Wheeling parade a big disappointment

I was seated 50 yards from the start of a great parade Wheeling has had in the past but I needed to go to the bathroom at Burger King.

A lot of people were waiting to use the washroom. I was there 5 minutes, to hear the fire trucks siren passing the location were I was sitting.

The parade I timed took 21 minutes - 3 minutes was due to the police dog demonstration of attacking a criminal.

The highlights of the parade were such things as Corus Bank which our village president is vice president of the bank, hired and paid for a Shriners miniature motor cycle demonstration.

I forgot who it was but someone hired the Cubs band that plays at the ballpark. Eight village vehicles: fire; police; public works and library van.

Last year four bands performed for us in the parade, this year 0 bands came - not even our high school band. was there. They must have had something more important to do at 7:30 p.m. on the 4th of July.

My final complaint is not coming up with $800 to hire a band to play at the park for people to listen to while waiting for the fireworks to start.

At 7:50 p.m. the last police car passed my chair and the first sky rocket went up at 9:35 p.m. - bored for 1 hour and 45 minutes.

Dean Ortmann

Wheeling