On this grand Thanksgiving Day I want to take time to thank the Skaneateles Chamber of Commerce for their brilliance. Whether the idea came from Sue or Candy or someone else - wow!
On the front page of the local section of today's Post-Standard the headline reads Skaneateles Chamber: See 'Big Truck Parade.' The article begins, "There will be no "Bah! Humbug!" in Skaneateles Friday." I love it!
The reference is to the much-touted convoy of angry truckers who are supposedly driving into the village on Friday at the same time the Dickens' festivities begin. "Just coincidence," said their leader, but whatever. I wrote about this in my blog of November 18th entitled "Convoy." The internet version of the Post-Standard picked it up (seen thanks to a loyal friend who told me about it) and featured it with the article on www.syracuse.com.
The Chamber has decided that instead of a line of women and children holding hands across Genesee Street to block the big bad trucks, we should make friends. So they suggest:
Come early on opening day, so you don't miss the Big Truck parade!
Isn't that just marvelous? The article goes on to suggest where to park in the village. Marketing Skaneateles - and doing it so positively!
I was reminded of the Big Trucks day hosted by the local quarry on 321 at the end of September for years and years that benefits the Skaneateles Nursery School. The kids love climbing in and out - seeing those huge tires and all those levers. It's always a fun day.
So now they can see the Parade of Big Trucks coming specially (coincidence or not) to Skaneateles to herald the Dickens extravaganza. I would love to see the truckers dressing up (see the Grinch comment on my blog) and little children placing wreaths on the front of the cabs while they sit in gridlock on Genesee Street. Well-supervised children, of course. Maybe Tiny Tim can catch a lift with his crutches in tow, or the drivers receive some roasted chestnuts from a Dickens character. Maybe the drivers can collect toys as they move along Route 20 and into the village for children who will have a less than spectacular Christmas this year due to those gas prices. Maybe it's their children.
Whatever happens, whether the Grinch's heart grows and glows or not, the Chamber is to be praised for setting the stage for Convoy, the New Skaneateles Christmas Tradition.
