Cov cua ntsawj ntshab siab tau ceeb toom txog kev tawg hauv Wisconsin Avenue, tab sis 15 tus pog nyob hauv txoj kev tau npaj taug kev.
Lawv hnav khaub ncaws rau tag kis no lub rooj sib txoos hauv cov kaus mom dav-brimmed tuav nruj nrog cov hlua khi hlua khi. Lawv tau subbed tawm liab pom pom rau cov dawb ces cov zas xim yuav tsis khiav los nag uas yog teasing nws rov qab los ntawm ib tug leaden Kaum ib hlis ntuj.
"Qhov no zoo ib yam li kuv hu," hais tias Kathi Schmeling, tus pab nyiaj so haujlwm ntawm tib neeg, nws luag nyav los ntawm lub ntsej muag liab liab uas yog kos npe ntawm cov poj niam uas hu lawv tus kheej Milwaukee Dancing Grannies. "Nov yog kuv qhov chaw zoo siab."
Muab qhov twg lawv tuaj los, nws tsis yog qhov ua tiav me me uas lawv nyob ntawm no txhua.
Ib xyoo dhau los, ib tug neeg tsav tsheb plows ib tug SUV los ntawm lub Christmas parade nyob ze ntawm lub nroog Waukesha, tua rau 1980 tus neeg thiab caws pliav ntau ntxiv. Plaub ntawm cov neeg raug tsim txom yog los ntawm Dancing Grannies, suav nrog lawv cov thawj coj ntev, hem kom tua cov poj niam nruj nruj - tsis yog laus, lawv hais tias, tsuas yog caij zoo - thawj zaug sib koom ua ke los ntawm aerobics craze ntawm XNUMXs.
Ua cas, lawv tuav. Lawv tau txais kev txhawb nqa zoo ua ntej muaj kev kub ntxhov, thaum muaj mob qog noj ntshav thiab kev sib nrauj, kev poob haujlwm thiab kev hlub. Lawv tau lees tias yuav mus txuas ntxiv yuav tsum muaj kev pheej hmoo ntawm kev ua haujlwm tshiab, nrog cov neeg ua yeeb yam tshiab uas tsis tau ua neej nyob lawv keeb kwm.
Tsis ntev, txawm li cas los xij, daim ntawv qhia hnub yuav tuaj puv lub voj voog. Thiab kom mus tom ntej, pab pawg tau txiav txim siab. Thaum lub parade rov qab mus rau Main Street hauv Waukesha, lawv yuav tsum rov qab mus.
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Hnub ntawd ib xyoos dhau los, yim tus poj niam tau teem sijhawm taug kev los ntawm Waukesha lub nroog zoo nkauj hauv plawv nroog, qhov chaw Christmas kev ua yeeb yam txhua xyoo, tau tso tseg xyoo dhau los vim muaj kev sib kis, tau rov qab los nrog lub ntsiab lus tshiab: "Kev nplij siab thiab kev xyiv fab."
Cov tsev neeg thronged Main thaum Grannies funneled rau hauv lub procession qab ib tug ntxhais Scout pab tub rog thiab ib tug hluas seev cev corps. Thaum 4:38 teev tsaus ntuj lawv sauntered los ntawm kev sib tshuam mus rau cov neeg coob coob nyiam, Lub Caij Ntuj Sov Wonderland, viav vias pom pom saum ntuj.
Nyob rau hauv lub din, lawv tsis hnov cov liab SUV plowing down Main kom txog rau thaum nws ntaus lawv.
Donna Kalik hais tias, "Nws yog ib qho teeb meem," hais tias Donna Kalik, uas tau saib lub rooj sib txoos nrog nws tus hluas nraug los ntawm lub qhov rais kas fes. "Thiab thaum kuv tab tom khiav tawm muaj ib lub cev ntawm kuv sab laug thiab muaj ib lub cev ntawm sab xis ... Nws zoo li thaj tsam tsov rog."
Ob peb ko taw ntawm txoj kab thaiv, pab pawg thawj coj Ginny Sorenson tau tuag. Hla mus rau txoj kev taug kev, lub cev ntawm Leanna Owen thiab Tamara Durand, ob leeg raug tua tam sim ntawd, yuav tsis raug txheeb xyuas txog ntau teev tom qab.
Nyob ze, tus txiv ntawm lwm tus Granny uas yog ib tug neeg ua haujlwm pab dawb tsis tu ncua, nteg nkig thiab batter, thiab succumbed rau nws raug mob hnub tom qab. Down Main, tus me nyuam muaj hnub nyoog 8 xyoo uas tau mus ncig nrog nws pab pawg Pab Koomtes Little thiab ib tug poj niam 52 xyoo taug kev nrog cov neeg ua haujlwm los ntawm ib lub txhab nyiaj hauv zos kuj raug tua.
