Expected snow will not cancel the Veterans Day parade

COLORADO SPRINGS — With the first big snowfall of the season on Wednesday, many landscapers in Colorado Springs traded in their lawnmowers for snow shovels.

Just like Chuck Baugher, who runs Chuck's Bees Property Services. He shoveled driveways and sidewalks all day.

“I started getting calls around nine in the morning. Then people get up, get motivated, drink their coffee, look outside and think, 'Wow, that's a lot,'” Baugher said.

According to him, many of the calls were from seniors and disabled people who needed help. Baugher expects to work back-to-back jobs throughout the weekend.

“I had about 15 calls today, I’m still getting calls for tomorrow,” Baugher said.

With more snowfall forecast, I wondered how the Veteran's Day Parade downtown would fare this Saturday.

Event co-chair John O'Donnell said canceling because of snow was not an option.

“There are so many moving parts to this event, hundreds of them, that it would be impossible to reschedule,” O'Donnell said.

O'Donnell took over planning the parade when longtime organizers canceled it due to a lack of participation.

With approximately 125 organizations now participating in the event, O'Donnell is working with the city to ensure a clear route for the parade.

“I know the city's Street Department is taking a look at it, as well as the Downtown Partnership, to make sure parking is available, the sidewalks are clear and it's safe to come downtown,” O'Donnell said.

Due to limited resources, the city does not clear residential streets with snow plows until there is at least 6 inches of snow.

___

____

Watch KOAA News5 anytime, anywhere with our free streaming app, available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search for KOAA News5, download and watch.