News
Committee Suggests New Parade Route
By: Fred Kight
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After complaints about drunken behavior along the old route, a committee is recommending a new one for the annual homecoming parade at Ohio University.
The Ad Hoc Parade Route Committee met Friday and agreed to submit to President Roderick McDavis a recommendation for the new route.
It "begins on West Union, turns south on Court Street, then East on Park Place, and finally South on University Terrace."
Becky Watts is Chief of Staff and Special Assistant to the President and a member of the Ad Hoc Committee.
She says "Concerns have persisted with the current route, including: spectators entering the parade route, putting themselves and parade participants at risk; parade participants falling after being physically bumped or pushed by spectators; and the relatively narrow space for spectators along the majority of the route."
The old route included one block of Court Street where several bars are located and some have opened early for homecoming.
The newly recommended route bypasses that block.
Watts says "President McDavis will review the committee recommendation and respond to it after he has fully reviewed it."
The Ad Hoc Parade Route Committee has members from the university and the city and started meeting several weeks ago.