Mysterious Twist in Grand Marshal Race

Harvey “Boothill” Bollinger thought he was going to have an easy go at the most coveted title of Conejo Valley Days.

But what organizers feared was going to be a one-horse race for grand marshal has just turned into a showdown.

Until Thursday, Bollinger was the only candidate vying for the honor of presiding over the weeklong Western-themed celebration. Whoever raises the most money for charity over a five-week period wins the title.

But on Thursday, wanted posters started popping up all over Thousand Oaks announcing the arrival in town of a “mystery candidate” for grand marshal.

With nearly $11,000 already raised, Bollinger said he is only slightly worried by his surprise rival. But he is still cautious about declaring himself the victor.

“Until they close the race, it’s not over,” he said.

Only a handful of Conejo Valley Days organizers are in the know about the new candidate, and they aren’t talking.

But, they said, they are counting on the mysterious new candidate to turn what would have otherwise been one of the most boring grand marshal races in the fair’s 39-year-old history into something a little more fun.

Friday’s countdown, a last-minute rush to the midnight deadline for fund-raising, has traditionally been a head-to-head race, said Andy Matsunaga, a former grand marshal known as the Banzai Cowboy and the co-chairman of this year’s search committee.

“We were falling into a doldrums-type of atmosphere because everyone thought there was only one candidate,” he said. “Now it’s getting exciting.”

Fair organizers blame the lack of competitors on poor planning rather than on a waning sense of community spirit.

“I think the spirit is there,” said Pete Turpel, executive director of the Conejo Valley Days steering committee. “The thing is, the event is all volunteers and we all have our businesses to run, so sometimes things slip through the cracks.”

This year, he said, the grand marshal committee got off to a late start.

But all that’s water under the bridge, said Mike O’Beirne, president of the Conejo Valley Activities Corp., a nonprofit consortium of 29 volunteer and service groups that organizes the event.

O’Beirne claims that he first learned of the unknown challenger when a sign mysteriously appeared in his office.

Although the mystery candidate is unlikely to raise enough money in one night to come even close to Bollinger’s five-week effort, O’Beirne said he--or she--will liven up the evening of dancing and fund-raising tonight.

“Harvey is going to win it hands down,” he said.

If so, Bollinger will have earned himself a place in the folklore of Conejo Valley Days, joining a list of grand marshals that dates back to 1957.

“Nobody ever forgets them,” O’Beirne said.

Bollinger promises to be just as unforgettable as his predecessors.

Dressed for the role of “Boothill,” Bollinger is the spitting image of an old-time undertaker.

It’s not much of a stretch. He’s general manager of Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks Memorial Park and Mortuary in Westlake Village.

But, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Thousand Oaks to join the race for grand marshal, Bollinger has taken on a much different role in the community as of late.

This month alone, he orchestrated three Western mixers, a spaghetti dinner, a comedy night, a wine-and-cheese tasting and a golf tournament to raise funds for his campaign.

The payoff is big, however. Whoever wins the title will preside over next week’s activities--from acting as a judge in the chili cook-off to heading the grand parade.

It’s a chance, Matsunaga said, to “parade around and be the important person.”

But there’s more to being a grand marshal than simply wearing the hat of grand pooh-bah, Bollinger points out.

“Win, lose or draw, the effort you have to put out is enormous,” he said.

And when the parade is over, one local charity will be thousands of dollars richer, thanks to the grand marshal.

According to tradition, 40% of his proceeds will go back to Conejo Valley Days general fund. The rest goes to his charity of choice, which is the school program DARE, or Drug Awareness Resistance Education.

“Being a member of the community and a business person in the Conjo Valley, I feel it is tremendously important to support the community,” Bollinger said. “It is a way I can give back and say thanks to the people who have made this a nice community to live in.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

FYI

Tonight’s Grand Marshal Countdown, featuring Western dancing and an auction, starts at 7 p.m. at the Holiday Inn in Newbury Park, 495 N. Ventu Park Road. Admission is free.