By Craig Giammona
At first glance it might seem like a bad omen to be born in a year whose name can imply gluttony, but in Chinese astrology, people born in the Year of the Pig are believed to be honest, straightforward and hardworking.The parade Saturday began with about 10 minutes of loud bangs on Sanford Avenue as a string of firecrackers stretching nearly from 38th Avenue to 37th Avenue was ignited to ward off evil spirits.It was probably no accident that the loud and smoky portion of the event took place outside the 109th Precinct – anywhere else and it might have drawn a police presence.Following the firecrackers, the parade, set off down Sanford Avenue with a variety of local Chinese, Taiwanese and Korean civic groups marching along performers who dazzled the spectators lining the crowded sidewalks.There were dancers, drummers and dragons, in addition to a sign congratulating South Korean Ki-Moon Ban, who recently took over as secretary general of the United Nations.At the helm of the parade was City Councilman John Liu (D-Flushing), with his protege, state Assemblywoman Ellen Young (D-Flushing), right by his side.State Sens. Frank Padavan (R-Bellerose) and Toby Stavisky (D-Flushing) were also on hand, leading the parade to Main Street and past the viewing stand at the corner of Kissena Boulevard.The Lunar Year parade is traditionally one of the year's most anticipated events in downtown Flushing, which has the city's largest Chinese population. While estimating the number of spectators at a parade is not an exact science, it appeared to one parade veteran that the crowd Saturday was a bit sparse. Besides the cold weather, the Presidents Day holiday weekend prompted many New Yorkers with Monday off to leave town. In addition, the No. 7 subway train was not running between Times Square and 74th Street, leaving residents of Western Queens and Manhattan to rely on the Long Island Rail Road if they wanted to attend the parade.A police officer on the scene estimated the crowd at about 4,000, while parade organizers said 10,000 spectators had turned out to watch about 2,000 people march in the parade. Police estimated the crowd last year at 25,000.Frank Fu, the president of the Flushing Development Center, which has put on the parade since 1996, downplayed the idea that the No. 7 train being down kept people away.”I think it's mostly local people,” Fu said. He added: “I'm happy, everything went smooth, that's what's important.”Regardless of how many people turned out, the spectators reveled in the colorful street performances on Main Street.”It's wonderful, I'm here every year,” said Ellen Towers of Fresh Meadows. “I love the color and the costumes.”Reach reporter Craig Giammona by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 146.
