By State Senator Cathy Cook

All parades are fun, but there is something especially joyous about the first of the season. The Mystic St. Patrick's Day parade is Sunday, March 20 th and I look forward to celebrating all that is Irish and escaping the long winter in the house onto the streets of Mystic for the first signs of spring. The parade is the perfect time to enjoy the warmer weather and the company of our neighbors. And even if we aren't Irish by birth, when it comes to St. Patrick's Day, we are all Irish for the day!

As a proud Mystic native, I am even more thrilled that we have the nonprofit Mystic Irish Parade Association in place to organize our 2 nd annual event. Last year's Mystic St. Patrick's Day parade was a blast! The hard work of these dedicated volunteers was evident in every aspect of the parade. I know it takes hundreds of hours over many months to coordinate such a fantastic event. All of Mystic is proud to welcome this new parade to our town and we look forward to years of them to come.

This years parade is set to kick off Sunday, March 20 th at 2 p.m., proceeding from the South Lot at Mystic Seaport and ending at Water Street in downtown Mystic. Thanks to last year's success, parade organizers have added more units and made some slight changes to the route from last year. This year, the parade will take a left on Willow Street, then a right on Broadway and a left at the statue at East Main Street. In making plans for the day, I suggest checking the website for a map of the route and additional information. As my children always told me, it's important to plan ahead and pick out the best spot along the route to watch the parade - and then get there early enough to stake your claim. Don't forget those Irish knit sweaters!

Check out its website at www.mysticirishparade.org to get all the latest news about the big day, along with information regarding sponsors and related events.

After marching, I plan to join the Grand Marshal on the reviewing stand to watch the rest of the parade. Then I intend to celebrate what I hope will be a sunny day walking around downtown Mystic, enjoying all that our village has to offer. Hopefully, the streets of downtown Mystic will be filled with many of you who will see the parade as an opportunity for enjoying all that is familiar and checking out what is new.

Meanwhile, we legislators are continuing our work in Hartford. As always, I urge you to contact me with any questions or concerns you have regarding any of the issues facing the legislature. I can be reached toll free at 1-(800) 842-1421 or you can send me e-mail at Catherine.Cook@cga.ct.gov .

All the best,