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- Category: Current Issue
Rain date
didn't dampen
Dazzle parade
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM — For a rain date, the 18th annual Holiday Dazzle Light Parade “was incredible,” according to Chairman Gary Osbrey.
He said there were 140 floats and usually when the parade goes to the rain date, the parade usually loses 10 to 20 entries. This time, he said, only the third time out of 18 years that a rain date was used, three were lost but they picked up another six entries.
He said the parade committee had great feedback from the crowd with visitors from Rhode Island, Massachusetts and beyond.
Parks and Recreation Director Willie Bousquet estimated there were 20,000 spectators. Bousquet said lining the floats up on only one side of Grove Street instead of both worked much better. It was more effective, he said, and also improved safety.
He added that during the parade, there was a medical call on Powhattan Street and the ambulance and medic were able to get through easily. “We’ve done a good job of making the parade clean and now we’re doing better job of making it safer,” Bousquet said.
Bousquet said the committee is likely to keep the one-side lineup and will probably make more use of the side streets off Grove Street.
Osbrey said the quality of the floats continues to improve each year. This was the first year for lining up on one side, he said, and it was an immediate improvement with less congestion.
He added around 50 volunteers were on hand to produce the show including 26 volunteers from High Pointe Church in Thompson.
Osbrey said, “We are delighted with the success of this year’s parade.”
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