Battle Days blasts off with 250 Spartan grads

Hundreds of bygone Spartan grads will return to Rosalia this weekend to help the town celebrate its 41st Battle Days.

In conjunction with the annual Battle Days traditions, the school has invited all graduates and all those who attended to return for an all-school reunion. Leslie Gunnels, school secretary and co-organizer of the reunion, said more than 250 confirmations have been booked for the reunion.

“It should be quite something,” said Gunnels. “We’ve had a lot of people call and say they’re going to come for the reunion.”

A reunion lunch is set for noon Saturday, with a special program to follow at 2 p.m.

Making a special return to Spartan City will be the 22 golden grads from the class of 1960, who will mark their 50th anniversary.

Those returning home to Rosalia from the north will have a new landmark welcoming them to the weekend’s festivities.

Rosalia FFA members, under the guidance of Vo-ag teacher Dee Peterschick, spent weeks this spring welding a brand new Battle Days sign that has been placed along the old highway north of town.

Battle Days kicks off Friday night when Rosalia’s best talent takes the stage for the Chamber of Commerce’s annual variety show in the school gym at 7 p.m. Rosalia’s royalty will feed the fun with a spaghetti feed preceding the event.

Cub Scouts fuel Saturday’s action with a Wagon Whoa Breakfast of hotcakes, eggs, ham and sausage in the firehouse beginning at 7 a.m.

Many of those children will move down the street at 9:30 for the 10 a.m. children’s parade. This year’s parade features a trains, grains and animals theme, and prizes will be awarded for a number of entries.

At 10:20, Mayor Jim Stenhouse will welcome all and a blast of the old cannon will kick off the parade.

Former Rosalia Hardware and Honda proprietors Glenn and Janean Edgemon be will Grand Marshals.

The Rosalia marching band, under the direction of Matt Parsons will escort the “Off the Rails on a Crazy Train” community float carrying Royalty Mattie Eberle, Kaileigh Wendt and Lucy Irish down the parade route.

Fresh off the trail from their 29th annual ride across Washington, the John Wayne Pioneer Wagons and Riders will touch pavement on Whitman Street. The riders set out from Easton on May 22, and will wrap up their ride at Tekoa later in the week. Prior to Rosalia, the riders stop at Malden for a cowboy cookout and campfire.

Dust - and cowboys -will fly later in the afternoon at the Broncos, Bulls & Barrels rodeo which starts at 2 p.m. at the rodeo grounds.

Rosalia’s ten-member Hahner Family Band will send up a selection of gospel and bluegrass songs at 3:30 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center.

For those who can’t get enough dancing, the Country Classics will fill the rafters of the Old Lumberyard with music to dance the night away beginning at 7 p.m.

Throughout the day, vendors will sell their crafts downtown, and the Garden Club will hold a plant sale next to the library.

A Patsy Cline Renditionist will belt out classic country tunes from the gazebo in the mini-park and the city pool will offer up a free swim from 1 to 5 p.m.

The annual show of Rosalia student and local artists will be featured in the Budding Rose Art Gallery.

Tours will be offered throughout the day at City Hall and the Texaco Station.

Events wrap Sunday, with a community worship service at 10:30 a.m. in the school gym, and a Jack & Jill Softball Tournament at the city park at 1 p.m. Two dollars will get softball players and spectators alike a hot dog, chips and soda. Warm-ups begin at noon.