Patriots Day put on hold

[somjournal.livejournal.com]

Don’t set an early alarm for Monday morning. The city’s Patriots Day, April 16, celebrations have been called off because of predicted bad weather.

The festivities may be rescheduled, but no date has been set.

Comments

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

There were festivities?

Nobody tells me anything.

[somjournal.livejournal.com]

Click here (http://www.townonline.com/somerville/homepage/x1000895840) to see what you're missing.

[ron_newman]

Kat, could you add an update to that story saying the event is cancelled, in case anyone stumbles across it this weekend?

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

An early alarm? On a DAY OFF FROM WORK? Surely you jest. :P

[somjournal.livejournal.com]

Well, if you were getting up to go see Paul Revere...

[clevernonsense.livejournal.com]

what is it with somerville and making kneejerk reactions to weather forecasts?

[ron_newman]

To answer that, I may as well paste in the e-mail I got from Brandon Wilson, the city's director of historic preservation. Believe me, she did not want to cancel the event if she had any alternative at all:

Greetings All,

With great reluctance we have decided to cancel the City's celebration of
Patriot's Day this year! As you have undoubtedly heard, a Nor'easter
storm is predicted to start on Sun. and last through Tues., bringing high
winds (25-50 m.p.h), very chilly temperatures (38-42), and lots of rain.
This type of weather means that it is not safe or possible for the horses
to travel from Charlestown to Concord, or our own British Redcoat to lead
the Procession from the Holiday Inn through East Somerville to Foss Park.
It will also be very difficult for all of the musicians (fife and drum
players, SHS band, and the Somerville Community Baptist Choir) to sing and
play their instrurments, and it is unlikely that the scores of adults or
youth that were planning to march, dress up in colonial period clothing,
or perform at Foss Park will want to be out in this type of weather. And
then the audience??

So, despite all of the planning and the great program we had organized
this year to celebrate Somerville's role in this historic event, we must
acknowledge that Mother Nature is not cooperating in the slightest, and
simply enjoy the holiday (for some at least) indoors. FYI, Cambridge
cancelled their program as of yesterday, and it is expected that Boston,
Arlington, Medford, Lexington, and Concord wil do the same shortly, given
the continuing dismal forecast.

[spettacolo.livejournal.com]

Good thing it wasn't raining too hard on April 18, 1775 or ol' Paul Revere would have stayed in.

[hahathor.livejournal.com]

The Marathon's still happening, yes? Man, I wouldn't want to be running in that weather.

[ron_newman]

The Boston Marathon has never been cancelled.

Then again, the Head of the Charles Regatta had never been cancelled either before similar weather forced the issue in 1996.

[rekling.livejournal.com]

I had no idea that the revolutionary war started at the Holiday Inn!

That'll teach me to trust what I learned in school.

[koloratur.livejournal.com]

It's common knowledge that you can't get a decent revolution off the ground without a complimentary continental breakfast.

[ron_newman]

Cambridge has also cancelled its Patriots Day events.