February 25, 2010

By Rick Winterson

It’s coming together – 70+ units so far, and more to come.  Meetings with officials, the Police Department, and community groups are complete.  It will be a family-friendly event.  Buy a T-shirt from Parade Chief Marshal Tim Coady, and we’ll see you at the Parade on March 14.

by Rick Winterson

Monday evening, Parade Organizer Phil Wuschke convened the regular Community Meeting concerning this year’s St. Patrick’s/Evacuation Day Parade.  The venue was the Mass Bay Credit Union on West Fourth Street.  Representatives from all segments of the community were on hand – Parade officials, non-profits, the press, elected officials, the MBTA, and a complete spectrum of first responders, who’ll play key roles in keeping the Parade family-friendly.

The Parade roster is rapidly filling out.  A preliminary roster worked out by Tim Duross last week contains 59 units.  That number has grown to more than 70 since then, and the final roster may have over 100 units of all kinds.  Typically, recent Parades have had between 85 and 95 units, so this year’s Parade will really be a crowd-pleasing spectacle.

South Boston Online will publish a complete roster in our March 11 issue, along with the Parade route, which is the same as last year.  If there’s a theme to this year’s Parade, it’s “Music” – bagpipe units, fifes and drums, Dixieland, the Gobshites, Hot Tamale brass, and a number of marching bands from all over the U.S.  South Boston’s greatest event attracts international interest as well, from one side of the globe to the other.  The Royal National Lifeboat Institute is coming from Dublin; the crowd-pleasing Falun Dafa “Divine Land” precision marchers will be back.

The various groups at Monday evening’s meeting all reported on their roles in the Parade.  The Boston Police Department will keep the crowd well controlled.  Citations will be issued as a way to stop public drinking.  State Police (Day Boulevard) and the “T’ force (Broadway and Andrew Stations) have their roles down pat.  Fire and EMT personnel will be augmented.  MassPort is ready to receive the visiting USS Halyburton.  The Parade’s volunteers are set to go on Parade Day – Sunday, March 14, at 1 p.m.

The USS Halyburton (FFG-40), this year’s naval presence, is an Oliver Hazard Perry class guided missile frigate, commanded by CDR John R. Schmidt.  She is a multi-mission ship including “close-in” operations, cruises at 30 mph, and can be battle ready in ten minutes.  Perhaps her most notable engagement was against the Somali pirates, who had captured the Maersk Alabama’s Captain Richard Phillips, a Mass Maritime graduate.

Meanwhile, donations in support of the Parade are flowing in – Casper’s Funeral Home, John Gillespie’s Dunkin’ Donuts shops, Perkins Square Supply, Two Opticians, and Dewberry Dogs.  Look for Parade Chief Marshal Tim Coady along Broadway and buy a specially designed Parade T-shirt from him.