Hollywood - Commissioner Heidi O'Sheehan had been in office for only a few weeks last year when the e-mail complaints began pouring in.
They were all about the decision to cancel the annual St. Patrick's Day Parade downtown because of $140,000 in budget cuts for special events.
"I got flooded, everyone wanted to know what happened to the parade," said O'Sheehan, who is Irish only by marriage.
On Sunday, the popular downtown Hollywood parade returns for a 12th year, with O'Sheehan as the Grand Marshal. The marchers will start at 1 p.m. at Harrison Street and 21st Avenue and continue up Hollywood Boulevard to Young Circle.
Last year, the city would have needed about $16,000 from the sponsoring Hibernians of Hollywood to provide services such as police and fire.
As word of the canceled parade spread, help materialized, the Hibernians president.
They worked with O'Sheehan to come up with funding alternatives and a plan to cut costs. For example, the parade route has been altered to reduce the demand for police. And the city's downtown Community Redevelopment Agency is pitching in some money.
The return of the parade was great news to muffler repairman and fervent parader Kevin Doyle, who was distraught over last year's cancellation.
"That was truly depressing. A lot of people, especially my kids, looked forward every year to be part of the parade.
Thinking the parade was gone for good, Doyle donated decorations to parade organizers in Palm Beach and was about to get rid of the trailer that hauls his homemade float.
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