Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day and parades
A COLUMN By Kathryn Ross, photo by Brian Cannon
There is a huge, hunkin snowdrift in front of my car. It was originally about four feet tall and twice as wide, but with the recent, warmer, weather it has begun to melt, although not fast enough.
It reminds me of when WLSV radio station would put a huge block of solid ice on the street in front of their studio when it was located beside the Fassett House on Main Street. The block of ice would be placed inside a slotted, wooden crate and stay incarcerated until it melted. It was part of a contest to see who could guess how long the ice block would take to melt. There was always a watery spot on the sidewalk as it slowly decreased in size. Sometimes there were remnants of the block of ice in the cage until the 4th of July.
Sometimes it was tinted green. Maybe that was because it was set out around Saint Patrick’s Day. I don’t remember, and I’m sure there aren’t too many people left who do remember.
I won a WLSV radio contest once. That’s rare because I never win anything. As they say, the only luck I have is bad luck, but that isn’t really true either. My luck, when it comes to contests, takes decades to materialize. Sometimes I bank my luck by recruiting my great nephew’s assistance. He wins everything. It is amazing.
As I recall now, I had to go upstairs next to the old Ludden Shoe Store to retrieve my prize. That is where the WLSV Radio studio was located then. The prize from the radio contest was a flashlight; without batteries. Just my luck.
I don’t have the luck of the Irish and that’s understandable. I’m not that Irish, although there is a drop or two of the “Ol Sod” swimming around in my bloodstream, with all the Italian droplets, garlic and tomatoes. The Irish blood comes from the Mayo side of the family, and I have to think they came from County Mayo on the Emerald Isle. It would seem logical.
Still, I like the idea that I have some Irish in my lineage, especially because it gives me a legitimate excuse to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. The other part of my heritage is at war with my Italian side over the celebration of Columbus Day or Indigenous People’s Day as it is now referred to.
I like celebrating Saint Patrick’s Day. Particularly, I like celebrating the World’s Shortest Saint Patrick’s Day Parade. This year, the AOH’s holiday event is scheduled for March 14th. I plan to be there wearing my emerald-green hoodie. I like to watch and take photos of the people marching along the 12-foot-long parade route on Main Street. The corn beef and cabbage isn’t bad either.
I know the AOH (Ancient Order of Hibernians) uses the parade as part of its fundraising efforts that go to help local people. They would rather put whatever money they raise towards that, instead of using it to solidify the parade’s reputation. It costs hundreds of dollars to legitimize the parade by listing it in the Guinness Book of World Records. Still, it would be nice for Wellsville to have a world record. It could bring a boon to tourism with people coming from around the world to witness or march or both, in the World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
The only events that I can think of that distinguish Wellsville on the world stage are the Sinclair Refinery fire from the 1930s and the flood of 1972 when the collapse of the hospital wing into the Genesee River received nationwide headlines. And then, there’s western cowboy sidekick, Gabby Hayes, whose fame like the previous incidents is beginning to be lost in time and memory. Oh, and there is that little event in July, but that is just a bunch of hot air.
So, the honor of being the home of the Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade takes on more importance for tourism and its impact on the economy and for the town’s reputation. If some individuals, businesses or someone could fund the attempt to register the parade in the Guinness Book of World Records it could become a rallying point.
Of course, the radio station or somebody could always bring back that giant, melting ice cube contest.
Kathryn Ross is a Wellsville NY writer, columnist, and community activist. She can be reached anytime, kathr_2002@yahoo.com
