Commission hears update on homecoming parade

The members of the Pulaski County Commission received an update Monday morning on the Waynesville Homecoming Parade.

High school student Nicole Brewer attended the meeting at the Pulaski County Courthouse to update the elected officials about the event, scheduled for Sept. 28.

"It will start at 2:30 (p.m.) and it'll run from the park, it'll wrap around this building (county courthouse) … it will go all the way through town," Brewer said, explaining the route. The parade will include numerous floats, sponsored by the various district schools and sports teams. During the parade, judging will take place for the best floats.

"This year we're planning on getting all our sports involved," she added. "But our football game is our big finale of homecoming week."

The Waynesville Tigers will be taking on the Joplin Eagles at this year's homecoming game, scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. the same day as the parade.

Brewer said this year's homecoming theme will be Tiger Traditions.

"This will be our last year on the football field, Slaughter Field, because we're getting a new one," she said. "Our goal this year is to bring our high school and our school district closer to the community."

This is the second year for the parade. In previous years homecoming parades were also held but the tradition was put on hiatus for several years and revived in 2011.

"It was just huge," Gene Newkirk, presiding commissioner, said of last year's event, noting that it was a popular draw for the entire local community.

Ricky Zweerink, Western District commissioner, said he was looking forward to the parade this year after seeing the event last year.

"It'll be nice," he added.

"We're hoping it will be even bigger and better this year," Brewer said, adding that organizers were surprised by the turnout in 2011. "We heard it was bigger than the Christmas parade."

Newkirk agreed, "It was twice as big as the Christmas parade. That was the biggest parade that I've seen in years."

This year, the school district will be selling homecoming T-shirts. The shirts run $10 or $13, depending on size. The shirts will be on sale at the high school for anyone interested in purchasing one.