Does anyone know if they had a good turn out? Of course, if they didn't you'll read in the gazette that it was due to the weather, being so cold and all forgetting the past parades that had even worse weather.

There are some people that I know that didn't go to the parade. There was a variety of reasons which mostly related tothe day and time change. Weather was a factor for only one person I talked to.

According to several sources, the crowd was down 90% over last year. The weather and date/time changes are to blame. We need to respect traditions, especially Christmas traditions. Blame must be put right at the Chambers feet.

I remember many years where the weather was horrible and yet it still pulled a large crowd. The date, time and NAME CHANGE has played a significant roll in the low turn out!

The blame must be put on the terrible, pro-tax, Chamber of Commerce and useless DSIC. A Conservative once noted that the Schenectady Chamber is the only anti-business Chamber in the State. The local business people stop contributing to this Krat controlled joke.

     It's a Christmas parade. It must return to Black Friday to support Downtown Business {what remains of it} and not non-profits and incumbent politicians. One last observation, the traffic was so messed up that Santa had to take back roads and was late for his parade.

The crowds on the streets were up to 3 people deep at points along the parade route.  It was an amazing (low) turnout.  There were sections of the parade route through the heart of Schenectady that I (and apparently the Metrocrats) thought no longer existed.  Just imagine not seeing one person outside on one side of the street from Erie Blvd to the YMCA.  Then, other places, there were people sitting in chairs.  Normally, this is so they can relax and stay out of the way of other parade-watchers.  This time, the only reason for the chairs was so that the people could cuddle up under their blankets in sub-freezing weather (and I knew this was the excuse that the Daily Rag was going to use when they started talking about the turnout at the parade.

http://timesunion.com/AspStori.....;newsdate=11/25/2008

Quoted Text

By MARV CERMAK
First published in print: Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Parade turnout hits new low

Seemingly most everyone at the 40th annual downtown Schenectady Christmas — oops make that Holiday — Parade had a fun time although attendance hit an all-time low.

Assemblyman Jim Tedisco, a parade marcher for 31 consecutive years, said the turnout was by far the thinnest he's witnessed. I've written stories and/or column items after checking out all 40 parades. Never has the attendance been so lean.

Several veteran cops I spoke with Saturday said the crowd was way off the usual wall-to-wall people. Nowhere on the route had the often six-person-deep lines of viewers and lower State Street was virtually empty compared to past jammed conditions.

Everyone I met agreed switching from the 38-year tradition of holding the parade on the Friday after Thanksgiving caused the smallish crowd. The event was moved to the Saturday before Thanksgiving so it wouldn't interfere with Proctors' shows.

Don't blame the cold weather. Previous parades on much more frigid nights along with snow and rain still drew a full house. Instead the change in the parade date proves to be a perfect example of "If it ain't broke, etc."

Here's the official verdict on the pathetic turnout for the Christmas Parade- NEW RECORD LOW. Marv also nails down the reasons: insane name, date, time and route changes to mollify Proctors, approved by the idiots at DSIC and Chamber. Just as Mr. March and I posted 2 days ago. Truth you would never read in the Gazetto.

The gazette is in lock step with the chamber, so don't expect  too much here folks. There will be a publication in the gazette in January asking all chamber members to buy ad space. I hear that they will publish it on the same day that the chamber will have their annual meeting at Proctors.

And that is why we will never hear that attendance was low for the CHRISTMAS parade due to the changes made by 'the powers that be'! Although they can't use the weather as an excuse either. Marv made sure of that!!

The (few) retail business owners who have managed to sustain their operations in the city of Schenectady despite the high property taxes, criminal activity, and inept city and county planning must be questioning the cost and the value of the DSIC and the mission and leadership of the Chamber of Commerce.  Not only was the parade attendance at record low numbers, the roads were closed off limiting traffic and commerce.

The City of Schenectady and Schenectady County will not return to prominence until high paying and permanent jobs, not minimum wage and temporary service jobs in restaurants and bars, are attracted to the downtown
area.  The ALCO site should be developed as a technology park, not residential real estate (condos), a marina and retail.  The Schenectady Metroplex should invest in purchasing the ALCO site, demolishing the existing structures, and installing the necessary infrastructure (roads, power, communications, water, etc.) and subdiving the acreage to be sold AT MARKET VALUE to corporate investors.  Mass transit (trolley?) should be considered along the Erie Boulevard, State Street and Union Street corridors.  With the increased presence of salaried employees in downtown Schenectady will come the service jobs needed to support the new businesses.  The restaurants, entertainment venues, and retail shops will see an increase in business.  The attendance at the CHRISTMAS parade will increase so long as the planners don't schedule it based solely on what is advantageous to Proctors.

The "ALCO" plan should be immediately trashed, if it hasn't been already. The ALCO site must remain industrial for high paying, union, industrial jobs. Not condos and coffeehouses that would flood an over crowded housing market. Take another look at the Anthony Street condo bust and tell us again how condos are the solution.