I know the Memorial Day Parade is coming up, and I was told that
the parade goes down 10th Street.
“I know the Memorial Day Parade is coming up, and I was told that the parade goes down 10th Street. It seems like now that all the construction is done downtown that the parade should go south on Monterey and then turn west on 10th Street to Christmas Hill Park so that it goes through the Downtown Historic District. Does this make sense?”
Red Phone: Dear Bring It Downtown, The parade starts at Eighth and Monterey streets because of the easy access to a staging area for floats to gather before the parade, said organizer Christy Bracco. The Memorial Day Parade Committee needed a location that could accommodate many people, and the train depot lot there provides the perfect spot.
Also the small divided Monterey Road can pose problems for some of the larger vehicles, said organizer Albert Lambert.
The parade begins at 11 a.m. and will head down Monterey Street and make a right on 10th Street before wrapping up at Christmas Hill Park. Currently there are about 80 applicants for the parade, but Bracco expects several more to apply before the deadline Friday. You can fill out an application at www.gilroycommunity.org.
More tickets needed for grads
“I have a grandson who is graduating from Gilroy High, and I just found out that each student only gets five tickets. Since when did they make this rule? This really makes it hard for families. It can’t be because of safety because it is held at the football field. Just wondering why the school district decided to do this.”
Red Phone: Dear Extended Family, It seems like this question always comes up around this time of the year as families start to plan for the June 11 graduation at Garcia Elder Stadium.
Graduates are actually allowed seven tickets. Many schools limit the amount of people at graduations due to fire code requirements, said Gilroy High Principal Marco Sanchez. But students participating can request extra tickets in person by contacting Charlotte Valadez, the student services secretary. Extra tickets will be distributed on a first-signup, first-served basis on the last day of graduation practice, June 10 or 11.
So all is not lost if Aunt Bertrude and Uncle Jeremiah are coming in from Alabama. But if you don’t land these highly coveted tickets, you can always watch the graduation online at www.ustream.tv/channel/gilroy.
