The on-again, off-again, South Side Irish parade may be off-again, according to a report in the Chicago Tribune.
In a letter to the parade committee, the administration asked for additional details about its plans for security, and also called for a public meeting on those plans.
Although the parade committee's application for the March 11 event has been accepted, a permit is not issued until the organizers prepay for city services that include putting up barricades and parade-route signs, an administration official said Wednesday.
"Before we seek the payment, we would hope that the parade committee will come to the conclusion that it is not ready to hold this event," the official said.
19th Ward Alderman Matt O'Shea has been calling for a public meeting, contending that previous public meetings held in August and early September were not publicized.
It would now appear that in the latest statement by the city of Chicago, the Emanuel Administration is now siding with Alderman Matt O'Shea.
In other parade news, the the Southtown Star reported that the Committee has reached half of its fund raising goal of $200,000.
The parade’s chairman, Joe Connelly, said Monday that area businesses such as restaurants and bars have paid to be parade sponsors, and Guinness and Bud Light have signed on to be corporate sponsors.
Connelly said organizers are waiting to hear from city officials about what they’ll have to pay for costs such as street barricades and post-parade cleanup.
“We have been told to expect an increase in those (costs), although it has not yet been communicated what that increase will be,” he said.
Connelly told the Southtown Star that it expects to raise the remaining $100,000 needed. The fund raising may be moot if the city of Chicago does not issue its final permit to the parade group.
Send John Presta an email and your story ideas or suggestions, johnpresta@att.net.
John is the author of an award-winning book, the 2010 Winner of the USA National Best Book award for African-American studies, published by The Elevator Group Mr. and Mrs. Grassroots: How Barack Obama, Two Bookstore Owners, and 300 Volunteers did it. Also available an eBook on Amazon. John is also a member of the Society of Midland Authors and is a book reviewer of political books for the New York Journal of Books
Comments