Publisher’s Perspective

By Tim Douglass, Publisher of the Pope County Tribune

The current Admiral of Waterama and the Waterama Board provided a good response to the discussion last week about moving the parade route back to the downtown area in Glenwood.

While we still believe the parade should be moved to its original route, we certainly understand and acknowledge the reasoning for keeping the route where it is this year.  This newspaper has and will continue to state that the people on Waterama Brass and the Waterama Board and committees are dedicated community members who volunteer their time to serve the community.  Their intentions are honorable and they deserve our appreciation and praise for all the work they do each year to make Waterama the successful event it has become.

The latest request for them to consider moving the route back to Minnesota Avenue is just that, a request many think the board should consider and embrace as soon as possible.   The number of conversations over the years since the downtown street project was completed, is what prompted this latest public discussion.  There are a huge number of local and area residents now who would like the parade to again come down Minnesota Avenue.  That said, we also acknowledge the fact that some in the community either don’t care or may like the current parade route.  We just don’t hear from those individuals.

And so, as the accompanying letter states, the parade route will likely stay where it is for this year, but it shouldn’t end there.    

We hope the Waterama Board and Brass will again consider moving the parade to its original route as they plan for next year’s Waterama celebration.

In the overall scheme of things, the parade route isn’t something that should dampen the community’s enthusiasm for Waterama.  It is just one part of the successful annual Waterama celebration that attracts thousands the community.

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