Even as the echoes of the Fourth of July parade faded, the organizing committee in Norwood wasted no time in looking toward the future. On July 10, 1992,
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it was reported that the parade committee, led by co-chairman Paul Wasil, had set a primary goal of making the annual celebration entirely self-sufficient.
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Wasil, who grew up in Norwood and resided in Braintree at the time, explained that the decision was a voluntary move to assist the town during challenging fiscal periods. Although the committee had not received any indication that town funding would be reduced, Wasil emphasized the importance of fiscal responsibility, noting, “With budget cuts coming down, I can’t see us spending $13,000 on a parade when we’re not giving the firefighters a raise”. Historically, the Town Meeting had been supportive of the parade, providing $13,000 for the 1992 event while the committee raised an additional $8,000 through private and corporate donations. Wasil pointed to the success of neighboring Braintree, which had successfully raised $28,000 for its own parade and fireworks, as evidence that the goal was attainable.
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To achieve this financial independence, organizers planned to solicit contributions by including notices in regular bills from the town’s electric light company and to host various fundraisers. Furthermore, the committee intended to reduce costs by booking military bands, which notably did not charge a performance fee.
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Beyond financial planning, the committee also addressed the issue of “Silly String,” a plastic spray toy that had become a nuisance during the festivities. Wasil expressed frustration, stating, “It was really bad this year,” and added that some participants had threatened not to return to march in the parade because they had been covered by the substance. The substance, which “shoots out a spray of neon liquid plastic that congeals upon hitting the air and drops to the ground in spaghetti-like strands,” was considered an annoyance to marchers and a cleaning challenge.
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The committee resolved to stop vendors from selling the product along the parade route. This followed an earlier failed attempt by the Board of Selectmen to have Town Meeting outlaw the toy. During that earlier winter session, Town Meeting members had rejected the proposal, characterizing the ban as unnecessary and suggesting that “kids should have their toys”.
Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger
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