July 11, 2002
The balloon was huge. It hovered above the front lawn of the Misage family home in the Mount Vernon community of Riverwood July 4.
‘This is the best ever," said one of the neighbors, looking at that balloon. The 30-foot high balloon structure was the product of patriotic pride, solid engineering and cooperative family effort.
Each Fourth of July for the past 20 years, Richard and Pat Misage, along with their four children have erected a large display in front of their home to honor the nation’s birthday. "We started out with a cardboard space shuttle," explained Misage, "and since then things just seem to get bigger."
This year the family built a frame in the shape of a hot air balloon using plastic pipe, then covered it with red, white, and blue cotton fabric. With a gondola made from cocoa door mats dangling below, the whole affair hung from a stout post set into the ground. A knot of neighbors gathered in the steaming humidity of a summer morning, respectfully oohing and ahing, as Misage put the last touches of paint on the support post.
"Every Christmas we start talking about next year’s project," said Jill Misage, one of three sisters and a brother in the family. "Then about dad’s birthday in June, everyone really gets going with the construction. This year, dad made a model to test his construction techniques and used a computer design program to calculate the size and shape of the cotton panels for the balloon covering."
PAT MISAGE bought 130 yards of fabric, then cut and sewed the pieces, complete with stars and stripes, into a cover that neatly slipped over the plastic piping. A former classmate of one of the children at Mount Vernon High School, Joe Moreno, donated the services of his crane to lift the balloon onto the support post at dawn on the Fourth.
In past years the family has built a Styrofoam replica of the Washington Monument, two super-size, Uncle Sam top hats, a huge birthday cake, and a giant windmill with stars and stripes on the vanes. Each was on display for only one day, the Fourth.
"These Fourth of July projects have been fun, for sure," said Jill. "But we are also family building, as well as constructing balloons."
So many Riverwood residents have gathered to view the Misage’s show every year, that David and Betty Nye started having an al fresco brunch across the street for their neighbors on Carriage Court. "Every one of the displays is spectacular, but they seem to top it the next year," said Nye, as he passed around the Mimosas.
Joining his sister Jill, who lives in Richmond, was Scott Misage and his wife Lori, and daughter Nikole, from New Hampshire. Sister Carolyn traveled from Denver, and Lisette and Kerry Kelly, with children Meghan and Jason, live in Loudoun County. Richard Misage, an optometrist in Old Town and his wife Pat, have lived in Riverwood since 1971.