The TIMES of Smithtown
Volume 29, No. 1
Serving Smithtown • St. JameS • neSconSet • commack • hauppauge • kingS park • Fort Salonga March 3, 2016
Creighton leads way
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’Godspell’ comes to Theatre Three
Also: ‘The Sainted’ book review, Theater Talk, go ape exhibit winners
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Kings Park’s coveted parade set to kick off By phil corSo
Highway head selected Smithtown officials appoint Murphy to replace Jorgensen
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File photos
at top, former Smithtown councilman Bob creighton is going to be featured as the grand marshal in this Saturday’s sixth annual kings park St. patrick’s Day parade. inset, he poses with wife gerry, who has also served as grand marshal. above, participants walk in the annual parade.
It only started five years ago, but the Kings Park St. Patrick’s Day Parade has already grown into much more than just an Irish-themed parade — it has become a staple celebration for the tightly knit North Shore community. Kevin Denis, sometimes referred to as “the professor,” started the parade in 2011 and said the growth has been exponential with each passing year, due in part to Kings Park’s strong Irish pride, but also because of his neighbors’ willingness to participate. This year, the parade committee announced it would welcome former Smithtown Councilman Bob Creighton as its grand marshal in what is anticipated to be one of Long Island’s biggest parades of the year, drawing thousands from Kings Park and beyond. “This parade is a community parade,” Denis said. “Even
though it’s a St. Patrick’s Day parade, the whole community supports it. Everybody wants to jump on board. It’s a great day for the entire town.” This year’s parade, scheduled for Saturday, March 5, at noon, is slated to include more than 20 bagpipe bands, floats, community groups and more showing off pride for the Irish and for Kings Park. The parade typically steps off at the corner of Lou Avenue and Pulaski Road, continues down Main Street, turns onto Church Street, and ends down Old Dock Road at the William T. Rogers Middle School. Kevin Johnston, a teacher from Kings Park and longtime member of the community, has worked on the parade’s committee and said a key to the parade’s success has been its year round effort. Within two weeks of the final march down Main Street, Johnston said the committee gets right back to work to start planning for the next year’s events, including the now-coveted grand marshal ball, which announces the grand marshal PaRaDe continued on page a8