Shriners pull out

A rule put into place before last Christmas restricting use of vehicles in parades in Odessa was not aimed at the Shriners or any particular group, said the man who says he’s responsible for it — Odessa Police Chief Chris Pipes.

“It’s not an ordinance — so don’t blame the Odessa City Council,” Pipes said. “That’s our rule, and if they want to blame somebody, they can blame me. But we thought it was necessary.”

The Odessa Shriners pulled their clown cars out of the Fourth of July parade because of the rule governing vehicles in parades that was put into place prior to last Christmas.

The police chief said the rule was put into place several weeks before Christmas 2006 due to concerns for the safety of children and others at parades because of motorcycles, golf carts, hopping low riders and other vehicles that were creating “an inherently unsafe situation.”

“If somebody got hurt out there, the first thing they would say is ‘Why didn’t somebody do something to prevent this,’ ” Pipes said.

In recent years, he said, Odessa police officials “have reported close calls during parades involving small children being close to vehicles.”

Pipes said a parade is a chaotic atmosphere anyway that is rendered worse by the profusion of vehicles seen in recent parades.

“You have motorcycle riders on the sides of the parade that leave the route to cool their engines by riding down nearby blocks, golf carts carrying parade officials or participants, other vehicles and the hopping low rider vehicles,” he said.

“We’re very cognizant that there are a lot of little kids running around at parades, and we want them to be safe,” he said.

Pipes also noted the police spend a lot of time and effort ensuring that parades happen safely.

Odessa Mayor Larry Melton agreed with the police chief’s explanation of how the parade rule came about.

“It’s a safety issue,” Melton said. “It’s not aimed at the Shriners or any particular group.

“We just want to put safety first,” he said.

Those rules, though, prompted the El Maida Shriners Club to pull out of the Odessa Fourth of July parade — a parade it had been in for 60 years.

Kenn Hill, a member of the Odessa Shriners Club, said while he disagrees with the blanket rule against vehicles, he agrees fully with the city ordinance prohibiting throwing of candy during parades.

“I’ve seen all those little kids run out in the streets to get the candy,” he said. “And I agree with that.”

But, Hill said, if the Shriners on motorcycles can’t pull to the sides of the street to talk with the children, the club’s activities will be hampered.

Hill also said the Shriners’ bucking car is always surrounded by Shriners in a parade and it operates within its own 360-degree circle.

So this year, the Odessa Shriners took their floats and clowns and motorcycles to the McCamey Independence Day parade.

McCamey Mayor Sherry Phillips said the Shriners bucked, hopped and handed out candy and there were no safety concerns she saw.

“Even though it was on short notice, there were about 12 Shriners in attendance with several motorcycles, ‘funny’ cars and everyone’s favorite, the famous bucking car,” Phillips said.

“Several local folks were invited to ride in the firetrucks as well as anywhere else they had room for us. Talk about a crowd pleaser!” Phillips said.

In fact, Phillips said, “Everyone had such a great time, they say they can’t wait until next year.”

She noted she was aware that at one Odessa parade the low riders did get too close to children along the side of the street.

But, she said, that situation could have been addressed on an individual basis to the parade participants involved instead of issuing a “blanket” prohibition against vehicles.

“I do understand their concern,” Phillips said.

Pipes noted there is a city ordinance — not a police department rule — against the throwing of candy in parades. That is based on safety, he said, and has been a city ordinance for many years.

“But we didn’t tell anybody they couldn’t participate in the parade,” Pipes said. “They’re not in the parade because they chose not to be. The Shriners had said with the rule against vehicles, they couldn’t interact with the children.

“Why don’t they just walk?” he asked.

Melton also noted that the crowd at Odessa parades has become much larger in recent years, which has also increased the concern for safety.

Pipes agreed.

“Anytime you have that many people in close proximity to vehicles the possibility of an accident is much higher,” Pipes said.

Even with the rules and ordinances now in place, and the council backing Pipes on the parade rule, Melton said the council would continue to listen to the concerns of residents and make decisions based on the information they have on each issue.

“I think we’ll be looking at these rules on an individual basis,” the mayor said.

Advised of Melton’s comment about cases being decided on an individual basis, Hill said, “Well, the Shriners will plead their case with the City Council.”