Having more marchers than spectators was not a good sign and was very disheartening. The sidewalks should have been jammed with parade watchers but instead there were only pockets of people looking on.
The principal host/organizer of the parade is American Legion Post 1424, which is located on Metropolitan Ave., just east of Ascan. That immediate area, and the surrounding streets, is probably better to stage and assemble all the parade participants.
There is a small cemetery (and often mistaken as a park) just north of Metropolitan/Alderton St./Woodhaven Blvd, near the new Petco. Three veterans from the Revolutionary War, and from a locally prominent family at the time, are buried there. This cemetery serves as the parade's current end point, and has enough space to conduct the ceremonies and speeches that occur once all the parade elements arrive.
While it might be nice (and extremely convenient for me!) to have this parade on Austin St., perhaps from OLQM to Russell Sage, it would also have a hugely detrimental effect on pedestrian and vehicle traffic flow that would back up onto Queens and Yellowstone Blvds. Metropolitan is also wider than Austin is, and therefore more accommodating to floats, trailers, and large military vehicles, if any of them participate.
Nice pictures! I only wish you also showed local groups that participate in the parade every year, such as the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Forest Hills Volunteer Ambulance Corps, etc. They are not only there marching every year, but also serve the community as well, unlike the outside marchers with no roots in the community.
I wonder why there were no sailors or marines marching the past several years, when the Navy is in town for Fleet Week? It was always great seeing them participating in the past. I also miss the salute by firing squad (shooting blanks, of course!) at the end of the parade at Remsen Cemetery. It's also sad to see how few marchers showed up from the American Legion. I guess membership is down, as we are losing the Greatest Generation to old age.
Great photos! (But why do they do this on Metro instead of Austin? Is there some special significance I'm not aware of?)
ReplyDeleteHaving more marchers than spectators was not a good sign and was very disheartening. The sidewalks should have been jammed with parade watchers but instead there were only pockets of people looking on.
ReplyDeleteThe principal host/organizer of the parade is American Legion Post 1424, which is located on Metropolitan Ave., just east of Ascan. That immediate area, and the surrounding streets, is probably better to stage and assemble all the parade participants.
ReplyDeleteThere is a small cemetery (and often mistaken as a park) just north of Metropolitan/Alderton St./Woodhaven Blvd, near the new Petco. Three veterans from the Revolutionary War, and from a locally prominent family at the time, are buried there. This cemetery serves as the parade's current end point, and has enough space to conduct the ceremonies and speeches that occur once all the parade elements arrive.
While it might be nice (and extremely convenient for me!) to have this parade on Austin St., perhaps from OLQM to Russell Sage, it would also have a hugely detrimental effect on pedestrian and vehicle traffic flow that would back up onto Queens and Yellowstone Blvds. Metropolitan is also wider than Austin is, and therefore more accommodating to floats, trailers, and large military vehicles, if any of them participate.
Nice pictures! I only wish you also showed local groups that participate in the parade every year, such as the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Forest Hills Volunteer Ambulance Corps, etc. They are not only there marching every year, but also serve the community as well, unlike the outside marchers with no roots in the community.
ReplyDeleteI wonder why there were no sailors or marines marching the past several years, when the Navy is in town for Fleet Week? It was always great seeing them participating in the past. I also miss the salute by firing squad (shooting blanks, of course!) at the end of the parade at Remsen Cemetery. It's also sad to see how few marchers showed up from the American Legion. I guess membership is down, as we are losing the Greatest Generation to old age.
ReplyDelete