Remember the reason

WASILLA — Former Wasilla mayor Harold Newcomb couldn’t help getting a little choked up Friday while speaking at the dedication of Wasilla’s newest monument. After all, he was talking about something very dear to him.

Standing in front of Newcomb was a newly erected black slab with the preamble of the Bill of Rights and some excerpts from that document on one side, and the preamble of the U.S. Constitution on the other side.

The words in those documents speak volumes for Newcomb, who said with a breaking voice, “Many people died in defense of that thing.”

The new Constitutional Monument in the Honor Memorial Garden at Iditapark is the culmination of a partnership between the Newcomb family and the Wasilla Sunrise Rotary Club.

During a pre-parade ceremony on the Fourth of July, Newcomb helped to dedicate the monument with members of the Rotary Club and other city officials. But it was Newcomb, whose family largely made the monument possible, who received the most praise.

Wasilla Mayor Dianne M. Keller called Newcomb’s family a founding institution of the city. She thanked the former mayor for sharing his vision.

Representing Gov. Sarah Palin, who did not make it to the event, Colleen Sullivan-Leonard said dedicating the monument on the Fourth of July was a good decision.

“This is a very fitting day on Fourth of July to be celebrating this monument before us,” Sullivan-Leonard said.

Dedication to celebration

The ceremony ended in time for Wasilla’s Fourth of July parade, which snaked its way through the downtown area.

Temperatures remained on the cool side with a light breeze, forcing some into jackets and sweaters, but the children lining the route didn’t seem to mind as they eagerly awaited free candy handouts.

And the floats didn’t disappoint. From the fire department to gymnastics troupes, horseback riders to dog lovers, many facets of life in the Valley were showcased in the parade. With 2008 being an election year, the parade was also noticeably political, with 12 politically themed floats in all, Wasilla Police Chief Angella Long said.

From state Senate candidates to U.S. congressional candidates and every office in between, politicians used the parade, and the many people lining its route, as an informal campaign appearance.

In the parade staging area before the march began, Wasilla resident Bob Beckhart stood with his massive Great Pyrenees dog, which he was about to showcase in the parade with other members of the Alaska Great Pyrenees Club.

Like apple pie and fireworks, the affection people hold for man’s best friend is about as American as it gets, Beckhart said.

“There’s nothing better than a good dog,” he said, his own pooch seemingly eagerly awaiting the parade.

As that parade ended, spectators slowly milled back to their cars, clogging roads in the area as they headed to other holiday destinations.

Back at Iditapark, the new Constitutional Monument stood alone, the dedication ceremony long over. Even though no one was reading the monument, its words still stand out against its black facade — words Newcomb earlier in the morning said he knows are important to everyone in the United States.

“We all want to live by that,” he said.