Parade die-hards came to town early Friday evening to stake their claims on prime Lake Bluff real estate. Some brought folding chairs. Others laid out tarps or blankets. A few used yellow crime-scene tape to mark whole sections of grassy areas. Despite past efforts by the Village to curtail the practice, sidewalk-saving is a tradition that's as deeply rooted as the 99-year-old Fourth of July parade itself--just ask Ed Muto. He's lived in the Village for most of his 82 years and figures he's seen, oh, about 70 parades. His wife, Betty, hasn't missed one since she moved to town 58 years ago. That's them in the photo below.
"They tried to get people to stop doing this," said Ed after he and Betty placed two metal lawn chairs in front of the North Shore Spinal & Sports Rehabilitation building at 100 E. Scranton Avenue. "But we didn't hear anything about that this year."
The Mutos have a personal history with their parcel of sidewalk. For 32 years, Betty worked at the Lake Bluff Pharmacy, which was located in what's now the Rehab building and then moved one door west. Ed, meanwhile, worked for the Lake Bluff Post Office for 42 years, first as a carrier on Scranton, North, Center and Prospect, and then as a clerk. The couple said the parade has grown so popular that it's hard to find a spot if you don't get in town early enough. That certainly was true on Friday. When they arrived at 6 p.m., most of the downtown sidewalk space was taken.
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