Let Freedom Ring

Willow Springs held its annual Fourth of July parade this year. Among the ticker tape, bubbles, and scraps of patriotic music that floated through the air, it was easy to forget that we are living through a global pandemic. Face masks were available for those who chose to wear them but on most faces attending the parade, a smile was easily visible. Children scrambled for candy in the streets as the nearly hour-long parade wound from Booster Field down Main Street. 
As is tradition, local residents dressed as historical figures walked in the parade. This year, the parade featured Levi Hines as John Adams, Marie Rodman as Abigail Adams, Tony Duddridge as Thomas Jefferson, Tina Beaulieu as Benjamin Franklin, Pauline Cape as Betsy Ross, Avery and Wendy Parker as Uncle and “Aunt” Sam, Mandi Hood as the Statue of Liberty, Shannon Casebeer as Mark Twain, Mac Gum as Abraham Lincoln, Linda Grant as Susan B. Anthony, Terry Young as Lucy Stone, Andrea McNew as Lucretia Mott, Lori Coulter Evins as Elizabeth Cady Stanton Alyssa Grogan as Pocahontas, Ashtin Grogan as Sacajawea, Robby Rakestraw as John Smith, Tim Perkins as George Washington, Sue Walters as Martha Washington, Representative David Evans as Davy Crockett, Deborah Kyano as Clara Barton, Kyle Ralston as John Wayne, and Jane Bailey as Alice Paul.