The July 4th, 2011, Independence Day events in Bel Air, Maryland offered fun, patriotic splendor, and educational interest to citizens of the entire region, all during a day of light breezes and happy smiles. Tens of thousands of citizens from the greater Bel Air area and across Harford County, Maryland, participated and enjoyed the traditional small-town events on Monday, July 4th, 2011, culminating with the annual parade and a glorious fireworks display.
Events got underway at 6:45 am at the new Bel Air High School with the flag raising ceremony featuring Robert Hudson, bugler, Disabled American Veterans Chapter 30 and American Legion Bel Air Post 39. The national anthem was sung by former Miss Maryland's Outstanding Teen Stephanie Meadowcroft.
The traditional pancake and sausage breakfast followed, in which over 2300 adults and children partook of the pancakes, blueberry pancakes, juice and sausages cooked and prepared by over 50 volunteers from the Bel Air Lions, under the direction of Harold Boccia.
A full roster of daytime events followed, including the traditionally popular animal contests contests. The officials running the events cautioned all animal owners and handlers to treat their charges well, to keep them thoroughly watered, and urged them to return the frogs and turtles to their natural environment.
Results were:
Hamster Races — 34 total participants
1st: Sparkles, owned by Valerie & Ellie Myers of Bel Air
2nd: Scooby, owned by Danielle Lynn of Darlington
3rd: Caramel, owned by Madison Santiago of Abingdon
Turtle Derby
Box Turtles — 92 total participants
1st: Slowee, entered by Angelina Barrese of Fallston
2nd: Speedie, entered by Dillan Unger of Darlington
3rd: (tie) Bugs Turtle, entered by Erin Drumm of Bel Air and Spike, entered by Rachael Ewers of Forest Hill
Other Turtles — 55 total participants
1st: Terp, entered by Heather and Taylor Reider of Abingdon
2nd: Claude, entered by Hunter and Hailey Neal of Abingdon
3rd: (tie) Mr. Smith, entered by Erin Drumm, of Forest Hill, MD, and Rangler, entered by Emily Jackson, of Cambridge, MD
Frog Jumping — 151 total participants
1st: Hammer, entered by Jenny Lynch of Bel Air — 171 inches — AN ALL-TIME RECORD!
2nd: Jumper the Frog, entered by Sam Lynch of Bel Air — 149 inches
3rd: Bob, entered by Seth Bishop of Whiteford — 140 inches
Horseshoe Pitching
Women's Singles:
1st: Charlotte Onion of Stewartstown, PA
2nd: Velma Sheicher of Bel Air
Women's Doubles:
1st: Charlotte Onion of Stewartstown, PA, and Vickie Smith of Darlington
2nd: Bree Smith and Velma Sheicher of Bel Air.
Men's Singles:
1st: Cisco Reyes of Brooklyn Park, MD
2nd: Tim Hilton of Street, MD
Men's Doubles:
1st: James Stewart and Zach Waters, Jr., of Baltimore, MD
2nd: Lionel Bowser of Street, MD and Ed Hall of Forest Hill, MD
Bicycle Rodeo
Best Decorated — Girls: Kaitlyn Calland
Best Decorated — Boys: Jimmy Calland
Ages 5 and under:
1st: Anna Bennett
2nd: Peter Knefel
3rd: Matthew Crowe
Ages 6-8:
1st: Jimmy Calland
2nd: Joseph Johnson
3rd: Preston Merz
Ages 9-10:
1st: Aiden Bennett
2nd: Abby Battaglia
3rd: Brett Buckman
Ages 11-13:
1st: Jake Burrows
2nd: Devon Surita
3rd: Chase Donelson
Uncle Sam Says
Ages 5-7:
1st: Macy Vail from Joppa
2nd: Madison Santiago from Bel Air
3rd: Daniel Gaughan from Bel Air
Ages 8-10:
1st: Morgan Reinhardt from Pylesville
2nd: Jessica Douglass from Whiteford
3rd: Jake Wheeler from Bel Air
Ages 11-13:
1st: Finn Gottschalk from Abingdon
2nd: Gabrielle Roeder from Whiteford
3rd: Erin Drumm from Forest Hill
Ages 14+:
1st: Jake Kahoe from Forest Hill
2nd: Maria Edwards from Forest Hill
3rd: Talia Kahoe from Forest Hill
Watermelon Eating Contest
Ages 6 and under:
1st: Paige Martin
2nd: Julia Babb from Charleston, SC
3rd: Ben Iannantuono
Ages 7-10:
1st: Jake Ehrbaker from Bel Air
2nd: Jamie Salvatiere from Bel Air
3rd: Destiny Clark from Baltimore
Ages 11-16:
1st: Tristan Salmon from Bel Air
2nd: Emma Friel from Charleston, SC
3rd: Owen Sparr from Bel Air
Ages 17+:
1st: Dan Petz from Havre de Grace
2nd: Aynsley Grove from Bel Air
3rd: Rebecca Barkowski from Abingdon
After a recess for the afternoon, the traditional parade began at 6:00 pm at the intersection of North Main Street and Gordon Street on the north side of Bel Air. It was hot but breezy, and totally dry (thank heavens!), and the parade was greeted with approval by an estimated crowd of 45,000 spectators.
Before the actual parade began, American Flags were handed out to all children along the parade route. The flags were generously donated by the Bel Air Branch of M & T Bank. Distribution of flags was handled by bank employees, bank friends and neighbors, and by members of the Bel Air Bobcats Varsity Football Team & Cheerleaders, and by Boy Scout Troop 564, all led by Don Stewart.
Reviewing stand narration was provided by Don Morrison, helped by Text Messaging Parade Marshals, led by Perry Thompson, Andy Chang and Julia Blum!
