This year's Heritage Days parade featured a distinctive float honoring our nation's semiquincentennial. The float features a seven-foot bald eagle flying from a rocky crag with three flags waving in the background. The United States flag is perched in the center, with an America's 250 flag and the City of Southgate flag placed on each side. Bordering three sides of the float are smaller flags from each of the 50 states.

"The 250th anniversary of the founding of our nation is truly significant," said Mayor Joseph Kuspa. "And we wanted to show our support for this milestone event in a creative and patriotic way."

The project started with a commitment from the Southgate Downtown Development Authority to fund the float. Then the mayor sketched out the concept for the design and held a meeting in April with the city's Parks and Recreation Director Julie Goddard and one of her staff members, Cory Grzywa.

Mr. Grzywa is a very creative artist and welcomed the chance to work on the project.

"To work in such an unfamiliar medium, and at such a large scale, was a bit intimidating," Grzywa said. "But the construction was exciting and very rewarding."

On the artistic side, Grzywa was assisted by another staff member, Sydney Robinson. Each worked on the float after they completed their daily responsibilities.

Department of Public Services member, Jason Kujat, also assisted with building the infrastructure for the float, so that it would hold the massive eagle and rock-like formations.

The project took about four weeks to complete and debuted in Southgate's Heritage Days parade on June 6. Mr. Grzywa and Ms. Robinson rode with the float.


“Having the eagle soar down the parade route of your hometown with the marching band drumming, and friends, family and community cheering was truly a wonderful and unique experience!" Grzywa said.

The float went on to be displayed during the city's July 3rd patriotic concert and fireworks at the South Winds Golf Course. The very next day, the eagle float represented the City of Southgate at the Wyandotte Fourth of July parade. Plans are to have the float make other appearances during America’s 250th summer.

On a historic note, this was not the first float to honor our nation's anniversary. In 1976, then Mayor Rob Reaume wanted to create a float for the bicentennial. Serendipitously, he chose a design submitted by a young Joseph Kuspa. At that time, Kuspa was 19 and just elected to the Southgate Board of Education.

That float consisted of a seven-foot birthday cake with a "Happy Birthday, America" birthday card attached to the rear of the float. To bring in all of the 50 states, Kuspa added the state flowers between the 50 rings of "frosting”.

Reflecting on being part of both float projects, Mayor Kuspa said, "I find it hard to believe that it has been 50 years but I am extremely proud to be an American and a resident of Southgate for all this time. May God continue to bless this nation and our great city!"