No More Parade

It just got too big and unmanageable:

• Let this release serve as notice that the South Side Irish St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee is not planning to stage a parade in its present form in March of 2010.

  This decision was not arrived at lightly. For 31 years, this parade was a staple of the Beverly/Morgan Park and Mt. Greenwood communities – a celebration of faith, family and heritage that was cherished by thousands. Founded in 1979 by the Hendry and Coakley families, it was intended to instill in this community an appreciation for the Irish heritage that so many of its residents share.

Unfortunately, the parade sort of contributed to a fulfillment of a number of Irish stereotypes, too, and that as much as anything resulted in its demise. Too big, too sloppy, too ridiculous. No telling how much pressure City Hall put on the organizers, but we imagine it was considerable.

Now, will that pressure be brought to bear on another set of "organizers" that drain police resources at the other end of the parade calendar? Because we are rapidly approaching the point where we will not be able to cover the manpower needs for a large scale event like that anymore.