Karen S. Kim
MONTROSE -- For the first time in five years, Honolulu Avenue in
Montrose will be missing the little green people that traipse up and down
the street during its annual St. Patrick's Day Children's Parade.
The Montrose Shopping Park Assn. will not host the event this year
because of cost concerns, but officials said they're confident the event
will return next year.
"We didn't feel we had the money to do it this year," association
board member Linda Strack said. "Hopefully, by the time the ship is
sailing again, we'll have something more elaborate for next St. Patrick's
Day because that event is really fun."
The parade included giveaways, contests, entertainment and hundreds of
students marching up and down three blocks of Honolulu Avenue dressed in
wigs, green garb and hats. The costs of hiring entertainment, buying
prizes, purchasing decorations and commissioning police and security for
the event reached $5,000 last year, said association President Lori
Flagg.
In lieu of the parade, the association will hand out free shamrock
magnets Sunday between noon and 3 p.m. to celebrate the holiday. The
promotion will cost only $500.
"With the starting up of the new farmer's market, we want to make sure
we have the funds to pay the bills, and we've just sort of taken our
promotions and made them a little more low-key for right now," Flagg
said. "That's not to say we won't have a parade next year, we're just
trying to get a whole reorganization going."
The association is short on funds for the event this year because it
is still waiting for the terminated Montrose Family Festival operator to
pay an undetermined amount owed to the merchants, Flagg said. In
addition, a dozen or so business vacancies in the shopping park have
reduced the revenue the association receives from membership fees.
Membership fees represent one of the Montrose Shopping Park Assn.'s
three main sources of funding. Money earned from hosting the Montrose
Arts & Crafts Festival and the $15,000 the city gives the association for
Christmas decorations represent the other two, Flagg said.
In addition to budget restrictions, the association is facing the
costs of opening its new farmer's market on May 5 in conjunction with its
Cinco de Mayo event.
The association voted in September to terminate the Montrose Family
Festival and replace it with a farmer's market from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Sundays.
"We're trying to reevaluate our position and rebuild," Flagg said.
"We're going to factor in traditional events and see which one of those
traditions works and which ones have gone the way of the dinosaur and
need to be replaced with a new promotion."
