Commentary; Posted: 7/11/07
Rules needed to control FL parade route
By Cliff Buchan
On the one hand, it’s a good thing that parade fans want to arrive early to watch Forest Lake’s annual Independence Day parade.
But when those coming to watch the parade start laying their claims to boulevard and sidewalk locations five days in advance, it is getting just a bit out of hand. And then it is not such a good thing.
And that was the case in Forest Lake for this past holiday. Blankets, tarps and chairs started popping up along the W. Broadway Avenue section of the parade route as early as Friday night, June 29. By Saturday and Sunday the gold rush was on to claim spots along Broadway, Centennial Drive and Lake Street (US-61). Barrier tape was even strung up along spots of Highway 61, roping off certain areas.
Getting there early is one thing but this early may be too early for the celebration to stand.
It certainly was too early for the Forest Lake Police Department. Officers were forced to remove some of the tarps, blankets, chairs and tape when they infringed on intersections or blocked pedestrian ways on sidewalks. The rain and wind on Monday and Tuesday of celebration helped move items into the street.
Police Chief Clark Quiring’s department does not relish the duty of dealing with parade issues of this kind. They have enough to do in dealing with fireworks and noise complaints and the thousands upon thousands of people who come to town to take in the celebration.
Quiring took the parade route issue to the Forest Lake City Council this week.
It will be left up to the city officials to sort out some form of action. It is clear the issue of staking out parade viewing locations has gotten out of hand.
But what to do?
The city may well have to look at its existing ordinances to see if something is on the books that can help regulate such activities. If nothing is there, something new may have to be enacted.
It is clear a time frame needs to be in place that will specify clearly when parade fans can claim their spots to watch the parade. The city must decide if that time is 24 hours, 12 hours or four hours in advance of parade time.
The city must also decide if it wants to regulate how people claim parade watching spots. Should blankets and tarps, for example, be allowed.
It has to be a city decision, that is clear.
American Legion Post 225, the annual sponsor of the Fourth of July celebration, runs the parade, but has no say in where people gather to watch the parade, short of its own property and the location of the judging stand across from Post 225.
But the Legion has a vested interest in how the city comes about some form of new parade rule. Without those people coming to Forest Lake, the parade would be nothing.
And without those people, gone too are the dollars that they spend at the celebration venues and in the local business community.
It is important that any new rules are adopted with full consideration of the impact and the message it sends to the public.
Common sense, of course, should not be removed from the equation on the part of the parade watching public. A little bit of reason can go a long way but in this game of reaching base first, the cycle spins out of control and the problem grows.
There were problems last year, too, but not to the extent that were present this year. If the city of Forest Lake can’t count on the public to exercise self control, that control will have to come in form of new rules and regulations adopted by the city council.
That time may well be at hand.
Forest Lake Times
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Forest Lake, MN 55025
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