Mind your manners for St. Pat

Each year local residents are reminded to display good manners during the South Side Irish St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Sadly, of course, there is no parade to preach about this year. Yet, more than ever, good behavior is required this St. Patrick’s Day.

While the suburbs are trying to jump on the bandwagon with St. Pat’s parades of their own, Beverly/ Morgan Park could remain a popular place to be on March 14, the Sunday before St. Patrick’s Day and the traditional South Side Irish parade day.

Given the pub crawls, block parties, mini children’s parades, Beverly Arts Center festivities and family parties that will be held to celebrate the holiday, it’s a good time to remind residents and visitors that the community will again be under the spotlight. Increased anticipation was sparked over this year’s celebration on social networking Web sites and by heightened media attention. People want to know how the South Side Irish St. Patrick’s Day Family Fest will go over and what will happen the next day in the absence of the parade.

That’s not saying people in Beverly/Morgan Park have to behave in order to clear the community’s name. But our actions do reflect how we feel about the intentions of the original parade, which was started to allow children and families to learn about and celebrate their heritage.

During last year’s parade frenzy, police officers were assaulted, and they will return to the neighborhood this year in large numbers to keep an eye on the large turnout expected for a pub crawl down Western Avenue. It would be nice if we didn’t need the police, but St. Pat’s fans should appreciate their presence, take advantage of the added safety and make sure they don’t make the job of the police any harder than it already is.

This year’s celebration should be an enjoyable experience that also allows local family business owners to earn a small bit of the revenue they would have generated on a typical parade day.

The Sunday before St. Patrick’s Day should be an enjoyable experience so families can maintain their traditions, with or without a parade.

While we have already lost the parade, there is still much to be gained from holding neighborhood festivities. The Irish enclaves of Beverly/Morgan Park, Mt. Greenwood, Evergreen Park and Oak Lawn still have the ability to be the center of interest for Irish-Americans in this region and perhaps this country.

So, as the weather finally warms up this week, let’s remember what happened last year, and celebrate peacefully and with our Irish ancestors in mind. Let’s make them proud.

This is part of the March 10, 2010 online edition of The Beverly Review.

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