Letter to the Editor

Your view: Legion responds

Friday, October 31, 2003

In the SpeakOut section of your newspaper on Sept. 16, the people of this community and the surrounding area had a question concerning the route of the Cotton Carnival Parade being changed. These citizens were wanting to know why the American Legion changed the parade route. The American Legion did not change the parade route.

The Sikeston High School and other schools that participate in the parade changed the route. The reason they wanted the route changed was due to the fact that they stated the route was too long. The American Legion had no control over this matter. We would have preferred that the parade route stay the same for the reason of parking and allowing everyone to see the Cotton Carnival Parade.

The other fact mentioned in the SpeakOut column was that the Cotton Carnival was now located out of town. When the Cotton Carnival was in the downtown area of Sikeston, it was not the American Legion that moved the carnival. It was because most of the downtown merchants wanted the carnival moved, so be it. The carnival was moved to the River Birch Mall. Due to limited space and policing of the area, the carnival had to be moved once again. So the American Legion moved the carnival to the rodeo grounds, where there is more area for the carnival, more parking, etc. The American Legion knows that you may have to drive a little farther, but the carnival itself has grown somewhat and can continue to grow with the space we now have available at the rodeo grounds. The American Legion is and will be doing everything possible to make the Cotton Carnival bigger and better each year.

We, the American Legion, hope that this has answered your concerns for the Cotton Carnival Parade and the carnival's location.

Larry W. Floyd, commander,

American Legion Post 114

Sikeston