By John Howell
Batesville’s Christmas Parade will roll as originally planned on Tuesday, December 8, one of the few December evenings when the Polar Express Train Ride is not scheduled to run.

Mayor Jerry Autrey told Batesville Shrine Club President Mark Shields during the Tuesday, October 20 meeting of city officials, that he had confirmed the date with Polar Express officials.

The Christmas Parade discussion prompted the question of whether speakers would be in place on the Square for seasonal music by the parade date and also for Polar Express visitors. The city is installing, into trenches being opened in the downtown street, sidewalk and parking renovations, conduit to carry speaker wires.

We have never had Christmas music on the Square and it’s time to have it,” Alderman Stan Harrison said.

By the meeting’s end, aldermen had also unanimously approved purchase of speakers suitable for broadcasting the music on the upriver side of the Square.