September 18-October 1, 2018
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At 106 years old, grand marshal has lived a full life
Old Days promises weekend full of fun Staff Report
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Photo by Jeffrey Bloom Photography At 106 years old, Mary Frances Cesco no longer drives but lives an active life. She will be the grand marshal of the parade during Los Alamos Old Days, which is on the weekend of Sept. 28-30.
Mary Frances Cesco will lead Los Alamos Old Days parade By Pamela Dozois Contributing Writer
M
ary Frances Cesco was nearly 35 years old when the first Los Alamos Old Days was celebrated 72 years ago. Now, at 106 years old, she will be the grand marshal of this year’s parade. And although she moved to town from
Hollister only about a year ago, she has rarely missed one of the annual celebrations. Her daughter Mary Caldera suggested to the Los Alamos Valley Men’s Club, which sponsors the event, that her mother be chosen as this year’s Grand Marshal. “She is the oldest person in town and has been to almost every Old Days celebration since it began. Plus everyone in town knows her,” Caldera said. “My mother will be 107 on Nov. 15. She was born in the same year as Solvang was founded.” This year’s Old Days is scheduled for the weekend of Sept. 28-30, with the parade stepping off at 11 a.m. on Sunday. Cesco was born when bread was 5 cents a
loaf, milk was 34 cents a gallon, a new car cost $500, and the average price of a house was $4,800. Taft was president of the United States and the annual income was $983 a year. She has seen the dawn of the Industrial Age, from the creation of the automobile to space travel. She was born in Napa, Calif., to Francisco Jose Terra and Florence Martin, immigrants from the Azores Islands. The family struggled to stay together, but when she was 11 her parents “chose to go their ways,” and the family moved to Gridley, a farming town in the Central Valley, to live on a ranch with her godparents and seven children. She has fond memories of growing up with CESCO CONTINUED ON PAGE 12
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he 72nd annual Los Alamos Valley Old Days Celebration is set for Friday through Sunday, Sept. 28-30, with plenty of fun for all ages in the historic, Western-style town. With no admission charges, residents and visitors gather every year to honor, preserve and celebrate the town’s authentic Western culture. Highlights include Friday evening’s Chili Kick-off Party & Dance, two-day Peddlers’ Mart & Artisan Faire, Saturday’s car show and Sunday morning’s “Greatest Little Small Town Parade.” The celebration is sponsored by the Los Alamos Valley Men’s Club, a nonprofit organization of men, women and families dedicated to preserving the town’s unique Western character and hospitality. The club, supported by tax-deductible donations, provides scholarships for local students and funding for organizations, and offers its facilities to rent for events. To get more information or to register to enter the parade, log onto www.facebook. com/LosAlamosValleyMensClub/.
Schedule of Events Friday 6 – 8 p.m. (or till the food runs out): Old Days Chili Kick-Off Party: Enjoy chili, corn bread, and all the fixings to begin the celebration with a tasty kick. Featuring chili by several local businesses and LAVMC members. No host, cash only, full service bar. Chili cook-off winner announced. Tickets $7 per bowl at the door. Los Alamos Valley Men’s Club, 429 Leslie SCHEDULE CONTINUED ON PAGE 12
El Rancho Market
Time to fire up the oven & try some of our fabulous menus Go to: www.californiafreshmarket.com/recipes/weekly
2886 Mission Drive • Solvang • 805-688-4300 elranchomarket.com
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