Richmond Hill might be a little less colorful this year.
The annual Phagwah parade — held to commemorate the Hindu holiday Holi at the start of spring — is in jeopardy of not taking place this year after many residents along the event’s route aired numerous complaints over people trespassing on private property and the ceremonial powder that people toss at each other sticking to their homes, fences and cars, making it difficult to wash off.
The Queens Chronicle learned of the news through several high-level sources in the Richmond Hill community. Community Board 9 Acting District Manager Lisa Gomes said she has heard the parade might not take place this year.
“It was a lot of noise complaints,” Gomes said. “There were also complaints of people going onto private property and spreading garbage.”
Gomes said she was made aware of the complaints through the 102nd Precinct, which had been made aware of the complaints from officials at the 106th Precinct.
She added that it was the first year that residents brought their complaints to the community board, and that she had not heard of any issues in the past.
Calls to both precincts for comment were not returned by press time.
A source who works at the parade’s organizing committee, the Federation of Hindu Mandirs, said a decision on the parade’s future will be made later today, March 5.
http://m.qchron.com/mobile/edi...8c-57c572de73ef.html
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