Hermosa Chamber asks city help in funding St. Patrick’s parade

The Redondo Beach Union High marching band was among the nearly 100 entries that participated in the Hermosa Beach Saint Patrick’s Day Parade last year. Photo by Steven Zaw 

by Kevin Cody

Rick Koenig has emceed the Hermosa Beach Saint Patrick’s Day Parade every year since it began 29 years ago, except for the inaugural year.

He pleaded to the Hermosa City Council at its Tuesday, January 14 meeting for the opportunity to emcee the popular parade again. 

“From where I announce the parade, at Pier and Hermosa Avenue, I see Little Leaguers, Cub Scouts, school bands, and schools of Irish Dancers. The kids prepare all year for this parade. The parade is March 15, just two months away.  I beg you. Do whatever you have to do to be sure we have our parade. 

“Do it for the kids,” he said.

The Hermosa Beach Chamber of Commerce produces the parade. But last year, because of an increase in security required by the city, the parade’s costs were significantly greater than revenue from entry fees and sponsorships. As a result, Chamber President Michelle Crispin said this week, the chamber is asking the city for an unspecified amount of financial assistance to produce the parade.

“We’re planning as if we’ll have the parade. I’m cautiously optimistic. It’s one of Hermosa’s favorite events,” Crispin said. 

Mike Bell, of Bell Events, contracts with the Chamber to direct the parade.

“I’ve put on the Hermosa Saint Patrick’s Day Parade since it began. At first, we used saw horses to block off the streets. Then we used the big orange water barricades. Last year, after all the stories about cars driving into crowds, the city said it wanted Archer Meridian Barricades at the major intersections along the parade route. Archer Meridians are heavy, L-shaped metal barriers that dig into the asphalt and can flip a car if it’s going fast enough.” 

“They’re expensive to rent and expensive to install. Our barricade costs went from $5,000 to $25,000 last year after the city mandated them,” he said. “But we were too far along in preparations to not hold the parade,” Bell said. 

Chief Paul LaBarron said on Tuesday, the security measures the city is requiring are standard at large events throughout the state because of the risk of cars crashing into crowds. 

“These are not things that are nice to have. They aren’t recommendations. They are public safety mandates. They have to be in place. And they are not new. We started having conversations with the Chamber about this in 2021,” Chief LaBarron said.

“It’s meeting the standard required for the city not to be liable if something does happen. If a driver is inattentive, and rolls through a barrier; or is experiencing a mental crisis and voices in their head are telling them to do something; or someone has the intent to kill people for whatever cause they have.”

“If we had not been doing what we have been doing the last few years, there would already have been a tragedy,” he said. 

Public Works Joseph SanClemente dismissed suggestions made to use large vehicles, such as Athens trash trucks, as barricades. The vehicles would increase risks, he said. He also noted that the Archer Meridian Barricades are required because they can be quickly removed to allow entry for emergency vehicles.

Mayor Pro Tem Rob Saemann responded to Koenig’s plea by proposing the parade be placed on the agenda for the Council’s Tuesday, January 28 meeting.

“We need to discuss what we can do to make the parade happen. Perhaps alternative methods for blocking the streets, or cutting down the parade’s size. It’s important to save the parade. And residents need to know what the facts are,” Saemann said.

City Manager Suja Lowenthal responded to Saemann’s suggestion that the city help fund the parade by noting the Council would need to decide what budgeted city project to take the funds from. She said city staff has advised the Chamber to seek the security funding from a sponsor such as Cal Water, Southern California Edison or Supervisor Holly Mitchell’s office.

Mayor Dean Francois and Councilmember Michael Keegan joined Saemann in directing staff to place the Saint Patrick’s Parade on the agenda for the upcoming meeting for discussion, and possible action. ER

Leave a Comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.