Border Days crowds have heard his work before
Jun. 29—GRANGEVILLE — For 50 years John Urbahn has been starting off the Grangeville Border Days Rodeo and Celebration with a bang.
A really big bang.
Urbahn, 75, is the guy sitting up on the hill above the rodeo grounds who shoots off the sonic bomb that begins each of the three days of the rodeo performance.
And that's just one of the tasks he's mixed up in.
"I've worked behind the scenes on a lot of stuff for the rodeo," Urbahn said. He's not been on the rodeo committee, "but I've worked with the Chamber of Commerce for Border Days — the merchants used to put on the fireworks for Border Days. I've taken tickets at the ticket booth on the rodeo grounds. I've sold hamburgers for the Jaycees and the Lions Club at the rodeo grounds. Sold programs for the Lions at the rodeo grounds."
This year Urbahn will serve as the grand marshal of the event that begins Saturday with the three-day rodeo and continues through the Fourth of July on Tuesday.
Being involved in the rodeo is second nature to Urbahn, whose family ran Miller Hardware on Grangeville's Main Street since 1912. Urbahn and his wife, Annelle, sold the business to Larson's Department Store about 18 years ago.
"It's a good activity and it helps the community," Urbahn said of his motivation for being so involved.
"It helps the community and I enjoy doing it. It's just something I grew up with. My dad was big in helping the community."
Annelle pointed out that Border Days remains special to them as a couple because they met at a Border Days kick-off event 40 years ago.
"Our first date," Urbahn said.
Urbahn was born and raised in Grangeville, graduated from Grangeville High School in 1967 and attended Lewis-Clark State College before going into business with his parents at the hardware store.
He remembers riding a Shetland pony in the Border Days parade when he was a child — one time getting bucked off and landing in the street after the horse got spooked.
The street sports and the wildly popular Super Egg Toss that draws thousands of participants each Fourth of July weekend has been going on as long as Urbahn can remember.
And the fireworks have always been a thing. Urbahn, a longtime member of the Grangeville Volunteer Fire Department, helps set up the fireworks at the Grangeville High School football field on the evening of the Fourth.
This year he and Annelle will ride an all-terrain vehicle in the parade, followed by their family, including three grown children and six grandchildren.
And he will be busy the rest of the time doing the fun jobs he looks forward to each year. The only snag comes at the beginning of the rodeo performances.
"They're trying to work out something for the grand entry because they always have the grand marshal ride through the grand entry," Urbahn said. "But I'll be shooting the bomb off at exactly the same time. So they may have a special place for the grand marshal this year besides at the opening."
Hedberg may be contacted at khedberg@lmtribune.com.
