James "Skinny" Sheahan is a leader. Skinny took the lead to offer Paul Vallas to voters of Illinois over the 'smart' choice of Democrat deal wizards who backed the toxic Rod Blagojevich. The wizards got their way after a very close primary battle and Illinois is still paying for that wizardry.
The South Side St. Patrick's Day Parade was cancelled over concerns for the safety and properieties damaged by train-loads, car-loads and bus-loads of revellers from all over Illinois who viewed the neighborhood celebration as Mardi Gra Lite. The very same Chicago media that invited one and all to get their CHIRISH ( Miller Brewing) on by showing up hours before the parade kick-off fully Kreuzaned ( Old Style) and Bud-lit-up, only to toss their celebrations onto the pavement while weeping to neighborhood residents, " War Cuh. . .Eye gud a Cab . . . Toxey, Duuuude?"
Well, old son, I never have much problem hailing one at Clark & Division, Take the CTA # 49.
"Whar?"
The stop right behind you. God speed, Wayfarer!
The same media that swelled interest in the parade as a political platform (Clinton, Gore, Jerry Brown, Pat Buchanan, Barack Obama, and our home grown beauties jigged mightily down Western to Kennedy Park)and day -long guzzle for mopes, ridiculed the parade and most of all the very good people the event was meant to celebrate.
Perhaps the old committee pulled the trigger too quickly; maybe there were things that could have been done. The Face Book attempt to get the CHIRISH ON was as successful as an Italian cruise and travelled about as far.
Two years agon Skinny spoke with Chicago Sun Times reporter Mark Konkol and predicted this -
More from Skinny Sheahan via the great Mark Konkol
"I'm sure the parade will be back because we need a parade. Beverly's still Irish, but [without the parade] it's very boring," Sheahan said. "Listen, I was in charge of every parade in Chicago for 10 years. I've seen more parades than anybody in the world except for Mayor Daley, OK. This was a great, great parade. Two percent of people at the parade were goofballs, that's a fact. But the parade will be back. They'll have a heart attack when they read that, but I don't care."
For the husky side of two years, Skinny Sheahan and number of neighbors have worked bring this event back to its purpose and common sense.
Organizers Want South Side Irish Parade To Return To Its Roots: MyFoxCHICAGO.com
Skinny Sheahan leads. Democratic wizards give people Blago. Skinny leads.
