BY CRAIG FREILICH
North Country This Week

POTSDAM – The disappointment of children and their parents that there would be no October Rag-a-Muffin Parade this year will be replaced with delight at the news that the Potsdam Fire Department is sponsoring the procession, under a new name.

Since the Kiwanis Club of Potsdam announced they could no longer sponsor the parade of costumed kids around downtown, the firefighters have stepped up to lead the Halloween Costume Parade Saturday, Oct. 26 starting at 11 a.m., according to Fire Chief Tim Jerome.

A truck from the volunteer fire department will, as usual, lead the parade, starting from the Main Street parking lot across from the Roxy Theater. A Potsdam Police Department escort will follow.

The kids will march around dowtown once, and then the traditional rides on fire trucks, sirens blaring, will begin.

It all ends up at the firehouse for refreshments of apple cider, candy, donuts, and games, and coffee for older trick-or-treaters.

The Kiwanis Club has suffered membership losses in recent years and said they could no longer sponsor the parade.

But Chief Jerome and his firefighters could not allow that the be the end of it.

They are ready with bags of candy for the kids and the enthusiasm of knowing that what has become a Halloween tradition will be carried on.