ROCKINGHAM — After Mayor John Hutchison read a proclamation for Veterans Day at Tuesday evening’s city council meeting, Councilwoman Denise Sullivan asked for the issue of the parade cancellation to be addressed.
“I do not like…when people say ugly things about Rockingham,” Sullivan said. “I’ve heard that Rockingham was the reason that there was no Veterans Day parade.”
Over the weekend, there were several comments in public and on social media made to that effect.
Rockingham Police Chief George Gillenwater said the N.C. Department of Transportation approved the same route used for the homecoming parade — down East Washington Street from the intersection of U.S. 1 to Harrington Square — for all parades in the city.
Since being started in 2016 by VFW Post 4203 Auxiliary, the local Veterans Day parade started with a short program in front of the old courthouse and looped around downtown, along Franklin and East Washington streets — essentially shutting down five blocks.
In addition to closing a section of U.S. 1, Gillenwater said there were also concerns for first responders trying to get to emergency calls.
The chief said organizer Robin Roberts, president of the auxiliary and a current county commissioner, was asked two years ago to “please accommodate the city to moving it to that route.”
Gillenwater said the DOT-approved route was supposed to go into effect last year, but Roberts protested saying that there were plans for the original route that couldn’t be changed.
The chief said Roberts was then told, “This has to be it, or we’re going to get ourselves into a jam.”
The 2023 parade was canceled because of rainy weather.
When planning for the parade began earlier this year, Gillenwater said he told her, “This is the route…we cannot back off of this route.”
“My understanding was that she was good with everything…she was OK with the route — and, the last second, maybe… a week before the parade she decided she was going to cancel,” Gillenwater said.
The chief added that the department did “everything we absolutely could” to work with Roberts, including providing officers at the VFW for the ceremony earlier on Saturday.
“Roughly half of our department are veterans, they love working the event,” Gillenwater said. “Really, it’s nothing to do with our willingness or unwillingness to facilitate the parade.”
Gillenwater said he, Hutchinson and City Manager Monty Crump each fielded several phone calls regarding the situation. Hutchinson also replied to several comments on social media.
“Hopefully, moving forward, she can work something out with us,” Gillenwater said.
However, Roberts has said and posted on social media that she plans to move the parade to Hamlet in 2025.
The RO reached out to Roberts on Nov. 14 for response. She had not replied with a statement by 5:30 p.m. Nov. 15.
