Wednesday, March 28, 2012

New Britain Finds Funds To Save Memorial Day Parade - Courant.com

By DON STACOM
Posted by Frank Smith at 28.3.12

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Parade marches on: Common council unanimously votes to restore Memorial Day tradition

Wednesday, March 28, 2012 10:34 PM EDT
By SCOTT WHIPPLE
STAFF WRITER

NEW BRITAIN — The Common Council voted unanimously Wednesday to restore funding for the city’s Memorial Day Parade.

Last spring, funding for the traditional parade was eliminated from the 2011-12 municipal budget effectively cancelling the event.

However, after taking office in November, Mayor Timothy O’Brien — informed of 2011’s parade-funding elimination — instructed Parks & Recreation Director Bill Demaio to organize a Memorial Day parade for 2012.

To cover costs associated with the parade, the Veterans Affairs Division has been accepting donations. The Common Council and O’Brien approved an additional $15,000 in funding Wednesday to supplement money raised by the veterans. Phil Sherwood, the mayor’s communications director, said the cost will be met through a departmental transfer of funds.

“This is an important parade,” O’Brien said. “We must acknowledge the new wave of veterans — just now returning home — and all they have done for our nation.”

At the request of the mayor, council president, Michael Trueworthy, a former U.S. Marine, sponsored the resolution.

“I’m happy the new administration has chosen to reinstate the parade,” Trueworthy said. “It recognizes the sacrifices of our veterans, and is an important civic event people have come to expect.”

The parade, as always here scheduled for the traditional Memorial Day, May 30, will include representatives from various veterans organizations, alderpersons, state and local officials, city groups such as the EMS, fire and police departments. The city’s middle and high school bands will participate as will Boy Scout packs and Girl Scout troops, the New Britain Little League, a soccer league and other city organizations.

The additional funding allows for the inclusion of entertainers such as fife and drum corps, clowns, jugglers, stilt walkers and the popular Pyramid Shriners Motor Patrol. The funds will also cover costs associated with signage, shuttle busses, advertising and additional part-time, temporary staff needed to organize and facilitate the parade.

Sherwood said private donations to the parade have defrayed the cost by $700. The New Britain Municipal Employee Community Service Association contributed $500.

Donations to the cause can be offered to Sandy O’Keefe of the veterans affairs division of the parks department at City Hall. She be reached at (860) 826-3305.

March 28, 2012 at 11:03 PM
Anonymous said...

It is my understanding that Trueworthy was in a Marine ROTC and not the actual marine corps!

March 29, 2012 at 3:03 PM
Anonymous said...

How dare you sir!
Trustworthy was indeed a Marine and Senator Blumenthal will vouch for him! They fought together in Vietnam you know.

March 29, 2012 at 3:25 PM
Anonymous said...

"On this Memorial Day, as our nation honors its unbroken line of fallen heroes — and I see many of them in the audience here today — our sense of patriotism is particularly strong."

President Barack Obama

"This is an important parade,” O’Brien said. “We must acknowledge the new wave of veterans — just now returning home — and all they have done for our nation.”"

Mayor Timothy O'Brien

When will these Lib Dems quit confusing Memorial Day With Veterans Day?

Remember, it was these same people who gave us a Commander-in-Chief who in his own words "loathed the military".

March 29, 2012 at 5:13 PM

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