Ontonagon notes Labor Day

By JAN TUCKER

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Ontonagon - A television show and a movie took first and second place at the 68th annual Ontonagon Labor Day Festival parade on Sunday.

The Norwich Country Club, with its depiction of Gilligan's Island, narrowly defeated the Bauer family and Friends' float of "Grease" for the number one slot.

The Norwich entry was multi-phased with a shipwrecked yacht, palm trees, island natives and all the TV favorites, including Mr. and Mrs. Thurston Howell III and Gilligan himself. A large Coast Guard ship also was there for the rescue.

The Bauer family float on the "Grease" movie featured a giant juke-box soda counter, along with favorite cast members, including Danny Zuko and Sandy. The music from the movie and dance also were added.

The Stein Club won third place with a float titled "Steinstock," a throw-back to Woodstock. Vintage clothing on the cast was an accurate rendition of that year.

The Baraga County Memorial Hospital entry won the Jerry Hoefferle trophy for the best commercial float. Its realistic depiction of "Toy Story," with life-sized toys, was the hospital's first-ever entry in the Ontonagon parade.

Perfect 73-degree weather with a cool breeze brought out a large crowd. Later in the evening, during a community party, the 50-50 drawing of $7,000 was won by Raymond Kyler Sill of Battle Creek.

The ticket number was 15320.

Other events during the five-day celebration included an auto show, Maxwell Day, live music, fireworks, a theatre performance, a petting zoo, kids' activities, a veterans appreciation event, a pancake breakfast at VFW Post 5600, and the Pat Hansen Memorial Run. A Labor Day bridge walk was the final activity on Monday.

A long list of local sponsors made all of the activities possible.