BANGOR, Maine — Jerry Hutchinson, decked out in his red fez, stood Saturday afternoon on State Street as his fellow Shriners paraded by driving miniature 18-wheelers, undersize motorcycles, go-carts, toy lobster boats and miniature monster trucks, despite an accident earlier in the day that sent a Vermont Shriner to Eastern Maine Medical Center.
Bangor police said Sunday they could not identify the injured man because of health care privacy laws.
Many of those who took part in the parade and those who lined the streets of downtown Bangor were unaware of the mishap.
New Shriner Hutchinson of Houlton said that he had recently joined the Anah Shrine Temple so had not yet earned his “driver’s license” in the organization that supports children’s hospitals.
“They are just a great bunch of guys,” he said when asked why he had joined. “It’s a great unit.”
His wife, Dianne Hutchinson, said that being a Shriner was a bit of a tradition in her family.
“My brother, who is in his 60s now, was in a Shriners’ hospital when he was a little boy,” she said. “He had a cleft palate and needed surgery. His experience really made us appreciate the hospital and what it does for families.”
She said that her father was a Shriner and so is her brother, who lives in Brunswick.
Marilyn Bishop of Veazie said she came to the parade to show her support for the Shriners’ work, but she almost had her purse snatched. One group in the parade was made up of men dressed as early 19th century police officers with night sticks who tried to corral several “prisoners” dressed in black-and-white striped jail outfits.
Suddenly, one of the mock prisoners “escaped” from his jailer and made a beeline for Bishop’s pocketbook, sitting on the sidewalk next to her folding chair. Just as the “criminal” reached to snatch it, she pulled it into her chair and the officer shooed his prisoner back into the parade line.
“I knew what he was going to do from other events I’ve been to,” she said. “I just played along. I was smiling at him.”
The parade, that went from Exchange Street to State Street and ended at the Bass Park complex on Main Street, lasted more than two hours. It was the culmination of the annual three-day conference of the Northeast Shrine Association that brought between 5,000 and 7,000 Shriners from 15 temples in New England and northeastern Canada to Bangor, Anthony Bowers, potentate of the Anah Shrine Temple, said after the parade.
The last time the conference was in Bangor was 1989, Bowers of Island Falls said.
“We’ve inundated the hotels and restaurants,” he said. “We had a great crowd today for the parade. We had thunder in the morning but it cleared off and it wasn’t too hot for that walk up [Main Street] hill. And, we had a great crowd. But, it’s all the kids. That’s why we do it.”
Bowers praised city officials, the Greater Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce and the police and fire departments in helping plan for the event over the past three years.
As the parade wound down, it was unclear whether the accident that earlier in the day injured the Vermont Shriner would mar the festivities.
The man was testing out a tiny motor-powered car in the parking lot behind the Bank of America building on Exchange Street, according to Bangor police. A member of the Cairo Shriners of Rutland, Vt., the man suffered a head injury when he apparently gave the car too much gas and ran into the flatbed trailer from which it and other vehicles had been unloaded.
He was not wearing a helmet.
Shriner Marvin Tarbox Jr., 59, of Hancock died last October after a go-cart accident at the Damariscotta Pumpkin Fest Parade in Newcastle. The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office said last year that a ramp that carried the go-carts over an SUV apparently failed while Tarbox was driving over it. His go-cart then flipped over and toppled onto the pavement, where he was struck by at least two other go-cart drivers, according to a previously published report.
In May, investigators said the accident was caused by a mechanical failure.
Tarbox, who also was not wearing a helmet, was a member of the Anah Temple Shrine in Bangor, which hosted the parade other activities.
His go-cart team took part in Saturday’s event but did not use the ramp. A truck that was slowly driven in front of the go-carts sported a banner that read “In Loving Memory of Marvin Tarbox Jr.”
Why?
Because they are dangerous, not only to themselves but to bystanders. Remember the Damariscotta event last year? They probably would have a DUI problem too, if that were checked.
I agree with you. After watching them a number of times at different events I’m totally amazed that there hasn’t been more deaths due to these go carts. I always cringe when I see a young child standing close to the roadway where these carts travel much to close to the crowds watching them at high rates of speed.
don’t like it don’t go.
