Western Front - 1976 July 1

              m ^ Wweesstteerrnn . Front THURSDAY. TULY 1. 1976 VOL. 68 NO. 52
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO U.S.
Weekend Events
Old Fashioned carnival. . . including game booths and an arts
and crafts show, put on by various local clubs and organizations.
Ten per cent of the profits will go to community services for the
handicapped. Noon — 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
International Food Fair . . . sponsored by area restaurants and
featuring a variety of ethnic foods. Noon — 8 p.m. Saturday and
Sunday.
Baseball . . . Little League clinic, open to all Whatcom County
children. Participants are admitted free to evening game; 4 p.m.
Saturday. Bellingham Dodgers vs. Eugene Admirals: 7:30 p.m.
Friday and Saturday; 4:30 p.m. Sunday.
Military Events and exhibits . . . Open House on Naval
destroyer, Port of Bellingham; 9—11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday .
. . Open house on troop transport aircraft, Bellingham Airfield; 12
— 5 p.m. Saturday . . . Sea-Air rescue demonstration by the Coast
Guard, Civic Field; noon and 2 p.m. Saturday . . . Ninth Infantry
Army Band concert, Civic Field, 12:15 p.m., Sunday, following
church services.
On display, Civic Field . . . Antique Cars . . . Barnstormer's
Bi-plane . . . Hot Air balloon . . . Lummi crafts . . . Doming Log
Show . . . Sky diving by Northwest School of Sport Parachuting.
Sunday, July the Fourth:
All-city church service with community choir, Salvation Army
Band and Handbell Choir, 11:15 a.m. — 12:15 p.m.
Fourth of July parade, downtown Bellingham, 2 p.m.
Dedication of New Veterans' Memorial, Greenacres Park, 4:30
p.m.
Drum and bugle corps competition, Civic Field, 8 p.m.
Fireworks display, Civic Field, 10:30 p.m.
Bellingham's July 4th -
ninety-three years ago.
by VICKIE HAUGEN
The most important July fourth is approaching.
In 1883, another celebration took place that was
the most ambitious Bellingham Bay had ever
known.
The program planned was splendid. Footraces
on the beach, tug of war, Indian canoe races,
speeches and music were a few of the events
planned.
However, one thing was missing. A brass
band. The Ways and Means Committee rode to
New Westminster, where the Old Hyack fire
brigade had organized a brass band of 25
members.
In the abandoned stockade on Peabody Hill
remained the old Farragut cannon, placed there
during the Indian war of the '50s. Now it was
used to salute distinguished guests or to
celebrate holidays. On July third, some men
gathered together and dragged it to the beach,
near what is now the intersection of West Holly
and F St.
As the fourth dawned, two citizens appeared
with a box of gunpowder. The first volley echoed
along the hillside and shoreline and aroused the
300 Indians who were camped on the beach.
Pieces of metal hurled through the air. A
100-pound fragment tore through one tent and
instantly killed a Lummi Indian, while another
piece tore the knee-cap off the leg of an aged
Samish Indian.
Hostility grew at once but was quieted by Chief
Henry Kwina and a hasty offer by the whites to
pay the burial expenses and to help the injured
man, who later died.
When all the excitement subsided, Belling-ham's
Dr. Van Zandt welcomed the assembly.
There was music by the choir, the Declaration of
Independence was read, and Sen. Eugene
Canfield of 111., the railroad organizer, gave an
oration.
The tug-of-war was staged in the square, the
pony races, footraces and jumping contests were
held on the beach. The big event of the afternoon
was the Indian canoe race, with twelve entries.
The British Columbia Indians won first place.
After the fireworks in the evening, a grand ball
was held. The hired band could play only two
pieces: "God Save the Queen" and "Wait Till
The Clouds Roll Bye, Nellie," but after a day of
eating and drinking, changing the timing was
quite possible.
Except for the tragic accident of the day, the
fourth of July Committees were satisfied with the
day's results.
An estimated 1500 people had arrived at
Whatcom by 3 p.m. When all expenses were
settled, the committees found they had $109.85
left. This was voted for the use of the new fire
company — Washington Hook and Ladder.
People'sBicentennial effort
fails to generate interest
The People's Bicentennial
Commission did not spark fire­works
in this area. In fact,
there will be no PBC festivities
in Whatcom County on July 4.
"There just aren't too many
Americans in Washington
State. People would rather buy
the Bicentennial than live it,"
said Western's PBC commis­sioner,
Rodger Hardesty, when
asked about Bellingham's lack
of interest in the PBC.
The only support the local
PBC received was an endorse­ment
by the Democratic Party.
According to Hardesty, the
People's Bicentennial Commis­sion
was established to "edu­cate
Americans about their
revolutionary heritage and how
to apply this in a contemporary
context."
The PBC is based on the idea
that the bicentennial repre­sents
a time of re-evaluation
and change, not a time for
accepting the status quo. The
organization's largest cam­paign
is against "big business."
They believe the American
Revolution was a fight for
political freedom and now is the
time for economic freedom.
The stress on change is
probably what turned off the
Bellingham people. "The Bell­ingham
community doesn't
recognize any problems at all,"
Hardesty said, after analyzing
the 5 per cent response from a
PBC survey to determine com­munity
problems.
Community meetings, public­ity
surveys, editorial cam­paigns,
and recognition drives
all failed to provide needed
local support for the People's
Bicentennial Commission.
Although there are no PBC
activities locally planned on
July 4, the People's Bicentennial
Commission will be celebrating
the nation's 200th birthday in
Washington, D.C. They are
asking one quarter million
Americans to rally in front of
the Capitol to "declare their
independence from big busi­ness."
Inside:
A good year for theater
Western's opera workshop's performance of "The
Tender Land" was a punchy, professional piece of
theatre. See review on page 6.
The Summer Stock schedule has been revised — for the
better, says its director. See page 7.