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Colorful commentators
Local dentist, radio personality bring annual parade to life
Two people helping to make
American Memories at the Northville
Foundation 4th of July parade are Dr.
WilliamDemray andLisaBerry.
The pair have been doing the color
commentary and announcing the
parade exhibits for about a decade
now and both confess it is a labor of
love. The two have remarkably differ-
ent styles, which Berry says, may be
the secret of their success and their
popularity during the event.
“Bill's a planner. He has everything
scriptedwhile I ama winger,” she said.
“I just like things to be spontaneous
and fun and seewhat happens.”
Demray admits that he does like to
have things scripted and planned, even
his notoriously bad jokes.
“Yes, and then he makes me read
the punch lines,”Berry said.
The rapport between the two has
charmed the section of parade viewers
near the judge's stand during the past
decade while those outside the radius
of the sound system often don't even
realize that the announcements of the
floats and groups is going on. They
both agree that could be a good thing
when there is an announcement
mishap or an inadvertent slip of the
lip.
“We've had our moments,” Demray,
the owner of Preservation Dental on
MainStreet, said.
He recalled having slipped up on
the pronunciation of Tae Kwon DOO
one year and being immediately con-
fronted by a largeman sporting a black
belt who explained that it was Tae
Kwon DOUGH. Then, of course, there
was the year that Berry commented
that one of the auto dealer floats in the
parade “had his hands on my muffler
just a fewdays ago.”
The pair laugh at their foibles and
admit that the announcing is some-
thing they look forward too, even with
Bill's a planner.
He has everything scripted
while I am a winger.
I just like things to
be spontaneous and fun
and see what happens.
”
