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Show 2 Thursday, June THE GREEN SHEET 25, 1987 Cushing Recalls Fun Day '58 - Campaign Promise Helped To Revive Fun On The Fourth MURRAY. R's not coincidental 1958 was the year of both L. Clark Cushings first term as city commissioner and the first Fourth of July Fun Day celebration here As the citys parks commmissioner, Cushing initiated the annual Fun Day celebration in Murray park Twenty-ninyears later, he is being honored as grand marshal and will ride down State Street in an authentic stage coach in the popular Fourth of July parade 'When determining who should be grand marshal, members of the Fun Day Committee agreed a local person should be said John Mohlman, general chosen, chairman of Fun Day. "Cushing was an obvious choice because he is a public-spiriteindividual who over a long period of time has committed himself to serving Murray City. Mohlman said the choice of Cushing is also appropriate because he has remained involved in all areas of Murrays civic life Cushing recalls his campaign promise that if elected, he would promote a Murray Fun Day and raise funds for additional playground equipment for the park. "I had grown up in the park and I realized it hadnt changed since I was a kid, Cushing said. When I was elected, I realized I had to put my money where my mouth was. One of Cushings first projects was to revive the community celebrations that e d had been popular in Murray in the 1920s The Fire Department organized those events and there were water fights, swimming and a street dance on the corner of 4800 South and State Street. Cushing said the new celebration was named Fun Das and was first held on July 4, 1958 We wanted to encourage people to have a safe holiday and a lot of them took our advice." Cushing said nearly 5,000 people attended the first Fun Day celebration The annual event continued to grow until attracting nearly 15,000 people a year during the 1960s and 70s When asked if a particular Fun Day sticks out in his mind, Cushing says he clearly remembers the 1973 celebration That was the year we unvieled the Vietnam Memorial m honor of those Murray men who had died during the war. It was ahead of its time. The war was still fresh m our minds and was unpopular, he said. Cushing is quick to give credit to all the people who have helped him with his acIt was a united effort to complishments. try to get enough people together for a common cause. Im afraid were losing some of that today, he said. However, there is hope. I think our Fun Day celebrations help reverse that trend in Murray because it brings the people together to celebrate and share what they have. it was I 'Ah Yes, I Remember It Well' IT WAS 1968 . . Murroy City Commissioner Clark Cushing (left) cuts loose as Jack DeMann, fellow member of the City Commission, awaits his fate on the . dunking machine perch. As ball finds its target (center), DeMann gasps, plummets into cold tank of water. Thoroughly soaked DeMann comes back for more "to cm WM give the commissioner another shot." That was nearly years ogo, July 4, 1968. The dunking machine has helped Fun Day to live up to its name . 20 |