Another Big Change In The Works For Newtown Holiday Parade

NEWTOWN BOROUGH, PA — While temperatures were hovering in the 80s outside, inside colder weather and the town’s holiday parade were on the minds of borough council this week.

A representative from the Newtown Business Association, which organizes the parade, attended the council’s agenda meeting to address a proposed new route for the holiday march through town.

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The NBA is proposing to shift the starting point of the parade to the Newtown Business Commons. The parade would then head west on Washington Avenue to Sycamore Street and then turn north on Sycamore Street ending at Goodnoe Corner.

Due to the size of the parade, organizers said they’ve outgrown the Stocking Works parking lot on South State Street, which has been the traditional stepping off point for the march.

Last year’s parade had to be split inro two parts, the first of which marched down from the high school and turned at Sycamore Street missing the borough completely.

The NBA said logistically, having the parade form at the business commons gives organizers more room to manage the size of the parade and avoid the need for different start times.

Council members had initially questioned why the NBA was asking to shift the parade off of the town’s main business street to the mostly residential Washington Avenue.

Many of council’s concerns were focused on the town’s businesses, which would no longer be the focal point of the holiday march and the large crowds that it draws to town.

The NBA said it would look into ways to activate the block between Washington and Centre, which appeared to ally council’s concerns.

Suggestions included locating hot chocolate stands at key locations along the street and setting up special seating or risers at State and Washington to turn the area into a focal point for the parade.

Council is expected to vote on the NBA’s special events application at its June council meeting.

LightPath Update

In other borough news, council president Emily Heinz updated the community on the LightPath fiber installation project.

Heinz reported that letters have or will be sent by the borough, State Senator Steve Santarsiero and State Rep. Perry Warren to LughtPath asking that the company find an alternate route for its installation project that will keep it out of the borough.

Heinz also reported that a meeting between LightPath, the lawmakers and borough officials would be taking place sometime next week.

Heinz said whatever comes out of those discussions she will be posting as an update on the borough’s website.