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Lackawanna mayor takes pride in Dyngus Day Parade ...

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Lackawanna mayor takes pride in Dyngus Day Parade

Started by cigspriced, 2019/05/20 09:34PM
Latest post: 2019/05/20 09:34PM, Views: 226, Posts: 1
Lackawanna mayor takes pride in Dyngus Day Parade
#1   2019/05/20 09:34PM
cigspriced
Lackawanna Mayor Geoffrey Szymanski loves a parade. That's why he started the city's Dyngus Day Parade last year Wholesale Cigarettes.

The celebration of Polish pride that traditionally takes place on the day after Easter will begin at noon with a Mass in Our Lady of Victory Basilica, 767 Ridge Road. Like the city's long-running St. Patrick's Day Parade, participants will march to Lackawanna City Hall, 714 Ridge. Throughout the day, various Steel City establishments will feature live entertainment and ethnic cuisine.

"We wanted to do something for the Polish Americans in Lackawanna," Szymanski explained Newport Cigarettes. "So break out your pussy willows and squirt guns, find something red and white to wear and get ready for a great time. We want the world's shortest Dyngus Day parade to be fun."

People Talk: Is ironing one of your mayoral duties?

Geoffrey Szymanski: It does not come with the job title of mayor, but I make sure that things are prepared properly - or just done. The flags come mailed in a 5 x 7 box. They're all highly wrinkled. It took me three hours to do the St. Patrick's Day flag at home. You come up with the idea of flying ancestral flags on Centennial Bridge, you iron flags.

PT: Didn't you get some flak for flying flags from other countries?

GS: We bought Yemenite flags last year for Eid (al-Adha) and flew them, and the Mexican-Americans who live in Lackawanna asked why we didn't honor them for Cinco de Mayo. And then the Croatians came in, and the Serbians and the Macedonians. In Lackawanna we are the melting pot.

PT: How did this parade evolve?

GS: The whole thing started when the McKinley Parkway Homeowners Association wanted to extend its display of Irish flags from South Buffalo through Lackawanna to the Botanical Gardens Newport 100S. I said, "Sure. Why not?" And then some of my friends who live on McKinley Parkway said if they were going to fly Irish flags Newport Cigarettes Coupons, they also wanted to fly Polish flags. I said, "Sure. Why not?" But I thought we should fly them on Centennial Bridge instead. The Dyngus Day Parade followed.

GS: It's pretty much considered 92 steps from Our Lady of Victory Basilica to City Hall. Some wise old seniors measured it.

PT: There are vehicles in this parade, right?

GS: The vehicles are pretty much for Lackawanna firefighters, Lackawanna Police - who will not be getting paid overtime - and Lackawanna Department of Public Works vehicles Marlboro Gold. Most people are walking and it takes about 10 to 15 minutes. We block the streets off because we're cutting through the biggest intersection in Lackawanna - Ridge Road and South Park Avenue. At City Hall, we'll hoist the white eagle flag of Poland, give some speeches. It's not the official flag, but it's the one everyone wants to see.

PT: Any kinks to work out from last year's parade?

GS: I don't think we were able to get the message out as loud and as fast as we wanted. Last year we had maybe 100 people. If you want to line the route, that's fine but most of the people jump in and walk with us. It's really more a march than parade though last year a lot of people were tailgating. Last year we said the parade would start at 1, but Mass let out at 12:45 so a lot of people who wanted to be in the parade got there after it was over. That's how short it is. This year we're telling people to be at church by 12. Last year Father Romulus Rosolowski started the Mass in Polish and almost none of us had any idea what he was talking about. He went on for 30 seconds until he realized he wasn't getting any response.

PT: What else are you doing differently this year?

GS: We're adding the Knights of Columbus and a few other organizations. I think we're the only parade that honors male and female grand marshals - Ray and Karen Pulinski. And we have our accordion player back who works for UPS. In church he'll play "Amazing Grace."

PT: Where will you procure your pussy willows?

GS: My sister. She lives off Niagara Street in Buffalo. How do you like that? I'm mayor of Lackawanna and she moves to Buffalo. Last year, the pussy willows were in high demand because it was so warm they sprouted early. This year that is not the case so I'll be walking in with an armful.

PT: What does Dyngus Day mean to you?

GS: A Polish celebration of the end of Lent, where you have to give up a vice for 40 days. Dyngus Day is a way to catch up with everything you missed. I quit smoking. I used to go on the roof of City Hall and smoke. No one bothered me up there.
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