There is always so much happening on the Fourth of July in Tri-Town. Residents of Marion and the surrounding towns were delighted with the return of the Marion fireworks display after a year hiatus. Silvershell Beach was a popular spot to gather to watch the fireworks to the sounds of the patriotic music played by the Marion Concert Band.
Marion’s July 4th Parade this year was a hit when it came to the festive float competition. In the end, the Beverly Yacht Club took the prize for best float. There were also antique cars and tractors, and many local veterans received applause throughout the 2.1-mile parade route through Marion village.
The parade is organized each year by the Benjamin D. Cushing VFW Post 2425 and the Town of Marion.
This year’s Mattapoisett Road Race drew hundreds, over a thousand actually, of runners (and spectators) on Saturday morning. Jay McMahon, 19, of Swansea took first place for the men’s category with a time of 26:21. Megan O’Brien, 20, of Chicago was the first woman to cross the finish line at 30:20.
Marine Sergeant William Simpson, 25, finished the race at 60:01 in his fatigues with a 70-pound pack on his back honoring seven Marines killed in March when their helicopter crashed in Florida.
“The race went well and it was nice to see everyone cheering because they actually knew why I was running it this year,” said Simpson. The best part of the race though, he said, was the cold beer waiting for him at the finish line. “My shins feel like they are going to explode,” said Simpson on Tuesday, July 7.
Proceeds from the five mile-long race go towards monetary awards for students of ORR who participated in running sports to attend college.
By Jean Perry