Hm. Then perhaps the parent of said child should pull them back out of the roadway? Isn’t it the parent’s duty to protect the child?
wow someone agreed with me on a jocular comment? i enjoy them but its just a matter of time til a child is crushed beneath one of their vehicles
Because the “Shrine of the Desert” is a secret Al Qaeda base.
I stubbed my toe on the bed frame this morning, does that mean I should have my bed taken away and be required to sleep on the floor? Give me a break.
If your bed caves in does it land on a little kid?
Haven’t heard about a little kid being injured by a Shriners go cart. Has that actually happened? I have heard of little kids injured and even killed by ATV’s. Why not ban those?
Excatly Pavel, he was injured while unloading a go cart… not during the parade and it was a Shriner not a child Westshores.
Didn’t kill you, did it. But get real, these are killers, much as I like the shriners.
I’m not a fan of parades or watching people driving around in go-karts, but people who are should probably think twice about attending events where these vehicles are flying around in close proximity to your unprotected legs.
These clowns don’t exactly have a stellar safety reputation.
First off Scott, the clowns are a different group than those riding units.
Secondly, you apparently have no idea of what the Shriners do, or their events. We would encourage you, and all others who are ignorant of the facts to stay home and watch Redneck TV or better yet, Fox News so that you may simply stay uber-opinionated with no basis. Glad I didn’t see you today!
Cheers~~
thank you nanny andy. We should ban everything and mandate that all people wear a bubble wrap jumpsuit outside their homes!
it worked for bubble boy
Or at least get Ted Nugent’s drummer to chauffeur.
Hahahahahaha!
Speedy recovery to the gentleman that had the accident today, while getting ready for the Shriners event.
After reading the various comments on this accident I took a minute and did a GOOGLE search of Shriner Parade accidents. It was an eye opener. If I took my granddaughter I stand back a bit.
and how many were in Maine? How many were done by this particular group?
I killed last year in Damariscotta. Who wants to risk more?
1 Shriner death and was that from the Bangor unit up here by chance, seems my second part of my original question has yet to be addressed here.
I can Google anything and believe what I see here, don’t get me wrong a death is tragic but for people to be so Google dependent for facts that probably don’t even happen in this state is not always a good idea. Googling for information without demonstrating facts is exactly what the original post accomplishes. Make a statement and get everyone else to believe you.
Let’s see some facts folks as to how wreck less the Shriners really are and call me in the morning when you have them
If I recall the Damariscotta incident was a ramp failure and not anything that could have been avoided except by having a stronger ramp? Not quite fair to cite a true accident as one of negligence.
More people get killed on ATVs, snowmobiles, dirt bikes and car accidents… should we just plain outlaw any motorized vehicles for everyone??????
I suspected days ago that you were ‘Al Brady’ back under a different name. Thanks for the confirmation! Got your last trolling persona banned, so now we get to hear from Andy.
If these guys keep crashing, little kids are going to have to form a charity and drive around in little pedal cars to raise money for the treatment of Shriners.
Somehow the riff raff keeps logging in and posting stupid comments on this site, does that mean we should have the site taken down and the internet disconnected?
lol no matter what BDN does i’m still here…Al Brady, Pine Tree Demon, etc. i am eternal child
Syphilis doesn’t seem to go away either……..
So you got banned again
they always have fun
I can’t believe the amount of Nanny crybabies on this site. Get real. A person is more apt to get struck by one of many errant motorists in Bangor while legally crossing a road, than get hurt by a Shriner.
They Banned Parades in West Athens for Citizens being Drunk and Disorderly!
Ban Drunken Chaos, in West Athens and Promote Stupeid and disordery Chaos in Bangor !
Brilliant!
Reminds me of my dad taking away the keys to my trail bike when I was a Kid, My mother replied, you do the same stunts only while drunk ,
Dad Replied I can sober up, Stueppid cant!
LOL
Who said anything about the Shriners being drunk at this event? Was anyone charged?
