Keego Harbor

Keego promises parade money, empowers Rubin

By Eric Czarnik
C & G Staff Writer

KEEGO HARBOR — Reports that Keego Harbor would be doing its own Memorial Day parade without Sylvan Lake’s help were confirmed Jan. 19 by the Keego Harbor City Council.

The council voted 4-0 to reselect Mayor Pro Tem Sid Rubin as the parade chairman this year. Council members also voted to donate $500 in seed money to Keego Harbor’s parade effort. Councilman Joel Yoder was not present.

Rubin said this year’s Memorial Day parade, under his leadership, will start at Abbott Middle School, continue down Orchard Lake Road and turn toward Keego Harbor City Hall. Families will also enjoy a picnic and other activities.

“We talked about going in a different direction for this year,” he said. “The direction does not include Sylvan Lake for reasons that most of you know about.”

Rubin told the public that last year’s parade was successful, but he said parade committee members felt “some disgust” toward Sylvan Lake’s handling of the partnership.

Parade organizers reportedly said that Sylvan Lake had not honored a previous commitment to pay $500 to a parade fund after Sylvan learned that the 2011 event had covered its expenses and earned a surplus.

Rubin said the parade committee split the surplus two ways last year — giving Keego Harbor and Sylvan Lake almost $485 each.

During the meeting, Sylvan Lake Councilman Russell Meskin told Keego officials that he was disappointed to hear the news and considers the money issue a misunderstanding. He said Sylvan Lake has been holding onto its share of the parade money, but it now will use the funds on a different Memorial Day program.

Meskin added that the city would love to return to a joint parade venture if the offer were there.

“We felt that our memorial park in Sylvan Lake was a very apropos setting for honoring the veterans,” he said. “It started, like, 67 years ago during World War II.”

Rubin said Sylvan Lake residents and veterans are invited to attend the Keego event. He said parade organizers had earlier sent Sylvan Lake a letter and made multiple phone calls to its city manager that were not answered or returned.

“I was looking forward to doing it (together), but … the fact that nobody returned the calls just left us with a distasteful feeling that you just weren’t interested,” Rubin said.

To learn more about Keego Harbor or its parade plans, visit www.keegoharbor.org or call (248) 682-1930.

You can reach C & G Staff Writer Eric Czarnik at eczarnik@candgnews.com or at (586)498-1058.