Cloverdale to celebrate its 175th birthday

Friday, February 14, 2014

CLOVERDALE -- The Town of Cloverdale has a lot to celebrate this year with it being its 175th birthday and that's just what they plan to do this summer.

Rockwell Foundation members Cathy Tipton and Dennis Padgett came before the Cloverdale Town Council during its monthly meeting Tuesday to present a Fourth of July celebration idea.

After being granted permission from the Cloverdale School Board during its Monday evening meeting to use its facilities, Tipton and Padgett advised the board that after months of work, the Rockwell Foundation is looking to hold a fireworks celebration during the Fourth of July weekend.

"We're trying to help bring the town back to the way it used to be," Tipton said. "On the 5th of July we will be having fireworks, providing everything goes the way (it needs to)."

Tipton and Padgett came before the council to seek approval to close down Market Street in front of the laundromat during the evening of July 3 and all day on July 4 and 5.

"At one time we closed down Market Street. This has been done before. It's nothing new," Padgett said. "This is the 175th birthday of this town. Rockwell started on this back in September or October, putting money back for some fireworks, and it's rolling. It seems like we're getting a lot of people interested."

Padgett added that vendors would be set up alongside Market Street as well as Layfatte Street.

"We're still in the working stage," Padgett said. "We are still trying to get in touch with everybody. We're wanting to have numerous things going on."

Among the various activities spoke about was a 5K fun run along with the possibility of a small carnival, pending discussion with other town organizations.

"Everything in between is up for grabs," Padgett added. "We're trying to look for vendors and food tents and for all the organizations to come together and make it a big success."

Although, the event is still in the planning stages, it was noted by Clerk-Treasurer Cheryl Galloway that the date of the Fourth of July weekend event is opposite of the birthday party in June.

"July 4th everybody is off work, and it's a celebration," Padgett said. "There's a lot of stuff still going on and there's a lot of stuff that needs to be ironed out."

That being said, the members of the Rockwell Foundation have already taken the proper steps to take out an insurance policy on the entire event in the amount of $5 million.

"It's going, but we need a lot of people to help and take it and go with it," Padgett added. "We talked to several different organizations and it seems like nobody has money to come up with anything. That's one of the biggest things, we're trying to throw some money in and we're trying to raise a bunch of money, but it's going to take a lot of money to do this. It's not going to be done on just a couple thousand dollars."

Galloway, who had been working with various town organizations such as the Lions Club and the American Legion, noted that a lot of work has also already been done for the birthday party in June and many of its members were trying to avoid having a celebration on the Fourth of July weekend due to prior engagements.

"I guess we're going to have two celebrations," Galloway said. "I wish you would have said something earlier, I put in a lot of work on this birthday party so far."

Galloway advised that she will see what she can do in regard to holding both birthday celebrations or possibly moving the one in June. However, there are several business and organizations that have already agreed to participate in the event, which will include a car show, vendors and live music.

"There really is no reason why you guys can't have yours," Tipton said. "There really is no reason why everybody can't pitch in and help with both. We can all pitch in. Everybody needs to help. We're trying to help move the community forward."

Several residents also were worried about the issue of parking for such an event. However, Padgett noted that closing down that portion of the street has been done before and in the past people have parked in such areas the school lots and various side streets.

"It's all worked out before," Padgett added. "I know it can work, but it has to have a lot of organization. You can't close down the streets totally there will have to be fire and police access. We just all have to work together."

Before the council tabled the issue without granting approval for the street closures, Tipton noted that none of the businesses have been spoken to, but that is likely their next step as it is in the early stages.

"We've had these festivals in this town," Padgett said. "There is no excuse why we can't pull this off and make this 175th birthday great. We need to all get on board and do this if we're going to do it because if you got two or three organizations fighting each other it's not going to work. It needs to be done right."

Tipton also came before the council to inform its members that the Rockwell Foundation would also be working with students this spring to clean up the town in exchange for a donation to Cloverdale's post prom.

"We're trying to help out with the town," Tipton said. "We were going to ask the town for 10 projects and we are going to prioritize the top five projects. We're not asking for town employees or any of the workers. We will make sure that those projects will get done."

It is likely that around 20 students will take part in the project. Tipton noted that all students would have a signed waiver from their parents as well as be 18 at the time the work is being done.

"Make it within reason," Tipton advised the council. "Make it something that we can all do."

The work will begin at the end of March or the beginning of April as Cloverdale's prom will be the first weekend in May.

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  • The number of people driving through town back then was WAY less. I don't know if closing off the main road for that many days is a good idea. It would be nice to see a celebration, sure, but we really need to consider how much we have grown over the years.

    -- Posted by jcrum on Sat, Feb 15, 2014, at 4:52 PM
  • How unfortunate for such a small town with so many great organizations available - not only the Rockwell Foundation (there's an opportunity for a story! Report what this Foundation is!), the Lions Club, the American Legion, but also the Civic League, Main Street and the Cloverdale Chamber of Commerce, and yet one organization comes before the town to request a second celebration and permission to close the streets without discussing this request with the business it will effect.

    "We all just have to work together." So true, Mr. Padgett! Seems you two (being the other Rockwell board member who suggests, "There really is no reason why you guys can't have yours..") need to learn how to do that!

    -- Posted by letspulltogether on Mon, Feb 17, 2014, at 2:40 PM
  • Working together to have one celebration seems a much better option than having two. There are, at least, five east-west streets where vendors and whoever could set up booths and events. Parking could be at the high school and on the back streets.

    -- Posted by cloverlady on Mon, Feb 17, 2014, at 7:20 PM
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