By Elizabeth Lowe
Staff writer
Hadley Twp. – For Charles ‘Jamie? Beene, summer has come to mean a jumble of phone calls, notes, errands, and activity.
For 13 out of the past 15 years, Beene has been Hadley’s parade organizer. But he’s not willing to toot his own horn.
‘Everybody’s important, all the way to the kid on a bike,? says Beene, 48, who plans to step down after this year’s Fourth of July parade.
Flexibility is an important part of heading up the annual parades.
‘Just keep an open mind,? he says. ‘We know we can’t make everybody happy all the time. We hope everybody has a good time and a safe time.?
Starting on time is important, as is keeping the parade going at a ‘nice easy pace.? Then there’s the logistics.
‘We try to have horses after the walkers. We have to have them on the other side of the village when the fire trucks start.?
Beene’along with a crew of volunteers’is responsible for organizing all the behind-the-scene details, like portable toilets and trophies.
‘It’s not real time-consuming, but you have to do it in a timely fashion,? he said.
Inviting parade-goers to ‘come out and have an enjoyable day? is what’s made it worthwhile.
‘We all lead a very hurried pace. It’s good to sit down and laugh, relax.?
?(Beene) does a great job managing and controlling the parade,? says Mike Madeja, an active community member who owns The Parlour. ‘If you see Jamie walking around town, please thank him.?
With Beene’s children getting older, it’s time to let someone else take over, he says, knowing he’ll miss the involvement in an event that defines Hadley.
‘There’s not a lot of small towns like Hadley around anymore,? he said. ‘It’s a way of life around here.?