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By
Eleanor Boswell-Raine Editor
The
City of Richmond was officially 100 years old this
past weekend.
Celebrations initiated with a flurry
of week-end activities planned and executed by community
members, the City Staff underwritten by financial
and in-kind contributions from bay area businesses.
All three events were promoted
by the Globe Newspaper Group, West County Times
and KBLX Radio and when all was over more than 6,000
people joined the celebration. For the first time
in a long while Richmond appeared to lay down its
heavy yoke of burdens to kick up its heels and to
remember the glory days.
The first official event, the Centennial
Festival by the Bay came alive under sunny skies
as crowds strolled among colorful, eclectic booths
decked out with compelling wares luring festivity-goers
in to take a look.
Co-existing on the same undulating
footpaths along the scenic Marina shoreline was
the bright red Wells Fargo Bank Stage Coach opened
for picture posing, as well as Comcast’s modern
day version, a brightly painted SUV with tattoo-like
images and Comcast signatures. City and county services,
faith-based, environmental and portable medical
testing groups put on their best centennial faces
to provide attendees with plenty to think about
and do. A variety of savory delectable food gave
the crowd choices while reflecting the cultural
diversity of Richmond appetites.
Children, some being pushed in
strollers, delighted to face painting, jumpers,
pony rides and small animal petting. Aspiring rock
climbers tackled the climbing wall to test their
strength and skill.
Meanwhile, on the main stage,
entertainment ran the gamut of graceful dancers
clad in flowing long white dresses with bare feet,
Latino bands, Caribbean music, and gospel choirs
and more. The evening ended with the headline performances
of Rose Royce and Pete Escovedo, both crowd pleasers
and a joy to those who danced to their rhythmic
music.
The night exploded with fireworks
and ended as the last starburst extinguished.
Point
Richmond celebrated the City’s Centennial
with an “Old Fashioned Parade and
Picnic.”
Point Richmond’s young
and old historical buffs were out in full force
on Sunday morning with high energy: vintage cars
carried Pt. Richmond’s parade marshals, royalty
and neighborhood folk; Kids, marched and rode tricycles,
bicycles, and miniature jeeps, along with a cadre
of canine steppers with their masters in tow; horsemen,
a scout troop, the summer Masquers Theater kids;
American flag wavers and an A’s (Athletics)
flag waver and one Councilmember driving a cart
sporting local greenery wound their way around the
old Richmond business district.
The picnic featured games, music,
three-legged races, watermelon eating contest, go-fish,
water balloon tosses and sack races.
Party, Party Through the Decades
The Richmond Auditorium was transformed
into a festive pavilion crowned with blue and gold
streamers cradling hundreds of balloons set to be
released at just the right spot in the program.
The room was dressed to the nines
with elegant table and chair linens, commemorative
glasses and Party, Party, Party t-shirts artfully
tied behind each chair.
Local food vendors displayed
and served their specialties from food islands bearing
their names so that guests were able to sample wonderful
and diverse menus. KCRT presented a pictorial of
Richmond’s one hundred year past.
The master of ceremonies, former
Councilmember John Ziesenhenne, amused the audience
as they anticipated his next costume change quip
before he introduced each decade.
Mayor Irma Anderson, Former Mayor
Rosemary Corbin, present and former councilmembers
and City Manager Bill Lindsay and the Assistant
City Manager all got in the act as Richmond’s
history unfolded through narration, videos, music
and spectacular routines performed by dancers in
period garb.
After Mayor Anderson lead the
guests in singing Happy Birthday and offered the
centennial toast, balloons were released, the music
turned up and the guests danced to the music of
years gone by.
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