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Labor Day Parade organizers demand more time

By Stephen Witt
Community Newspaper Group
Nice costume, but a dispute with the NYPD threatens to spoil the fun at the annual West Indian Parade on Labor Day.

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West Indian Parade organizers are saying the city’s plan to shorten their Labor Day march down Eastern Parkway will kill the goose that laid the golden egg.

Organizers are upset about a decree from the police department demanding all parades be shortened by 25 percent and be limited to five hours in length.

But West Indian American Day Carnival Association officials, who run the city’s largest parade, says its event brings in $24 million in additional tax revenue — which more than covers the $3.1 million the police department would save — in total — by shortening parades.

Tomasos Restaurant

“We generate a lot of money,” said association spokeswoman Briding Newell. “And it’s not like we take more than we give.”

Newell pointed to an Empire State Development Corporation 2003 report that said the parade routinely draws more than one million people, who pump more than $86 million into the local economy and about $7 million in local tax revenue.

Newell said the organization has met with the NYPD and agreed to shorten the route’s starting point by one block — from Utica to Schenectady avenues, but still have not agreed to keeping the parade’s roughly eight hour — 10 am to 6 pm — time length.

And that angers some participants.

“The folks in our band want to have more time to parade on Eastern Parkway, not less,” said Curtis Nelson, president of the Sesame Flyers International, whose organization sponsors several floats. “If they believe it will affect our amount of time it will affect the amount of people in both our masquerade and steel bands.”

The lack of police response has forced West Indian American Day Carnival Association President Yolanda Lezama Clark to demand that Mayor Bloomberg intervene.

“We are prepared to alter and adjust the event in other ways,” wrote Clark to Bloomberg. “However, the cuts of both time and distance seem to be across the board and do not make adjustments for character, content, history or financial benefit to the city.”

Calls to the mayor’s office were referred to the police department, which hasn’t made a decision yet.

“No final determination regarding the parade has been made,” said NYPD Sgt. Carlos Nieves.

©2010 Community Newspaper Group

←Mean Streets: The road ahead
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Reader Feedback

Sick and Tired from Clinton Hill says:
Will this mean that the Jewish Community will also loose the police presence they have around Kingston and Eastern Parkway every time the have an event? How much is that costing the city? Fair is fair or is it?
June 16, 2010, 9:51 am
judahspechal from Bed-Stuy says:
The NYPD has become a personalize police force in Crown Heights. Waling in that hood, You get the feel that the NYPD is more a security force than a Police Force. How can the City afford to keep up this special force with all the fiscal problems we are having.
June 16, 2010, 10:47 am
Little John from Crown Heights says:
The economic development argument is a good one - but it also applies to the PR parade, the St. Pat's parade, all of which have been subject to the same ruling of shortened duration and distance.

There is no way the West Indies Day parade is being singled out, or for that matter, should receive unique considerations. i

