St. Patrick's Day Party and Parades

We had a GREAT time at our annual St. Patrick's Day Party at Maggies Restaurant with record attendance this year. This is certainly the best St. Patrick's Day Party in Southern California and I'd like to thank all who attended for making it such a wonderful time. I would especially like to thank our members who volunteered at the front table...including VP JJ Leonard and his wife Julianne, Jan Lewinson, Pat Devine, Diane McCarthy, Jenn Macnamara, George and Barbara Maycott, Elizabeth Donovan and Sgt at Arms Gil Sawyer! And thanks to Gil Sawyer who handcrafted a beautiful dirk with the Emerald Society challenge coin in the handle. The dirk was raffled off and over 600.00 was raised for the Society as a result! Thanks again Gil! I also want to thank Lisa Golden and Kim Braden for their handling and sales of the wares..much appreciated! And, of course, thankyou to the Los Angeles Police Emerald Society Pipe and Drum Band under Pipe Major Scott Walton for an outstanding performance, Sligo Rags for the excellent music, and the Irish stepdancers who kicked up a storm!

Now for the upcoming events: March 15 ( Saturday) HERMOSA BEACH PARADE...Plan on being in the staging area (Pier Avenue/Valley Drive, Thomas Guide Page 762,H2) around 10:00 AM becuase the parade starts promptly at 11:00 AM. There is NO REMOTE PARKING THIS YEAR at Mira Costa High School with shuttles so you might want to get down to the staging area early and find street parking, perhaps 9:00, and then have breakfast in the area. The uniform for those marching will be: your department"s Class "A" uniform, or dark green Soicety polo shirt, black pants(or Society's kilt) and black shoes. This is a fun parade with many thousands of people lining the streets and cheering as the Society comes into sight. It is also a family-type parade, and family members are encouraged to march. We will finish the parade with a block party at Bill Hallet's house, a short walk from where the parade ends. There will be food and drink and Pipes and Drums and a great time will be had by all!

March 17(Monday) Downtown St Patrick's Day Parade .... Members will meet at the Los Angeles Police Academy at Elysian Park at 10:00 AM...A shuttle bus , graciously provided by LA City Council District 1, will shuttle members to the beginning point of the parade which is at Olvera Street. The parade will begin at 11:30AM and we will march to Pershing Square( 5th Street bordered by Olive St and Hill St. across from the Biltmore Hotel). At the end of the parade, there is a free concert at Pershing Square featuring the popular music group the "Young Dubliners".

When the parade concludes, we will march into Pershing Square and play for a brief time. After that our Society will march over to the restaurant McCormick and Schmicks about a block and a half away where lunch and a surprise gift will be provided for all our members. This part of our day is flexible but the band will be playing at McCormick and Schmicks sometime during lunchtime and then we will be picked up at Pershing Square by our bus. Upon return to the Academy, members are invited to go to Tam O'Shanters restaurant (Los Feliz) where the Band will play and a meal will be provided for all our members who attend thanks to the efforts of Phil Bowater.

Last year we had a wonderful level of participation and a fantastic time and I am hoping that this year will be the same! This is the time to proudly march and proclaim our heritage to the world!So come on down and march! March for our heritage! March for our ancestors! March for St. Patrick! GO IRISH!!!

If you have any questions, issues or concerns do not hesitate to contact me and I hope to see you at the parades!

Steve Saletros
President