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Right in step

Parade joins long list of Chamber-organized city events

This year, the Northville 4th of July This year all judging will take place Humphries said the one change
Parade is again being organized by the prior to the parade and will include and disappointment this year was the
Northville Chamber of Commerce only Judges' Choice in the Community lack of a flyover from the nearby mili-
which took up the reins from the Group and business categories along tary bases.
Northville Community Foundation with the best in the Parade Theme cat- “They are unable to perform the fly-
which had been sponsoring the event egory. over as they are all deployed,” she
for more than a decade. “To be judged, they have to be in said.
“It seemed a natural progression for line and ready at 9 a.m.,” Humphries Humphries said the Northville
us,” noted Jody Humphries, the execu- said, when this year Northville Mayor Chamber of Commerce is a “unique
tive director of the Northville Ken Roth and Chamber of Commerce blend” as they organize most of the
Chamber of Commerce. board representative Sarah Thompson events in the city along with their
“We really are a hybrid organiza- will make the selections. “We are going efforts based on 53 years of experience
tion. We represent our 400 plus busi- to drive them around on a golf cart to in serving the needs of the retail, man-
ness members from Northville and the make their selections,” Humphries ufacturing and service sectors of the
surrounding communities and we also said, “and then the winners will have a Northville community.
do event management of nearly all the sign to display as they go down the The chamber has served the com-
city events and act as a visitors parade route so everyone along the munity for nearly 55 years, first organ-
bureau,” she said. parade route can applaud their ized in 1964. The chamber continues to
A few things will change with the efforts.” explore and implement new programs,
parade this year, but it will remain the The judging will rotate annually while also maintaining the traditional
event nearly 20,000 people crowd the between the mayor of the City of tools and programs that work in con-
Northville streets to watch every year. Northville and the supervisor in cert to support and promote the local
“We have changed and streamlined Plymouth Township along with a business community. Annually, the
the judging format,” Humphries said. chamber board member. chamber sponsors a number of events