Taug kev los ntawm kev ntxhov siab, Schmeling pom cov phooj ywg ua las voos Sharon Millard, tus kws qhia ntawv tus pab cuam thiaj li nqis peev pab pawg uas nws tau hu kom sau npe hmo ua ntej yug nws tus xeeb ntxwv.
“Kathi!” nws hais tias, dazed. "Dab tsi yuav tshwm sim rau Grannies?"
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Hnub thiab lub lis piam tom qab lub parade tau puv nrog kev tsis ntseeg. Ob peb tus neeg seev cev raug mob, suav nrog 64-xyoo-laus Betty Streng, comatose rau tsib hnub tom qab ntawd nrog pob txha taub hau ob npaug.
Lwm tus tau saib xyuas cov nti. Ib tug poj niam tau rov ua dua qhov kev xaiv uas nws tau ua kom seev cev ntawm sab laug ntawm kev tsim - tawm hauv Durand ob peb taw rau nws sab xis, hauv txoj kev tuag. Lwm qhov, ntawm kev ua haujlwm, tawg thaum "Lub caij ntuj no Wonderland" ua si dhau lub tsev kawm ntawv intercom.
Txawm li cas los xij, zoo li lawv tshuav nws rau cov neeg uas tuag lawm kom pab pawg mus, lossis tsawg kawg sim.
Thaum lawv rov sib ntsib thaum lub Ib Hlis Ntuj lig, 34 tus neeg muaj kev cia siab tau tshwm sim, ua ib txoj kab seev cev uas ncig lub rooj ntawm ib lub rooj sib tham.
Qee cov tev tawm hauv lub lis piam tom qab, tsis kam ua rau lub hlis ntawm kev coj ua thiab ntau dua 20 kev ua yeeb yam hauv ib xyoos. Ob peb cov qub tub rog, them se los ntawm kev nco, so haujlwm.
Thaum ntxov rau hnub Saturday tsaus ntuj cov Original Grannies tau rov qab los thawj zaug hauv Milwaukee St. Patrick's Day procession, cov neeg tuaj tshiab hnav sashes qhia lawv li cov tub ntxhais kawm taug kev nrog.
Thaum lub caij nplooj ntoos hlav kawg, cov Grannies - nce pom tias yog ib qho piv txwv ntawm lub cheeb tsam "Waukesha Strong" motto - tau tawm tsam kev caw tuaj ntawm ib ncig ntawm lub xeev. Hauv nroog tom qab lub nroog, cov neeg saib tau qw lawv ua tsaug rau pab pawg rov qab los, ua lub siab lub ntsws nrog txhais tes tawm.
Jeannie Knutson, ib tug ntawm Original Grannies, hais tias, "Nws yog iab heev nyob rau qee lub sijhawm." "Kuv txhais tau tias, ua ntej qhov xwm txheej koj yuav muaj neeg coob coob npuaj thiab hu nkauj, tab sis tam sim no nws txawv kiag li."
Thaum Lub Kaum Hli tuaj txog, qhov kev nco txaus ntshai ntawm Waukesha tau rov ua dua tshiab hauv Milwaukee lub tsev hais plaub.
Schmeling hais tias, "Kuv tsis xav hnov txog qhov no," hais tias Schmeling, nco qab qhov kev npau taws uas tau tshwm sim rau sab hauv thaum nws rov hais dua nws nco txog Waukesha rau cov kws lij choj ua ntej mus sib hais. "Kuv ua tiav nrog tshooj ntawd."
Tus neeg tsav tsheb, Darrell Brooks, raug txim ntawm tag nrho 76 suav tawm tsam nws, thiab raug txim mus rau hauv tsev lojcuj.
Nrog rau qhov kev daws teeb meem tom qab lawv, Grannies, qub thiab tshiab, cia siab tias rov qab mus yuav coj kev nplij siab, pov thawj tias kev rov qab los ntawm lub xyoo dhau los yog ruaj khov.
Lawv txav mus rau cov lus Ginny Sorenson tau tshaj tawm ntev.
"Ginny ib txwm muaj cov lus no ua ntej parades: 'Yog tias koj ua yuam kev, yog tias koj tawm ntawm kilter, yog tias koj tso koj cov pom pom, tsis muaj teeb meem dab tsi, koj tseem seev cev," Jan Kwiatkowski, ib tus thawj coj tshiab ntawm cov Grannies.
