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Editorial: The Two Mayors Parade
Op-Ed · August 20, 2015


We thought it worthy of at least a quick note that the Hoover’s Hometown Days Mayor’s Parade both honored the late mayor and welcomed the soon-to-be mayor, in absence of an official mayor in place during the community’s biggest celebration of the year.


On one hand, the former mayor’s iconic pickup truck was placed close to the front of the parade while his wife, Kathy, and family rode in the bed.

Kathy Worrell served as the parade’s Grand Marshall and wore one of her husband’s well-known cowboy hats. Nice touch.

Coming up just behind was the float carrying the West Branch City Council and the mayor-in-waiting, Roger Laughlin.

Since there seemed to be no objection forthcoming to Laughlin’s appointment, the city went ahead and had a banner made for Laughlin that named him “Mayor” despite the official swearing-in still more than a week-and-a-half away.

Our editor called out to Laughlin as he rode by, asking about the certainty behind the “Mayor” label, to which he smiled and said that’s so the city doesn’t have to replace the banner next year. The response reflected Laughlin’s confidence and a bit of fiscal responsibility in the same light-hearted statement.

We certainly like a sense of humor in our leaders.

Imagine if this were a large city — would parade organizers have allowed something similar there? We’re not so sure.

It was nice to see both Mark Worrell remembered and Laughlin welcomed in the same parade.