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7QUESTIONS+PLUS

It’s not easy organizing Kenosha’s annual Kenosha Civic Veterans Parade and the new Nostalgia Fest, which is

bringing in the likes of Barry Williams, Peter Noone and the Oscar Mayer Weiner Mobile. Just ask organizer Mona McDermott, who says the last 12 months, despite spending and naming controversies surrounding the parade, have been full of a lot of hard work, challenges and lessons in tolerance. In between watching “Grey’s Anatomy” and reading at night to relax ..

Mona McDermott now takes your questions:

This is ‘7 Questions With ’ where each week we ask you to submit questions for a person of interest in Kenosha County. Then, we interview the person and publish their answers. E-mail your questions or ideas for people we should interview to connections@kenoshanews.com PreviousSubjects July 2, 2007: Yolanda Santos Adams June 25, 2007: Mona McDermott June 18, 2007: Garrett Kornman June 11, 2007: Penney Haney June 4, 2007: Daniel Wade May 28, 2007: Kevin Poirier May 21, 2007: Kenosha News Connections staff 7 questions home

Tell us a little bit about how you got involved with the Kenosha Civic Veteran’s Parade.
Well for those of you who might on the off chance meet me on the street and have something to say about the parade, good, bad, or indifferent, it will be your assignment the next year to fix it… That’s how my husband and I got on the committee 22 years ago. My husband was asked how he likes the parade and his answer was, “it was nice but I don’t care for all the gaps between the units.” Twenty-two years later he still keeps on the entries to keep moving and leave NO GAPS!

Why should people plan to attend this year’s parade and lakefront festival?
This year’s parade, as with every parade that I have been involved with for 22 years, is going to be spectacular. We have horses, we have Radio Disney blowing bubbles, we have Barry Williams, we have the Oscar Meyer wiener mobile. As far as the festival goes, it’s the first; it’s huge. We have three stages of entertainment going on all day, we have a sand sculpture being designed by Ted Siebert, world record holder, we hope to create a 100-foot long bratwurst, The Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone will be here, as will the Britins.

Is there someone or something in the parade we haven’t seen before in Kenosha?

I don’t think that Barry Williams has ever been to Kenosha, Radio Disney 1640AM, and we have Clydesdale horses coming.

Where’s the best spot to watch the parade?

With the route that we’ve chosen there is no bad spot but there are bleachers at Library Park.

What’s the toughest part about planning a parade?

Trying to keep the units separated so that you don’t have one musical entry on top of another, and keeping out the gaps.

What don’t people realize about the planning?

That we start planning next years parade about two weeks after this one ends, and we are all volunteers putting out lots of time to get this done.

What are three words you’d use to describe the last year for the parade committee?

Hardworking, challenging, tolerant.

How do you think the parade will fare this year, given the hurdles the committee has faced in the last year?

We’ll be fine. As I’ve told many, we don’t charge anyone to see the parade, so the crowd size doesn’t affect the quality or quantity in the parade.

What aspects of the parade do think need improvement?

I’m sure that there is always room for improvement, and many of your readers give their advice in the voice of the people when the parade is over as to what they think should be different or better. I’d like them to leave an address or phone number so that we could put them in charge of their complaint the following year.

What would be your ideal parade float?

Good question, I so enjoy all the floats, the people take so much time, effort, and money to make them fun and interesting, all I can say is thank you because they certainly are a big part of our parades.

Why Barry Williams and Peter Noone?

A couple of reasons. We wanted to do a nostalgia theme for the first year to try to see if we could get entertainers that wouldn’t be the cost of someone like Carrie Underwood. And they were available for this area.

How do you cook the world’s largest bratwurst?

I don’t know how it’s suppose to be done but, we are having Christiansen Heating and Cooling create a 100-foot long double grill (one on the bottom for charcoal and the one on top for the brat), L&M meats will deliver the brat around 9 a.m. and we will have a crew of about 20 that will lay it in the beer provided by CJW and par-boil it. Then we will drain the beer at one end out of the grill and cook it until it’s done. Sounds simple, huh?

What do you do in your spare time?

What spare time? Besides the parade and festival which is about 50 hours a week, I volunteer myself as trustee at church, run my own business, and raise a family. Spare time ?

What’s your favorite TV show?

“Grey’s Anatomy”

If your house started on fire, what one (non-living) item would you take on your way out the door?

Computer hard drive

What’s your favorite movie?

“Sound of Music”

Why do you want to continue to be parade committee chair given the turmoil about questionable expenses found during the past year?

That questionable spending had nothing to do with me.

Why has the parade committee taken on the extra work of presenting a new festival, scheduled for July 1?

When asking people during the course of the year how they like the parade, some said that they don’t really attend it like they used to because it was such a hassle to get a place to sit, and then after the parade there is nothing. So I came up with this brainstorm, tossed it at the mayor, and here we are.

How do you relax?

Believe it or not I read from about midnight to 1 a.m. three or four nights a week.

You’ve been described as energetic and upbeat; where do those characteristics come from (upbringing, life lessons, church, etc)?

Both of my parents were heavily involved in community work. They ran their own business selling insurance for a fraternal organization and that meant putting on parties, and picnics, etc. My sister and I helped do all of that from the age of about 8 until my mother passed away 7 years ago. My sense of humor comes from my Dad, my organizational skills, and the ability to be upbeat when maybe your not, comes from my Mom. I take these tasks as a challenge, like a giant jigsaw puzzle that needs to be put together.