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Catlettsburg parade celebrates labor
The annual Catlettsburg Labor Day festival on Monday, Sept. 1, 2008, brought out several spectators.
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CATLETTSBURG, Ky. -- The annual Labor Day parade kicked off Monday with a full complement of fire trucks, politicians, beauty queens and labor unions.
The Catlettsburg parade route stretched along Oakland Avenue, Louisa Street and Center Street in the small town that neighbors the Big Sandy and Ohio rivers.
Betty Wright, 76, watched the parade from her front porch at 3112 Oakland Ave. She has watched from the same spot since her son, Joe, was 12. That was about 36 years ago. The parade attracts friends and family each year. About 15 people showed up at Wright's house this year.
"It's always a great crowd-gatherer. They come from everywhere," she said.
Wright particularly enjoys the bands and floats, and there were plenty of both this year.
Dale McCorkle, 60, belongs to Ironworkers Local No. 769. He walked along the union's float Monday. He said Labor Day underscores the importance of unions in today's society.
"We just want to make the local area aware that union labor is still alive and well," he said. "Our society is getting to where we're very poor or very rich. The unions kind of level that out."
This year's grand marshals were Pauline Hunt and the Catlettsburg High School Class of 1958.
