It'll be here before you know it

Date: 6/1/2009

By Brian Falk

Special to Reminder Publications



The tax deadline has come and gone. That means we have just over two months before the 2009 Fourth of July Parade will be coming down the streets of East Longmeadow.

The weather will be warmer and people will be holding their family cookouts.

For those people/organizations who participated in the parade last year, your participation documents for this year should have arrived. If you have not received them please call Carl Ohlin at 525-2952 or Dave Relihan at 783-9421.

If you have not been in the parade, don't be left out. Do you have a business or organization in town who has not participated in the parade? Does your business or organization have an anniversary coming up?

Build a float or march as a group in this year's parade. Who knows, you might win an award. To learn more about participating call Dave Relihan at 783-9421 or Carl Ohlin at 525-2952.

As a reminder, the theme of this year's parade is "Celebrate America."

Would you like to learn about what it takes to run the parade? Then be a part of it. Volunteer to help the parade committee run the parade on the Fourth of July.

Become a banner carrier or parade marshal. Children can be banner carriers. They should be at least middle school age.

Attention high school students! Do you need community service time? You can receive credit by helping the parade committee on the Fourth of July.

Parade marshals help the committee form up and run the parade on July 4 and are required to attend a couple of meetings just prior to the parade. During the meeting they will be notified as to where and who they will be working with and the current parade line up.

For more information on any of the subjects contact Carl Ohlin at 525-2952.



Parade Committee Urges Safety

For many years the East Longmeadow Fourth of July Parade Committee has had rules in place covering many parade related safety issues.

One major problem has been the throwing of candy or other objects from cars or floats along the route. No candy or other objects shall be thrown from cars or floats.

Parade participants may have people walking along the sides of the parade passing these objects out. Throwing candy has been banned due to many close calls between parade units and children running into the street to get pieces of candy.

Adult supervision is required for all children participating in the parade. Alcohol or drug use in the parade will not be tolerated.

Participants in the parade who have a problem, such as a member going down or the break down of a float or vehicle, will be pulled out and placed at the end of the unit. If the group cannot be ready to proceed in the allocated time they will be placed at the end of the parade. The parade does not stop!

Due to safety concerns and emergency reasons the use of sirens and air horns during the parade is not allowed.

Political advertising or soliciting is not allowed. This includes the distribution of election materials during the parade.

This program is supported in part by a grant from the East Longmeadow Cultural Council, a local agency, which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.