Photo by Dan Goodrich.
By Shoshanna McCollum • Photos by Beth Batkiewicz, Timothy Bolger, Dan Goodrich, James Hardy, and Lorna Luniewski
While gloomy weather threatened to spoil the March 11, 2023 Bay Shore-Brightwaters St. Patrick’s Day Parade, the powers that be would not have it and just on cue the clouds parted to bring sunnier skies on that Saturday afternoon and Irish eyes were smiling. Donna Moravick was a majestic Grand Marshal leading Northwell Health’s South Shore University Hospital as well as the rest of the parade procession down Main Street. Fire Islanders were there as well in full force as well. The Mercogliano family, owners of this publication, organized the first-time entry of Fire Island News as a parade participant, with a marching banner and the FIN van making their mark thanks to a band of dedicated volunteers. The children and parent’s of Woodhull Elementary School returned this year with Travis Davey, Fire Island Union Free School District’s new District Superintendent marching alongside his charge. Fire Island fire departments that included Fair Harbor, Kismet and Ocean Beach were also blazing a trail of good will in their wake. Other good friends and neighbors included the FIJLC – Town of Islip’s Ocean Rescue Junior Lifeguard Program of Fire Island; Fire Island Ferries, Inc. of Bay Shore, who made a splash with the “Boilermaker” water taxi as a fun float as well as Timothy Mooney marching with other prior years parade Grand Marshals; the Joseph Loeffler American Legion Post 1006 of Brentwood; and also the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Band. Then there was the crowd of spectators of which no parade could ever be complete without, which included a small army of Fire Island News contributors who captured the day’s festivities from a range of vantage points to create this slideshow of images – we thank them all.
