Randolph Revs Up

Fifteen-year-old Jake Zani of Brookfield and Randolph Union High School makes a very regal king in Rodgers & Hammerstein's "The King and I," which will be showing at Chandler Music Hall for three evenings and one matinee over the July 4 weekend in Randolph. His leading lady is Sarabeth Hamberlin, formerly of Rochester and now of Middlebury, playing the part of Anna. (Herald / Bob Eddy)

For Fouth of July!

By M.D. Drysdale

“Making It in Vermont” will be Saturday’s parade theme as the Randolph Chamber of Commerce orchestrates the 2009 Fourth of July celebration—which has already gotten underway.

Independence Day traditionally attracts as many as 5000 people to town and is Randolph’s biggest celebration of the year, offering fireworks, the parade, post-parade activities and music, a duck race, a book sale, high school alumni gatherings, open hours at the historical museum, and special hours for the Farmers Market.

Plus, of course, three nights and one matinee of the traditional youth musical at Chandler Music Hall. This year’s show is Rogers and Hammerstein’s hit “The King and I.”

One important change in the celebration this year is due to the construction that is ongoing at the Randolph municipal building. The post-parade activities, traditionally held there, have been transferred this year to Merchant’s Row, which will be closed to traffic and turned over to the celebration of the Fourth.

(This offers a nostalgic lure to older residents of the town, who remember when Merchants Row was closed to traffic at least once every summer, for outdoor dancing on a sawdust-strewn street.)

Because of the switch, new traffic rules will be in force in the downtown this year. Merchants Row will be closed to overnight parking Friday night, and will be closed to traffic starting at 2 a.m. through 4 p.m. on the Fourth.

Cars parked on Merchants Row at that time may have to be towed, police warn. There will be no parking on Main Street from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. to allow for better parade viewing and circulation.

The Chamber urges people to use the services of the Stagecoach Shuttle, which will provide service from the high school and elementary school parking lots, courtesy of the Stagecoach company.

Parking at the high school will be limited this year because of the paving project, so the Chamber suggests the elementary school and the Branchwood lot on Pearl Street.

Starts Tonight

The schedule of official events actually starts tonight, with the first performance of “The King and I” at the Music Hall at 7 p.m.

Once again a cast of as many as 100 will fill the 101-year-old stage. Teenagers from high schools around the area will play the lead roles, while a group of elementary students add their liveliness.

Charlie McMeekin, Marjorie Drysdale, Kim Nowlan, and Betsy Cantlin and a host of volunteers provide the adult leadership.

Perfomances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 7 and Sunday at 2 p.m.

As is usual, the display of Fourth of July Fireworks will be provided by the Randolph Fire Department Friday, July 3 at a scenic meadowed site on the Stock Farm Road, with a rain date July 4. Food and concessions will open at 5 p.m.; the fireworks will begin at dusk.

The parade steps off as usual at 10 a.m. Saturday morning, starting at the Justin Morgan Marketplace, weaving through Maple Street and Highland Avenue before ending up again on Main Street and ending at the intersection with School Street.

Parade Grand Marshals—excellent examples of people “making it in Randolph”—will be Peter and Joyce Winslow, proprietors of two of Randolph’s most important businesses, Magee Office Plus and Belmains.

Winslow reflected this week that it was Joyce who told him they were going to locate in Vermont—at a time when he was interested in heading to California. He began work at Magee’s for its founder, Bob Magee, and bought the office supply company three years later.

Magee’s has a fleet of 25 trucks (“washed every day,” he said) and serves large swaths of both Vermont and New Hampshire.

Winslow purchased Belmains (then a Ben Franklin store) in the 1990s and rebuilt a three-story block in the difficult times following a 1992 fire, enabling Randolph to keep its historic three-story brick downtown.

He gave credit to Steve Dimick at the Randolph National Bank for making the rebuilding possible.

The post-parade activities on Merchants Row will include a variety of foods, beverages, deserts, and snacks, as well as craft displays, games, and more.

Entertainment will be provided by the Panhandlers Steel Drum Band, and by Barry Miller and John Mahan.

Early attendees at the celebration will show up at Kimball Library on Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and again Saturday from 9 to 1 to get first picks at the annual book sale, an important fundraiser for the library.

The exemplary Randolph Historical Museum will throw open its doors both Saturday, from noon to 3 p.m., and Sunday, from 2 to 4 p.m.

The high school alumni association is sponsoring both a Saturday evening mixer Saturday evening at Ashley’s and a banquet and social hour Sunday at Our Lady of the Angels Catholic Church.

The Randolph celebration is organized by the Randolph Chamber of Commerce, thanks to the hard work of director Deb Jones and administrative assistant Susan LaFlamme. The taxpayers approved a $2500 donation of tax monies toward the event this year.