JOSH SWARTZLANDER / Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Friday, December 2, 2005 6:00 pm
The Deshler Marching Band walked away from the 21st annual Star City Holiday Parade on Saturday with three trophies: the Earl Green Award, Best Marching Band A and Best Marching Band B. Normally, that would be impossible, but this year was different. Deshler was the only band that showed up. Parade awards
“Ho, ho, ho. We’re rough and tough,” said Band Director Deb Pohlmann. “We’re not crazy. We’re brave.”
With temperatures in the teens and two inches of fresh snow by noon, most marching bands — including the 43rd Army Band, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Cornhusker Marching Band and the Lincoln’s six public and one private high school marching bands — canceled. Of 20 bands scheduled to perform, only Deshler showed.
“Our feet got cold,” said Hannah Schardt, 16, one of the Deshler flag corps members who braved the cold in sleeveless red dresses and tights. And, on the last leg of the parade, one of them lost her shoes on the snowy streets and finished in stocking feet.
“We were kind of sliding around,” said Rebecca Dornbierer, 16, whose trumpet valves froze during the parade.
Hanna’s parents, Maurice and Jean Schardt, weren’t thrilled with the marching conditions — especially for flag corps members. They also were worried about the two-hour bus trip to and from Lincoln.
But, Pohlmann said, “Nobody was in any danger, the horns were fine and everybody had fun.”
The weather scared off potential parade spectators as well as bands.
Deb Johnson, executive director of the Updowntowners, estimated the crowd at about half of last year’s 100,000.
Normally packed parade-route curbsides were sparsely populated. Those who came brought chairs, huddled in blankets and sipped hot chocolate and coffee.
Although some fingers and toes were numb by the time Santa Claus cruised by, the falling snow provided a stunning holiday backdrop for the parade scene.
“At least it looks like Christmas,” said Bruce Seibert of Lincoln, who was at the parade with his niece and her daughter. “I just hope nobody slips and falls.”
Jadyn Agee, 8, said her favorite part was playing in the snow. “It’s fun. Fun, fun, fun.”
Agee, Hannah Alohaid, 9, Lela Shanks, 7, and Leila Alohaid, 6, were making snow angels and throwing snowballs at the corner of 11th and O streets just before the parade.
Nicki Mills, a 9-year-old Brownie handing out free hot chocolate, had a different take. “I think it’s deadly,” she said.
If you live in Nebraska and are scared off by a couple inches of snow, “you should probably pick up and move,” said Bruce Condello. He and his wife, Marlene, were there to watch their daughter, Shelby, who appeared in the parade as a gift box in the Club Kicks display.
“This is the first year you can get a front-row spot,” Marlene Condello said as she watched the Cat in the Hat do the limbo under a stop light.
“This parade rocks,” 10-year-old Deric Boden said after cheering for his mother who was carrying a banner in the Lincoln Federal Savings Bank display.
By far, the biggest cheers of the day were for the Deshler band.
“The kids love it,” director Pohlmann said. “It’s something they’ll never forget.”
Reach Josh Swartzlander at 473-7120 or jswartzlander@journalstar.com.