Saint Patricks Day Parade (Retrospect)

I had a great conversation with a really good friend of mine. The subject matter was the annual St Patricks Day Parade. Since I am a Pest Control geek, and he a Pest Control scholar as well (hahahaha he will be reading this), we talked about pest situations the parade presents. We also talked about the situations that not having the parade presents. As we conversed I reflected back to a conversation I had early in this pandemic time. A local business owner and a person of high regard in our community, conveyed his gratitude towards a tough decision that our mayor had to make. A decision to cancel the Saint Patricks Day Parade due to the Coronavirus. It was a move that would negate hundreds of thousands of economic dollars to a community that counts on that stimulus every year.

For many in the area, the annual Scranton Saint Patrick Day Parade is more then just a parade. This single event speaks tradition, a way of life, it puts Scranton on the map, it speaks loudly of heritage and drives a single city’s economy. By no means am I suggesting that the only reason our community survives is because of the Saint Patricks Day Parade, I’m humbly suggesting that this parade has deep roots and is very meaningful.

That brings me to the point of our conversation. The mayor, newly elected, had to make a decision that at the time was criticized by many. For anyone who is from the area or knows about the St Patricks Day Parade also recognizes the events that take place during the parade. Thousands flood the streets to celebrate their heritage and consume mass amounts of alcohol. This gathering of people is so condensed that much of the time you are elbow to elbow with others a perfect scenario for the Coronavirus. Reflecting back on that single decision, it is very likely that she saved hundreds of lives. She proved to be a leader for our city early in her tenure. Thank you Mayor

Although the Parade was postponed (we hope we can resume plans for the parade safely this year) and no new date has been set, we are resilient in Lackawanna County and will continue the tradition soon. We will beat this virus, as we have always done in the past, and continue to thrive as Americans. God Bless

Until nest time, Stop Buggin…… DaddyLongLegger