Police association shelves annual Swampscott Holiday Parade

SWAMPSCOTT – Santa Claus is still coming to town, but residents will have to make alternate plans to get their first glimpse of the Jolly Old Elf after the police association decided not to hold the annual Holiday Parade this year.”I am disappointed, but I understand that the (police) association has numerous events that they sponsor and they support,” said Selectman David Van Dam. “They do numerous things for the community – it’s just the holiday parade won’t come this year, but I’m sure they’ll do something else.”The Swampscott Police Association has held the parade for the past five or so years, town officials said.Police Detective Ted Delano said that the membership voted not to have the parade this year, but refused to say why.Selectmen Chairman Matt Strauss said he was disappointed that the event wouldn’t be held, but he understood that the association had decided against the parade.”It was fun, I think that there was no shortage of people out last year, but you can’t second-guess the decision,” Strauss said. “The people who organize it, I understand it takes a lot of time.”Strauss laughed when told that his wife Danielle Strauss, the recreation director had, well, expressed a little bit of reluctance of taking over the event. Youth league basketball starts this week, Danielle Strauss said, and her office had many holiday-themed crafts for the Recreation Department’s own event with Mr. Claus – the Breakfast with Santa on Saturday, Dec. 10 at the Senior Center from 9 to 11 a.m.And Toys for Local Children, which has been the beneficiary from the parade in the past, will still be supported by the Breakfast with Santa and the middle school and high school’s holiday greenery fundraiser.But there are only 75 tickets available for the breakfast, so most residents will have to wait until Dec. 24 for Santa to arrive in Swampscott.Cyrus Moulton can be reached at [email protected].