n fact, with the profitable concerts that keep us all awake on labor day weekend, WIADCA should be hiring more local individuals to help with security - providing more jobs to those of us who need them. Its a lot more economical than all those union cops with their generous overtime deals.
June 16, 2010, 11:05 am
Janet from Park Slope says:
Would love to know how the $86 million is figured ($86 spent per spectator? I don't think so) and also how the sponsors justify the police overtime (and inconvenience) to keep Eastern Parkway closed for many hours before the parade even starts. Franklin to Grand Army is typically shut, with police preventing citizens from crossing, most of the day even though the parade doesn't come through until the afternoon.
Should other groups be paying for their own private security if they need it? Of course. But that has nothing to do with the city's cutting the budget by reducing police OT for parades.
June 16, 2010, 1:45 pm
Sick and Tired from Clinton Hill says:
To Liitle John St Paddys day paraade was not cut short this year!!! to Janet from park slope, the only increased attention the African American and Caribbean community get from NYPD is when then are being stopped and frisked for no reason or being stopped because they drive a decent car. So why are we paying for the NYPD to be security for Jewish events? And I am sure if you speak to the businesses in Park Slope, and Flatbush Ave from Grand Army Plaza to Downtown Brooklyn they do excellent business over Labour Day weekend. Oh and by the way Janet the GDP of the African American community is 16th in the world compared to other countries, above that of a few Industrialized countries!!!
June 16, 2010, 3:46 pm
H from HARLEM says:
I agree with the organizer of the W.I. day parade that the should keep the time because almost all the spanish cultures have their own separate parade the Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Mexican, and Hispanics have a parade. I think the hispanic parade should cover for all spanish cultures. I don't understand the different parades. Also in the summer the P.R.s have a parade in the Bronx at least twice a month and no one talks about that. Some spanish countries are in the caribbean but most of those countries even come to the W.I. day parade. All the black carribbean countries are in one parade. talk about that!
June 19, 2010, 11:58 am
H from HARLEM says:
I agree with the organizer of the W.I. day parade, that they should keep the time because almost all the spanish cultures have their own separate parades the Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Mexican, and Hispanics have a parade. I think the hispanic parade should cover for all spanish cultures. I don't understand the different parades. Also in the summer the P.R.s have a parade in the Bronx at least twice a month and no one talks about that. Some spanish countries are in the caribbean but most of those countries don't even come to the W.I. day parade. All the black carribbean countries are in one parade. Why bother them about time when they only have ONE parade. Talk about that!
June 19, 2010, 12:02 pm
PROUD WEST INDIAN from FLATBUSH says:
The Jews in Crown Heights DISGUST ME. Brooklyn has a large population of AFFLUENT Caribbean residents. I know that Bloomberg did this to satisfy their requests. It bothers me that ONE DAY is an issue. The Puerto Rican Parade wasn't sacrificed - so why is this parade? I'm over NYC and the racism that exists. Sorry we don't have large contributors to line your pocket.

The West Indian is the highlight of Brooklyn. Residents travel all over the country. EVEN CANADA to experience the overwhelming culture - the MUSIC, the FOOD, the VENDORS.. THE PRIDE.

I'm appalled.
June 21, 2010, 2:51 pm
PROUD WEST INDIAN from FLATBUSH says:
The Jews in Crown Heights DISGUST ME. Brooklyn has a large population of AFFLUENT Caribbean residents. I know that Bloomberg did this to satisfy their requests. It bothers me that ONE DAY is an issue. The Puerto Rican Parade wasn't sacrificed - so why is this parade? I'm over NYC and the racism that exists. Sorry we don't have large contributors to line your pocket.

The West Indian parade is the highlight of Brooklyn. Residents travel all over the country. EVEN CANADA to experience the overwhelming culture - the MUSIC, the FOOD, the VENDORS.. THE PRIDE.

I'm appalled.
June 21, 2010, 2:52 pm
african american from crown heights says:
Mr Proud west indian , what does this have to do with them jews , and your comments are not nice. read the article they are trying to balance the budget.....
June 27, 2010, 6:20 pm
african american from crown heights says:
Mr Proud west indian , what does this have to do with them jews , and your comments are not nice. read the article they, nypd and city are trying to balance the budget.....
June 27, 2010, 6:20 pm
Dominican from flatbush says:
Ok to those who don't know...the PR and Dominican parades were cut down. I go to the PR, DR and west indian parades every year... I support the whole carribean and yes I was upset when I seen they shut down more than 5 blocks of the PR parade and aswell as the DR parade...and now they're shuttin down some of the W.I. Day parade. I don't feel its right but at the end of the day we can only do as much as "THEY" let us. So for those who are talking with out doing your research first, please don't come out with wrong information and create anomosity btwn us people. They don't care anymore about us hispanics then they do for blacks...to them we are all in the same. So don't make this a race issue please.
Sept. 2, 2010, 9:33 pm
francis from flatbush says:
I am sick and tired of the cheating by the Lezama family there are lots funds alocated to the people for West Indian parade that is not accounted for also the booth has become so expensive that a person cannot afford, also the panorama is another money making scheme that he community don't see any of it no scholorsip for the kids not learning center for the youth all the money is being pocketed by the same family year after year the also past the torch to the daughter like a king to is princess no voting no question ask also the panorama winner has to wait for a year to get paid ths is unfair the kids work really hard in the summer months and the parents has to purchase tickets this is also unfair as the people party the the cheaters go t the bank and and plan their retirement witthe mney from the city and the tapaers money
Sept. 7, 2010, 8:40 pm
shanna from bronx says:
how do i have to go about in getting a band on the road? early planning for labor day 2012
Jan. 27, 7:50 pm

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