Bah, some of these comments make me so angry. The Shriners are a wonderful group of men who take time out of their busy schedules to parade and raise awareness for the Shriner’s Hospitals across the nation. They enjoy parading and are well aware of the dangers associated with it. These guys practice for many hours each week in their carts and know their machines better than most people know their own passenger cars and trucks. Please cut them some slack. Marvin Tarbox’s death last year was an untimely accident caused by a mechanical failure, not by Marvin’s driving or anyone else around him. The mishap in this article occured before the parade, not during.
Wow I dont think that shriners should be banned! Yes they have had accidents here and there but that should make them banned? No. Maybe if they didn’t drive them so fast, or mess around in them and just drove through just like any other vehicle does that could help eliminate some of these accidents. Fire trucks, cops, ambulances, and float drivers all just drive in a line why cant they do the same? Maybe they wouldnt be as attractive but it may be worth another injury.
Loved the parade
It was a great parade and the Shriner’s do great work! It was great to see so many units from outside of Maine. I got a heck of a sunburn but it was worth it! Hope the Vermont Shriner recovers quickly!
The Shriners are, for the most part, the more well to do members of the the Masonic Lodge, in general, they do an awful lot of good. I have been to many a parade with them around, I do think they drive too close to bystanders, but, the kids love them, just have to watch out for them a little.
We brought our boys and made sure they sat back – we all had a blast! Much more concerning than the parade safety was the massive amount of illicit drug dealing happening in the open in Pickering Square. Where were the police?
Dufresne is it ?? Like in the movie ? well, frenchman , here is my take……also keep them from helping the sick children, the poor, the needy, the underdogs…..and do away with their charity and goodwill to society…….oh, yes, by all means, get the DMV to take their licenses……..and when YOUR kid , or grandchild gets cancer, let them hold out their phone contact while I willfully snap it out of thine hand……BIBLE……enough said….and forget I called you a dirty weasel…..forgive please…..skunk perhaps more appropriate…cause you do smell like hell….probably going to go there……
i don’t have children and don’t plan on it…so *blows raspberries*
Thank goodness!
thank God you don’t have children. They would most likely become trolls… as you are
Your going to bring up the Bible and insult this person in the same paragraph? Wouldnt that make you a “Hypocrit”? Just sayin…….
It would do Charlie Summers good to watch these “old” guys swing these fantastic – “wish I were a boy again” – trucks along the parade route between spectators.
Charlie believes older kids need to be tested more often after they reach 60, 70, or, older. Maybe he’s right. But it’s doubtful if he, or anyone younger than him, could put these midget trucks through the paces like these kids do.
Dangerous? You bet. But these kids handle the trucks like a sports car driver. They have to stay focused on the route, the show plan, and the crowd. It’s amazing how these older men squeeze into the tiny trucks. Even more exciting is how how they’re able to dexterously maneuver these vehicles at high speeds, with an equally small steering wheel and tiny wheels. How they manage to squeeze their size twelves into the cab to tap accelerator and brake pedals is equally amazing.
They put on a great show because they obviously love doing what they do, and especially who they are doing it for – unfortunate kids.
If you can’t post a comment without resorting to name-calling, how can anybody consider you mature?
you also need to learn the difference between to and too.
Is that all you’ve got ? Isn’t there a rogue squirrel out there somewhere that needs to be trapped?
The Shriners do great work for many children and families. Seems pretty harsh to bash them for a couple of accidents. They work very hard with training and being safe. Well wishes and a speedy recovery to the gentleman. Accidents happen everyday in all situations. Thank you Shriners for all the work u do.:)
if you don’t go then why did you say and I quote: ” I always cringe when I see a young child standing close to the roadway where these carts travel much to close to the crowds watching them at high rates of speed…….
Can you read? I said I don’t go to any event ” Just to watch them” Is that so difficult to understand?
How many more Mr. Speaker, how many more………………………….
They say accidents happen for a reason. How do you that have posted negative comments about Shriners know that the reason isn’t because, it was the gentleman’s time to die? The gentleman that had a head injury may have been headed for some catastrophy but, the accident prevented it. Toi blame it on the Shriners is foolish. They do great work, get over it!
The parade was wonderful! Speedy recovery to the injured Shriner.