To the editor:

On Friday, Oct. 2, my husband and I went to watch the Lawrence High School Homecoming Parade. We look forward to sharing traditional activities like that with our grandchildren. When the parade started, we were first puzzled and then concerned when traffic (cars and semi-trucks) continued to flow in the northbound lanes while the kids marched in the southbound lanes. When our granddaughter walked by with the volleyball team, the only thing separating her from the ongoing traffic was the lane dividing line painted on the street. One misstep on her part or the loss of concentration of one driver could have easily resulted in a tragic accident.

I don’t know who is responsible for how parades are handled, but I do have a question for that person: What were you thinking? The parade lasted for a grand total of 15 minutes. What’s more important: 15 minutes of inconvenience for northbound traffic or the safety of our young people? Obviously, people who were expecting to use the southbound lanes found an alternative route.

The parade participants were throwing candy to the kids in the crowd. In order for the kids on the east side of the street to get any candy, they had to dash in front of oncoming cars. Safe? I don’t think so.

Tradition is important to Lawrence. A lot of people have spent a lot of time and money preserving our downtown. We also need to make sure we carry those traditions out in a way that is safe for all of our citizens.