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June 3, 2011

GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE 7

Columbus Pride

Continued from Page 2

tennial Park will officially reopen in July. Despite that, however, Columbus Pride is likely to stay where it is for the next few years.

"I think we're going to stay put where we are," she said. "We were growing out of Bicentennial Park anyway. We could only put vendors on one side of the street, and it was difficult to march down there with that crowd."

"I think we'll stay put here as long as the residents are happy and allow us to stay," Rothan stated.

"We've got some room at Goodale, but we're going to have to be diligent about the parade and make sure that's manageable," she opined. Rothan noted that they have made a special effort to train their Pride volunteers in customer service, so even if Columbus Pride is not the largest in the country, it is the friendliest. "We really want

them to feel that friendly atmosphere form the minute they start working with us."

She also believes that, no matter how massive this year's festival and parade were, next year will likely be significantly larger.

"It's got so big now, and next year our grand marshal is going to be our mayor, Michael Coleman, it's the city's bicentennial and it's going to be an election year," she posited. "Allies are the theme of next year."

"I think it's going to be even bigger next year because we're inviting those folks to participate in a major way, so we're going to need to get more volunteers, hire more security so the crowd and everybody is managed, because I know we're going to have a bigger crowd next year," Rothan mused, while noting that the extra security will be added to the Columbus police officers working the event, who she said do a terrific job every year.

STONEWALL COLUMBUS

Thousands of marchers follow the Pride parade up High Street downtown.

RAYMONDI/

Country star Chely Wright sings to the Pride audience in Goodale Park.

RAYMOND LAVOIE

Retail Locations

Ambiance

Bel Flicking

CP

AIDS TASKFORCE

severand Pride Committee would like to all of our sponsors, vendors, parade participants, donors, and festival-goers for making bar's Pride event a complete success!

Frito Lay

Good fun!

LOOK FORWARD TO NG YOU AGAIN IN 2012.

adultmart

OUR IS SHOWING UNITED

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REC

PHIL

CLA

PROGRESSIVE

FLEX

VEDDA & SONS

Porfaction in painting since 1956

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THE PLAIN DEALER

KeyBank

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THE RITZ-CARLTON

Charter One

GAY

cleveland play house GAMES 2014

Walgreens CDPH

Cleveland D

226 Heath

Cleveland+Akron

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