Spontaneous "Citizen Parade" Marches Down Main Street

It was an idea hatched on both ends of Main Street.

On the South End, veterans who had just finished a Memorial Day ceremony in the rain decided that despite the fact that the official parade had been canceled, they would march.

"We marched through worse than this," one veteran said.

On the North End, Mark Masselli, CEO of the Community Health Center wanted to honor the vets with the float his organization had built.

On both ends of Main Street, the calls began to go out.

I got mine just after 9:30.

"We're going to march," Masselli informed me. "Are you in?"

The plan was to meet at O'Rourkes and commandeer Main Street long enough for a short parade. But the phone calls continued, and by 11 AM, Rome Street was jammed with marchers from Veterans organizations, Laurence School, La Familia, the Community Health Center, The Learning Center and a bunch of citizens who decided to join the renegade parade.

WWII veteran Joe Franco outside his home on Rome St.

When local politicians heard the word "parade" they flocked to the site, and arranged for police and fire department escorts. Among the political leaders were State Senator Paul Doyle, State Representative Matt Lesser, Mayor Sebastian Giuliano and Common Council members Phil Pessina, Tom Serra, Jim Streeto, Dan Drew, Bob Santagelo, Deb Kleckowski and Grady Faulkner.

The unofficial parade stepped off at 11:30, an a humbling small crowd of surprised observers shouted encouragement along the route which traversed the entirety of Main Street from St. Johns to Union Park.

A brief ceremony on the South Green honored veterans, awarded parade trophies to the Community Health Center and Laurence School.

"It turned into a citizens parade," Giuliano said. "And maybe it's the best one we ever had."