By LOHR McKINSTRY
Staff Writer
August 29, 2008 04:00 am
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PORT HENRY -- Despite price increases for almost everything, the Port Henry Labor Day Parade will go on, its organizers say.
The 90-minute parade is at 1 p.m. Sunday, and there are numerous other Labor Day events in Port Henry over the weekend.
But costs for marching bands and other entertainment made them think twice, said Jack Woods, president of the Moriah Area Chamber of Commerce.
"We had bands who wanted $2,500 to appear. One band wanted us to feed them for free. We were already paying them to come here."
The two-day event begins at 6 p.m. Saturday with a three-hour concert at the Port Henry Village Beach by the In-Laws. Children's games will be offered during the performance.
A fireworks display over Lake Champlain and Port Henry will start at 9 p.m. Saturday from the Village Pier.
Lineup for Sunday's parade is at noon near the Witherbee Mansion on Stone Street in Port Henry. The parade at 1 p.m. will wind down Broad Street to Main, then end at the Moriah Town Hall on Park Place.
The parade grand marshal will be Moriah Fire Chief Ralph Jaquish.
Jaquish has been fire chief for 49 years, having first held the post in 1959. He was a town councilman for nine years, and worked as a power-plant shift engineer at International Paper's Ticonderoga mill for 27 years, retiring in 1992.
He and his wife, Ruth, raised nine children, and now have 19 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
Following the parade, the chamber will hold a chicken barbecue on Church Street, which will be closed off, and there will be concession stands and rides there.
The Fritz Polka Band appears at 3 p.m. Sunday on Church Street, followed by Loose Connection at 6 p.m.
lmckinstry@pressrepublican.com
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