People, Places and Things: 12-20-14

Citizens can bank on holiday assistanceMichael Zellen, left, North Shore Bank vice president, delivers two car-loads of holiday donations from bank employees and customers to Corey Jackson, Citizens for Adequate Housing executive director. The gifts will benefit the families in residence at two Peabody shelters: the Inn Between emergency shelter for homeless families, and the Inn Transition shelter for homeless families dealing with substance addictions.Nahant Christmas Parade to honor Kidney tonightThe Nahant Christmas Parade is kicking off at 6 p.m. tonight, and the first truck will be that of one of the parade’s biggest supporters who unexpectedly passed away last weekend.”Mike Kidney was huge into the Lynn Parade and huge into the Nahant Parade,” retired Nahant Police Lt. Thomas Hutton, “Elf T,” said Thursday. “His truck will be up front first, right behind the cruisers, just as a way of saying thank you for years of his help to the Nahant Parade. He was very instrumental and will be missed.”The 19th Annual Nahant Christmas Parade forms at the Nahant Village Church on Cliff Street beginning at 4:45 p.m. today. The Nahant parade is modeled after the Lynn Christmas Parade, which was founded by the late Rich Viger and “Big Mike” Kidney. Viger died in January. Kidney died unexpectedly last weekend at age 55.At 6 p.m., the parade leaves the church and travels down Nahant Road to loop around Little Nahant on Little Nahant Road. The parade travels back up Nahant Road before heading on Castle Road to Bass Point, then returns down Castle Road and travels down Flash Road, Spring Street, Emerald Road, Willow Road and Wharf Street before heading to The Tides for some Christmas cheer, Hutton reported.All are welcome to participate in the parade.”If you’ve got a pickup truck with a tree in the back, that’s fine, got a float, that’s great, if you want to decorate up your company truck, that’s great,” Hutton said. “As long as it’s a lot of lights, a lot of sirens and a lot of noise.”