Who Actually Pulls (and Hangs) The Strings In Hudson?

  

Notice that nowhere on the banner is there any indication or implication that today's Hudson Flag Day Parade is "brought to you by The City of Hudson."  Apparently, our friends at Galvan and Colarusso are taking care of EVERYTHING!  Isn't that sweet of them?

Whose parade is it, anyway?

Will Galvan and Colarusso pay for all the work required of DPW to prepare for and clean up after the festivities -- much of it likely requiring overtime pay -- especially installing and removing all of the parking restriction signs?  Will the two companies be reimbursing the city for the hundreds of disposable 15 cent zip ties DPW uses for the signs that are already paid for with taxpayer funds?  Did Galvan and Colarusso hang the two banners, or did they cover the costs of DPW hanging the banners?  Did Galvan and Colarusso pay for the two banners?  Will the two companies be paying for all the garbage produced at the parade that will need to be taken to the transfer station on Monday that will be billed to the City of Hudson?  Will Galvan and Colarusso pay for all the regular time and overtime that our HPD officers accrue to be present at the parade to allow it run smoothly?  From the looks of the banners, the answers are YES, YES, YES, YES and YES. The two companies, one that has sued the city (how many times?) and the other that has threatened to sue the city and that most Hudson residents either abhor or are suspicious of, are taking care of EVERYTHING -- including the costs! -- related to this year's Hudson Flag Day Parade.  Why even have a Hudson City Hall?

Thank goodness for Galvan and Colarusso and their combined munificence!

(At 9:30 this morning, on the sidewalk of Warren at 4th Street, I saw an elderly couple seated in their folding lawn chairs waiting for the festivities to begin at 1 pm.  The woman was wearing a hat that was covered in the red, white, blue and stars and stripes of the US flag -- a full three and a half hours before the start of the parade and they were already seated, looking very comfortable!)