Parade flap

First off, nobody can doubt the incredible amount of work that the organizing committee puts into the New York parade. The bottom line each and every year is that the parade steps out on time and finished in good order without serious incident. This is usually the case, and should be so this Saturday.
The firefighter contingents, though bumped down the line of march on the order of chairman Dunleavy, will participate and we expect they will do so in the tradition of honoring Irish heritage, St. Patrick’s and the city they serve so bravely.
Assuming this turns out to be the case, we are hopeful that chairman Dunleavy will find abundant reason to return the firefighters to their traditional starting point near the head of the parade next year. If sense and goodwill prevail, this particular parade flap will turn out to be a mere blip in the long and distinguished history of this event.
City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, meanwhile, is giving Fifth Avenue a miss and heading for the Dublin parade. We hope she has a great day and is greeted warmly by her Irish hosts. We would prefer to see her back in New York, however. Last year, Quinn was at the center of a standoff over pins and sashes proclaiming her sexual orientation; she is a lesbian. But she has made this clear on a number of occasions. She doesn’t need pins and sashes. She only needs to be in attendance. Hopefully, she will be next year, leading her City Council colleagues up the avenue.
Finally, it looks as if the parade will get some reasonably weather this year. That’s a blessing. God speed to all who march and we look forward to a rousing welcome to a guest from out of town, grand marshal, and Boston’s own, Ray Flynn.