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Rainier, Oregon's "Day In The Park"
July 12, 1997

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1997 Grand Marshals Alice Morgan and Roland Curteman
By Dick Sybert, The New Rainier (Oregon) Review July 9, 1997.

Two octogenarians have been selected to share the honor of "grand marshal" for the 1997 Rainier Day In The Park parade this Saturday. Former school teacher Alice Morgan (*) and Roland Curteman, retired owner of Hallberg's Grocery Store, have a combined 156 years of Rainier residency. "I've never been in a parade," said Mrs. Morgan. "I've always watched them from my front window!" Her home is in the 400 block of B Street, and looks over River Front Park. "It'll be a different experience for me," said Curteman. "I've driven my truck in a lot of events, but I've never been grand marshal." He owns a 1964 Dodge panel that was the last delivery truck operated by his grocery store, and has 34,000 miles on it. Both are graduates of the class of '31 at RHS, have lost their spouses, and have a rich background of local community involvement. Morgan taught at Prescott Elementary, Warrenton, Rainier High, and Rainier Elementary schools. Curteman began working at Hallberg's in 1933, then took over co-ownership of the grocery store in 1946 with butcher Floyd Stehman. "I became sole owner in 1968," he said. This Saturday's parade will get underway at 10 a.m. from the Rainier Middle School. The judges will post the winning entries later during the sixth annual Rainier Day In The Park. Most Rainier merchants plan to participate in the sidewalk sale scheduled for Friday and Saturday, including Earth-N-Sun, Crazy B's, Columbia River Carper One, Elam's, Mary Temporial at the 1888 House, Rainier Auto Sound, First Street Grill and River Dreams. This year's Day In The Park Committee includes Linda Creamer, Verna Shell, Kelly Barnes and Marchelle Holly.

(*) Alice Morgan was the daughter of Milan F. Smith and she married Ralph Morgan. Smith owned a service station on the South side of West B St (Hwy 30) and West of 5th St. from 1930 until Ralph took over operation of the station in 1951.


Alice Morgan pauses next to an 87-year-old cherry tree in her front yard as she readies for Saturday's Day In the Park parade. She and Roland Curteman are this year's grand marshalls for the parade. Photo by Dick Sybert



Roland Curteman will have a special seat of honor this year while someone else drives this 33-year-old grocery truck in this year's "Day In The Park"" parade. Curteman and Alice Morgan are this year's grand marshalls. Photo by Dick Sybert

    

Parade photos taken on July 12, 1997 by Robert West. The pictures were taken at the corner of C Street and East 5th Street. The parade started at Rainier Middle School, came down 5th Street to C Street, then came down 1st Street and crossed Highway 30 to A Street. Robert noted that a 1988-1990 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z Convertible carried Grand Marshal Alice Morgan and in a 1961-1966 Dodge Town Panel carried Grand Marshal Roland Curteman. Click here for Robert West's blog page for more photos of the parade.
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Rainier Day in the Park July 12th 1997 Schedule. From the July 9, 1997 issue of the New Rainier (Oregon) Review.
Rainier Day in the Park July 12th 1997. From the July 16, 1997 issue of the New Rainier (Oregon) Review.

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