Elysian celebration brings simple enjoyment

Perhaps the best way to sum up Pat Nusbaum’s connection with the Elysian Fourth of July event is to say “One thing led to another.”

 

After 41 years at the helm, however, perhaps the words “and another, and another, and another” should be added.

 

Nusbaum, 81, has been connected to Elysian her whole life, including graduating from Waterville-Elysian High School in 1962. She and fellow Elysianite Jerome married in 1967 and remained married until Jerome’s death in 2003. They spent their married life together in town, raising their daughter Ann and their son Joseph.

 

Her connection to the city was even tighter than that, however, since she served as Elysian’s city administrator from 1971 to 2015–a total of 44 years.

 

That might be the “one thing” that led to the row of dominos which became “another.”

“I believe that if you’re going to lead a community, you have to also be part of it,” she explains.

 

Nusbaum is a founding member of the Elysian Chamber of Commerce and still serves as its treasurer. In 1984 when the city celebrated its centennial, the Chamber put together some events to mark the milestone. “It wasn’t as big back then,” she says of the celebration. “But it was the beginning.”

 

From that start in 1984 to the present, she observes there have been many changes–most of which were additions to the array of events. But certain fundamental intentions have remained consistent. 

 

“You’ve got to promote main street,” she says. “Businesses are what keep a town alive and thriving.”

 

Along with that, “We bring people together to enjoy each other and have some good-spirited fun,” she summarizes. “Kids and families have always been at the center,” she adds, listing numerous events focusing on children, including a fishing contest, bingo games, turtle races, pedal pull, and more.

 

Another consistent element has been organizing the celebration across the Fourth of July holiday. 

 

“That changes the schedule a bit,” she mentions, “because the Fourth doesn’t fall on the same day of the week from year to year.” Since the 100-unit parade is always on July 4, for example, it means the parade sometimes falls early in the celebration and sometimes later.

 

“Between 15,000 and 20,000 people come to watch,” she mentions, “so it’s a very big part of the planning. 

 

“That’s one of my favorite parts, going along the route and seeing all these people, young and old, sitting together and having so much fun. It lifts my heart.

 

“That’s really all the reward anyone needs for [putting together] an event like this–seeing people simply and honestly enjoying each other and enjoying the day.”

 

Nusbaum offers a surprise confession: “I’ve never seen the parade. I’m always busy making sure everything is taken care of.”  One task which she says brings her great pleasure is ferrying people in her golf cart. Her first objective, she explains, is giving the military representatives who have marched the length of the parade a ride back to the starting point where their vehicles are parked. With that taken care of, she says, she cheerfully offers rides to anyone who looks like they could use one–parents with small children, people with quite a bit to carry, elderly people who seem like they would appreciate it.

 

“With 20,000 people in town, some of them have parked quite a ways away,” Nusbaum observes.

 

Also a hugely popular event on Independence Day is a dance under the big tent with the Johnny Holm Band–who, she says, have been coming consistently for 10 years or more. “About 2,000 people stay for the dance,” she mentions, going on to say the energy and good-spirited fun there also bring her great joy.

 

With Independence Day on a Friday this year, the parade and dance fall right in the middle of the schedule, with two days of accompanying events both before and after. 

 

When asked about her willingness to continue volunteering for the event for 41 years, Nusbaum shrugs aside any special recognition. “I don’t keep count of what I do,” she comments, “I just do it.” 

 

She goes on to say she is grateful to the 200 or so volunteers who consent to take care of the myriad details involved with the celebration–everything from making sure cookies are in place and ready to be served to registering units for the parade. 

 

She does admit, “I’m always glad when it’s over,” meaning, she explains, she’s grateful all the details have fallen into place and everything’s been taken care of.

 

Regarding her sense of personal fulfillment, she observes, “I’ll just keep doing all that I can for as long as I can.

 

“I think that’s the way we build good lives.”