Editor,

Wow. What a day. Thank you, citizens of Oak Harbor, for coming to the 46th Annual St. Patrick’s Day parade and festivities.

Thank you to the following angels — or should I say “leprechauns?” —who made this spectacular event possible, namely, Mary Jones and the American Legion for hosting the perfect corned beef and cabbage dinner, Click Music’s Clarinet Choir and Darren McCoy’s OHHS Choir for providing great entertainment and singalongs; Nick Konopik of Kraken Tours, Nick Ricci of Windermere, All Sports Pub, China City, Flyers, Wicked Teuton Brewery, Louie-G’s, Oak Harbor Café and Bar, China Harbor, Harbor Light Tavern, Riverside Café, Rustica, Off the Hook and the Oak Harbor Tavern for hosting the pub crawl and donating treasures for the raffle drawings; and the extraordinary citizens of the Irish Wildlife Society who volunteer behind the scenes just to spark up the town with a little fun and frolic at the end of a dull, cold winter.

Thanks also to the city of Oak Harbor, Mayor Severns, council members and the city workers who also work behind the scenes to protect and secure the town for the parade. Well done.

And let’s not forget the wonderful people within the parade, the organizations, businesses, churches, Brandon Nelson’s OHHS Drum Corps, kids on bikes and pirates who delighted the town with their antics and reminded all who were watching that Oak Harbor is the greatest community to live in and call home.

Thank you, all.

Sooz Konopik, Irish Wildlife Society

Oak Harbor