Many of the parade units were sponsored by area businesses. Banners in the parade celebrating these sponsors were carried by members of the Fountain Green Swim Club, under the direction of David Williams. Parade sponsors included:
- Balsamo, Stewart, Lutters & Ruth, CPAs, sponsor of the Tampa Bay Thunder
- Buontempo Brothers/Tower Restaurant,
sponsor of the Patterson Mill High School Band
- Festival at Bel Air,
sponsor of the Alliance Drum and Bugle Corp
- HAR-CO Maryland
Federal Credit Union,
sponsor of the Reading Buccaneers Drum & Bugle Corps
- Jones Junction Auto Dealerships,
sponsor of the C. Milton Wright High School Band
- Klein's ShopRites of Maryland,
sponsor of the Philippine Heritage Band
- Oak Contracting, Inc.,
sponsor of the Edgewood High School Band
- Plaza Ford,
sponsor of the Loch Raven Pipes and Drums
- PNC Bank,
sponsor of the North Harford High School Band
- Point Breeze Credit Union,
sponsor of the Bel Air Community Band
- SAIC,
sponsor of the Havre de Grace High School Band
- Triad Mechanical Services,
sponsor of the John Carroll School Band
Parade Results
6 independent Parade Judges viewed the parade, whose theme was America the Beautiful, and awarded the following prizes:
FLOATS
1st Prize: $400: ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST SCHOOL
2nd Prize: $300: GREAT HOPE BIBLE CHURCH
3rd Prize: $200: MARYLAND SCHOOL FOR BALLET
4th Prize: $100: JONES FAMILY FARM
5th Prize: $75: CELEBRATING AMERICA'S VETERANS
6th Prize: $50: THE ARENA CLUB
7th Prize: plaque: SILVER EAGLE CLOGGERS
8th Prize: plaque: PECORA'S PET CARE
EQUESTRIAN UNITS
1st Prize: $100: AMERICA IN MINIATURE
2nd Prize: $90: SHINING EYE PERCHERONS
3rd Prize: $80: LEXIE PALMER
ANTIQUE VEHICLES (plaques)
1st Prize: SMITH FAMILY ANTIQUE VEHICLES & TRACTORS
2nd Prize: HARFORD REGION, ANTIQUE AUTO ASSOC. OF AMERICA
3rd Prize: THOMAS MCKNIGHT 1948 FARMALL
COLOR GUARDS (plaques)
1st Prize: AMERICAN LEGION POST #29
2nd Prize: HARFORD COUNTY DETACHMENT, MARINE CORPS LEAGUE
3rd Prize: HARFORD COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE HONOR GUARD
MOBILE UNITS (plaques)
1st Prize: PLAZA FORD
2nd Prize: BLUE DOT SERVICES OF MARYLAND
3rd Prize: HARFORD COUNTY LIBRARY FOUNDATION
4th Prize: THOMPSON MOVING AND STORAGE
MARCHING UNITS (plaques)
1st Prize: HOPPIN' HAWKS JUMP ROPE CLUB
2nd Prize: RAGE BOX CONTEMPORARY DANCE
3rd Prize: CUB SCOUT PACK 807
4th Prize: CUB SCOUT PACK 999
EMERGENCY VEHICLES (plaques)
1st Prize: LEVEL VFC
2nd Prize: JOPPA-MAGNOLIA VFC
3rd Prize: JARRETTSVILLE VFC
COMIC/NOVELTY ACTS (plaques)
1st Prize: STILTS WALKERS AND JOKESTERS
2nd Prize: TAZ CRUISER
3rd Prize: BOUMI SHRINE MOTOR CORPS
THE HARFORD COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL BEL AIR JULY 4 PARADE TROPHY
is awarded for 2011 to:
C. MILTON WRIGHT HIGH SCHOOL MARCHING MUSTANG BAND
BANDS, DRUM & BUGLE CORPS, MAJORETTE CORPS (plaques)
1st Prize: JOHN F. NICOLL PIPES & DRUMS
2nd Prize: SUMMER PHOENIX DRUMLINE
3rd Prize: BEL AIR COMMUNITY BAND
NOTABLE PEOPLE (plaques)
Most Patriotic: MARYLAND'S DISTINGUISHED YOUNG WOMAN 2011 REBECCA MITCHELL
Best Presentation: MSFA JUNIOR MISS FIRE PREVENTION 2011 SABRINA WAINRIGHT
Most Popular with the Crowd: HCPS TEACHER OF THE YEAR CHRISTIAN SLATTERY & NURSE OF THE YEAR SARA CUSHEN
Seemed Happiest to Be in the Parade: HARFORD COUNTY LITTLE FIRE CHIEF 2011 TAYLOR BATTON
Best Smile: MISS MARYLAND 2011 CARLIE COLELLA
ABSOLUTELY UNIQUE ENTRY
(plaque): MARYLAND STATE POLICE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
JUDGES AWARDS FOR SPECIAL MERIT:
PATTERSON MILL HIGH SCHOOL MARCHING BAND
EDGEWOOD HIGH SCHOOL MARCHING BAND
HAVRE DE GRACE HIGH SCHOOL MARCHING BAND
HALL'S HONEY POTS
BEL AIR VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY
JOPPATOWNE HIGH SCHOOL MARCHING BAND
READING BUCCANEERS DRUM & BUGLE CORPS
THE PHILIPPINE HERITAGE BAND
MISS BEL AIR INDEPENDENCE DAY 2011 KATIE MEADOWCROFT
Winners of awards in the parade are contacted by the Bel Air Independence Day Committee, Inc., to deliver their prizes. Parade awards winners may also call Michael Blum at 410-893-1700.
The evening ended with a grand fireworks display, sponsored by HARFORD MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY. The launch site was Rockfield park, on a height by East Churchville Road.
