The Quilcene Fair’s opening parade Sept. 14 celebrated local education in a big way in its selection of this year’s honorees.

Quilcene School District Superintendent Frank Redmon hopped on his motorcycle to serve as the parade’s grand marshal, while Patricia and Trey Beathard waved to the crowds lining main street as the parade’s king and queen.

Patricia is the superintendent of the Brinnon School District, while Trey multitasks as a coach, PE teacher and history teacher at Quilcene High School.

The grand marshal’s remarks about Quilcene echoed the fair’s theme of “Our Town, Our Family,” since he described the community as feeling like an extended family, and even said he’d not lived anywhere else where people were supportive of each other to the extent he’s seen in Quilcene.

“It was a great honor to have been selected as grand marshal,” Redmon said. “I am very happy to serve the Quilcene community, very proud of the team we have at the Quilcene School District and very happy to be a part of the incredibly supportive and welcoming Quilcene family.”

The Beathards came to the area five years ago, but they’d already summered in Brinnon for the preceding 20 years, and they also touted the family feel of Quilcene and Brinnon.

“The Quilcene Fair and parade is such a great event,” Patricia Beathard said. “The lineup of parade, fair and football game makes for a full day of fun. Trey and I had fun throwing candy to our students. There were lots of smiles! It was a fun day, and we really enjoy living where we do.”

Beathard noted there were more than 80 pieces of Brinnon student art on display at the fair.

“Linda Holsman is an amazing art teacher for us,” Beathard said. “Our students look forward to art days, and their masterpieces are impressive.”

As for Trey Beathard, he was a man of few words, expressing Quilcene pride by leading his Quilcene Rangers football team to put away the Crescent Loggers that Saturday afternoon, 18-12.

Jim Weller, the Quilcene School’s Teacher of the Year for 2018-19, also received a place of prominence in the parade, a culmination of having taught math at the high school since 1997.

Weller expressed his appreciation for the town’s fostering of long-term mentor relationships with students over the decades that he’s taught in town.

Patty and Charlie Baker, who retired as Quilcene School educators at the end of the 2018-19 school year, were honored by the parade as “Model Rangers” for serving as role models to students over the years.

Patty was a paraeducator, and Charlie taught biology, chemistry, physics, psychology and anthropology, among other science-related subjects.

The Bakers raised four children, all of whom graduated from Quilcene High School.

The teen student dignitaries for this year’s parade included Quilcene High School Associated Student Body 2019-20 officers, among them President Zach Budnek, Vice President Eryn Grace Munn, Secretary Bishop Budnek, Treasurer Marissa Kieffer, Assistant Treasurer Natalie Coffey and Parliamentarian Nathan Kieffer.

And it wouldn’t be a Quilcene Fair parade without a Citizen of the Year, two in this case: Sandy Peterson and Bob Rosen.

Peterson is the director of the Brinnon Community Center, while Rosen is the director of the Quilcene Community Center. The two venues host a wide range of community activities.