WPCNR THE MAIN STREET LINE. By John F. Bailey. October 2, 2003: The Antonio Meucci Lodge, organizers and producers of the annual White Plains Columbus Day Parade have made the decision to cancel the parade previously scheduled in the city for October 18.

Serena Russell, a member of the Lodge Parade Committee told WPCNR Wednesday evening  that as the date approached it became clear the Lodge was not going to find enough community businesses and individuals to contribute enough money to fund the production. The committee held a vote and the consensus was to cancell the parade. Russell said the parade costs the lodge $30,000 and only about $15,000 had been pledged as of last week. She said the committee reluctantly decided to not have a parade this year.

She said the city provides services to stage the parade, and the city was quite willing to provide traffic control and in-kind services as they do every year for this year’s parade. Russell said the committee would begin fund-raising efforts earlier in the year in 2004.