Parade for Stewart UPDATE 2 Postponed: Tony Stewart’s hometown will hold a parade next month to honor him for winning the NASCAR series championship. The parade is planned for Dec. 17, starting at 2:20pm from the Hamilton Center Ice Arena and ending at Columbus [IN] North High School. It would be the second parade in Columbus for Stewart in four months. On Aug. 15, he was recognized for his win in the Allstate 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Judy Jackson, the city’s community development director, said Monday that Dec. 17 was the earliest date Stewart was available for the parade.(Fort Wayne Sentinel/AP)(11-22-2005)
POSTPONED: Columbus, IN: Mayor Fred L. Armstrong says that due to Tony Stewarts busy scheduled, a celebration will NOT be held on December 16 and 17. City officials are currently working with Stewart representatives to find a date and time that will accommodate Tonys busy schedule. As soon as plans are finalized, complete information will be released to the media.(columbus.in.gov)(11-24-2005)
UPDATE 2: A parade to honor NASCAR champion Tony Stewart in his hometown has been called off because a conflict with his schedule, and city leaders are now planning for a two-day celebration sometime in January. The parade was scheduled for Dec. 17. The dates for the new celebration has not yet been set. The January celebration might include fireworks and a hog roast, said Lynn Lucas, director of the Columbus Visitors Center. “The economic impact of all this will be tremendous,” she said. “This is an opportunity, and we want to take advantage of it. She said they hope to attract thousands of Stewart fans to the event, including some from out of town. “We’re talking about 6,000,” she said. “Some of them could be coming in for two nights, and that means they’ll need a hotel.” Stewart won his second NASCAR championship in four years Sunday, beating Greg Biffle by 35 points in the Nextel Cup standings. Columbus held a parade for Stewart in August to celebrate his victory in the Allstate 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. An estimated crowd of 5,000 lined downtown streets in the city about 40 miles south of Indianapolis. “Tony is from the city of Columbus, and that should be celebrated,” Mayor Fred Armstrong said. “We need to recognize our citizens.”(Indianapolis Star/AP)(11-26-2005)
