It’s Important—

One Resident’s Thoughts About Labor Day, A Parade Float

By Kendra Bobowick

The Bee continues its series It’s Important, which includes a brief interview and video revealing — one resident, one idea at a time — what is important to you. Be part of It’s Important. Contact Kendra at 426-3141 or reach her at Kendra@thebee.com

 

Who: Rob Kaiser, co-owner of Mocha Coffeehouse and member of Newtown Cultural Arts Commission.

What is important to him: The Labor Day Parade and the float he will be making this year for the Cultural Arts Commission.

 Arms resting on the coffee table at Mocha’s in Sandy Hook center with his fingers curled around a coffee cup, Rob Kaiser thought about Newtown’s Labor Day Parade.

“I love a party,” he said, recalling that after attending a Newtown parade in the past, he “fell in love” with the event.

“Solidarity is at the heart of Labor Day,” Mr Kaiser stressed.

As a celebration, Labor Day is “unique, with an end of summer feel.” The day is a bustle of lawn chairs, umbrellas, children — the family scrambling to get to Main Street and find a roadside spot to watch the procession. Also, it is a day to “relish the things you do all summer long,” he said. Like the final bookend closing another chapter on summer, residents often plan backyard parties following the morning’s parade. Grills heat up awaiting the hot dogs and hamburgers as friends spread towels by the pool for a final relaxing celebration.

Mr Kaiser prefers a more Newtown-centric parade focusing on the people and businesses in town.

“There are so many people working incredibly hard” in the community who deserve credit for their labor, he noted. The parade is “a great way to see what they are doing and to get to know them better.”

Pondering the parade day, which brings many people together, he said, “The more ways we can find to work together and build the community, the better. Labor Day is a good time to do that.” With the many businessmen and women, residents, neighbors, community volunteers, civic organizations, houses of worship, fire companies and others in the parade and the crowd that will gather this Monday, September 7, Mr Kaiser said, “It’s a good opportunity to evaluate what’s important,” and also a “great time” for people to potentially find an affiliation with one group or another.

The Float

Mr Kaiser did not reveal any hints about the Cultural Arts Commission float for this year’s parade, the 48th offering of the Labr Day extravaganza’s “It should promote something,” he would only say.

A float should “get a message out … passion.” A float can “bring together art, music, craft, imagination …”

Early on Labor Day morning the fresh smell of paint lingers, he said, as the float dries. He anticipates scrambling to get to the parade on time after “we labor for days,” making what often resembles a Mardi Gras head, he said, “and parade it down Main Street.” He had mentioned to one customer: “You spend days working on this thing — layers of paint and frills — and then a quick run down Main Street and it’s not just worthless, but a burden.”

“It’s meant to be temporary,” the customer replied.

 Pondering this, he said, “It’s almost meditative … so much is end-driven. What’s the pay-off? But sometimes the good is in the process.” Laughing, he added, “Even if at the end you’re stuck with a big pile of trash, it was the process that’s important … of course, winning Best Float wouldn’t hurt.”

Still vague about the float’s appearance, he confided, “I am thinking of a big heart — passion.” He is thinking of hearts, the community, solidarity, he said. He also considers the arts commission: “It’s a lot of things, but mostly it’s people who think arts in general are a vital part of any community. If you’re not fostering art, you’re not only losing art, but a lot more.”