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