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Galesburg Celebrates Labor Day; Story and Photos Here
Downtown Galesburg was once again full of people late Monday morning who simply love a parade.

At least three marching bands, plenty of politicians, local unions and union leaders, and blocks lined with people were all a part of the annual Galesburg Labor Day Parade Monday.

This year's grand marshal saw local labor at some of its best moment, and some of its worst. Dave Bevard was the Machinists Union leader four-years ago when the Galesburg Maytag plant closed and put 16-hundred people out of work. Bevard tells WGIL he believes the labor force in Galesburg is still some of the best around.

"(I'm) real proud of all the working people here in Galesburg," Bevard said. "I'd like to see Galesburg grow some more. I hope that they start marketing Galesburg to recognize the talents of the people that are here. There's a lot of skilled, very talented labor here that is such a great asset. And I hope that they start promoting that to build the town a little bit more."

Bevard, who says he's had some ups and downs since the Maytag closure, is now on what, for him, is a great up. He works these days with the Illinois Federation of Teachers.


(Several Stearman Airplanes fly over the Galesburg Labor Day parade Monday morning. The flyover was a part of the annual parade. The first day of the Stearman Fly-In is Monday. WGIL News Photo by Will Stevenson)










(WGIL News Photos by Chris LaGrow)
09 01 08 by Newsroom
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