By Kathianne Boniello
Like a pair of first-time parents nervous about how to care for their infant, the new organizers of the Little Neck-Douglaston Memorial Day parade said they were ready and waiting this week to kick off Monday’s annual march.
“Things are falling into place, but it’s an awful lot of work,” said Gil Krasnoff of Little Neck, who along with Jim Rodgers of Auburndale took over the parade committee in January from its longtime organizers Karen Bartolotta and Tom Nouza. The pair retired earlier this year after running the event for six years.
“We’re trying to do the right thing for everyone,” Krasnoff said. “These are all volunteers.”
Jim Rodgers said “we’re not doing too bad — just tying up some loose ends and working out some logistics.”
With one of the largest Memorial Day parades in the country to organize, there can be quite a few “loose ends” for the members of the parade committee to resolve.
The parade has marched down Northern Boulevard every year for more than seven decades in recognition of the area’s veterans. With 13 bands in the 2000 event, the Little Neck-Douglaston event ran an extremely close second to the Memorial Day parade in Chicago, which has been considered the largest in the nation.
The 2001 Little Neck-Douglaston Memorial Day Parade was expected to feature approximately 16 bands — the most in the history of the parade — and thousands of marchers, including traditional attendees Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and Borough President Claire Shulman. Rogers said.
The parade, slated to be held at 2 p.m. Monday, begins at the intersection of Jayson Avenue and Northern Boulevard in Great Neck and travels westbound along Northern Boulevard until turning into the St. Anastasia’s parking lot near Alameda Avenue.
The theme of this year’s march is the 50th anniversary of the Korean war. Retired Gen. William Ward has been chosen as the grand marshal for the 2001 parade. The six division marshals for the parade include Air Force Ace Col. Francis S. Gabreski, veterans David Gratt, Monte Leschen, Manny Goldberg, Jerry Rosamilia and Phil Rosamilia.
The Little Neck-Douglaston Memorial Day Parade also honors local residents and activists. This year’s honorees include City Councilman Mike Abel (R-Bayside), who was named Man of the Year; state Assemblywoman Ann-Margaret Carrozza (D-Bayside), who was recognized as Woman of the Year; James McBride, who was being recognized as Youth of the Year; and Izhak Sirota, administrator of the website www.littleneck.net, was expected to be honored with the Douglas S. MacKay Community Service Award.
This year’s parade will also feature several new additions, Krasnoff and Rodgers said, with a 20-minute performance by the United Service Organizations band immediately following the march. Chet Marcus, a newly appointed master of ceremonies, will oversee protocol.
Along with the changes the Little Neck-Douglaston Memorial Day Parade Committee was also slated to host some of the traditional events, including an interfaith service conducted by local clergy members at St. Anastasia’s Church in Douglaston at 10 a.m. Monday.
Winners of the parade committee’s arts and essay contest, which asks children to elaborate on the meaning of the holiday, were also due to be honored at 7:30 p.m. Friday at St. Anastasia’s Father Smith Hall.
Refreshments will be available to marchers after the parade and the 2001 honorees will be honored Sunday at a separate brunch in Bayside.
Krasnoff and Rodgers said that while a number of prospective candidates were expected to participate in the 2001 event, another longtime parade tradition would be firmly in place during the march: a ban on politicking at the event.
“No electioneering allowed — it’s absolutely taboo,” Krasnoff said of the ban.
Rodgers said “no banners, no campaign literature, no buttons. We don’t allow that.”
Contributions to the Little Neck-Douglaston Memorial Day Parade can be sent to PO Box 630144, Little Neck, NY 11363-0144. For more information, call 224-6114 or e-mail parade@littleneck.net. Information is also available on the web at www.littleneck.net.
Reach reporter Kathianne Boniello by e-mail at Timesledgr@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 146.
