The month of June will bring an other facet of Weston’s past to life as mountain men and trappers rendezvous to recreate the lifestyle of western expansion from 1740 to 1840.
The Weston Board of Aldermen approved the use of the 400 block of Main Street for crafters, vendors and a stage for entertainment during Monday night’s meeting. The Lewis and Clark event is planned for the weekend of June 29-30, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 11 am. until 5 p.m. Sunday.
“We plan to have demonstrations throughout the day and will have crafters and vendors mixed on the street,” Don Buckholz, co-chairman of the Lewis and Clark Trad’n Days committee, said. “We will also have Native American demonstrations and a children’s program and face painting.”
Buckholz said Native American Dee Brooks will sing traditional songs, the Heart of America Indian Center will present traditional drumming and dancing and Dennis Lee Rogers, an enrolled tribal member of the Navajo Nation of Arizona, will present hoop dancing and native cultural teachings.
Blue Grass music by Steve Gouge and Jeff Elsloo, will be played on Saturday.
For those who like to rough it, David Cain will show what “roughing it” was like with a living history display. Cain portrays hunter John Coulter who joined with Lewis and Clark in 1803.
This year’s Lewis and Clark celebration is planned as part of the bicentennial celebration of the historic trek into the then-unknown Louisiana Territory, a trip boldly taken where no map had been before, and will tie into the 2004 state celebration, Buckholz said.
While traffic was not a problem for Lewis and Clark, the aldermen had to consider this 21st century conundrum.
“My concern is emergency vehicles through the city,” Police Chief Terry Blanton said. “I’m also concerned about children’s safety.”
The aldermen considered using the 500 block of Main and half of Thomas before approving the 400 block and placing the bandstand in front of the bank. If Lewis and Clark is not enough festival, RJ’s Saloon will hold a street dance June 15, and the aldermen approved the Applefest for Oct. 5-6. Applefest chairwoman Marilyn Lindahl said vendors and crafters could start setting up at 5 p.m. Friday. The cost for vendors is $75 with a $5 electrical fee for profit booths, and $40 for non-profit groups.
In other business, the board of aldermen:
- Approved a new five-year contract with Mobil Radio Communication Corporation, for cell phone service.
- Approved destruction of old city records.
- Considered health code upgrades to match new Platte County Health Department guidelines. Tabled for further review.
- Also tabled a street sweeper request by Alderman Mark Huffman. The street sweeper proposal would rent the unit and driver once a month. A projected hourly rate of $95 per hour could cost the city between $700 to $800 for four to six hours of sweeping. Also, the proposal ran into the problem of parked vehicles. The issue was tabled while Huffman can collect more facts.
- Approved dropping home business rates on trash to home based business. Since most business is done by computer and does not generate trash in the conventional sense, the aldermen approved residential rates to home based business people.