Newtown Borough Council has tabled a decision on the permit for this year’s Holiday Parade, citing concerns about its expanded size and scope.

The event, organized by the Newtown Business Association and sponsored by the Newtown Athletic Club and Jim Worthington, is being promoted as “the biggest small town holiday parade in the country.”

Plans nearly double the number of units from 52 to more than 100, with Macy’s-style floats, licensed characters, and even a possible celebrity appearance.

Council members raised questions about parking, crowd control, and participant standards. They will revisit the application in September after pressing organizers and sponsors like Worthington on how they intend to manage the ambitious parade.

[Image: Priya Trivdi with the two girls she is working to adopt in India.]

The Newtown Business Association at its January meeting announced its Business of the Year Award recipient and recognized several of its members with special awards for their community service, humanitarianism, and distinguished service.

Dave Marcolla, the president of the NBA and owner of Dave Marcolla Realty, presented the awards during the organization's monthly breakfast meeting held inside the historic Newtown Theatre.

The Business of the Year Award is given annually by the NBA to an "exemplary" NBA-member business for helping to fulfill the NBA's mission of promoting Newtown as a great place to live, shop, and work.

The NBA's Humanitarian Award - went to Priya Trivdi, the owner of Guru's Fine Indian Restaurant on Sycamore Street for everything she has done for the community. Trivdi was unable to attend. She closed her restaurant earlier this year to travel to India to finalize an adoption she has been working on for years.

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Can you find me? Hint: Look for the Hawaiian shirt!

Some of the area’s newest businesses and restaurants will be taking part in the 12th Annual Newtown Business Expo and Culinary Fair scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 12 from 3 to 7 p.m.

Salus Integrative Health (coming soon to State Street), Harvest Seasonal Grill and Wine Bar and Nothing Bundt Cakes in the Village at Newtown, Triple Sun Spirits on South State Street and Klatzkin & Company in the Newtown Business Commons will be joining the more than 70 businesses and a dozen local restaurants from the Greater Newtown area taking part in the expo held inside the Brown Gym at the Newtown Athletic Club, 120 Pheasant Run.

“It’s always great when we have a chance to introduce the public to our new members,” said Beverly Dimler, the president of the NBA, adding that just this year alone the NBA has welcomed 60 new member businesses.

“Newtown is booming with new retail and business establishments,” said Dimler, “and our expo is a great way to meet many of them. It’s all about the 18940,” she said. “We have a lot of new businesses coming in and we’re delighted.”

In addition to spotlighting new businesses, the expo also provides an opportunity for returning businesses and service institutions to spotlight their goods and services.

“We have a great assortment of NBA businesses and merchants taking part from banks and payroll companies to healthcare providers, realtors, home maintenance and renovation businesses, attorneys, accountants and so many others,” said Dimler.

Complementing the business booths will be a culinary fair offering a taste of the rapidly growing and expanding Newtown restaurant scene.

“We have some top notch restaurants joining us this year,” said Dimler. “And as always, we have a wide assortment of awesome food.”

Participating in this year’s culinary fair are Joseph’s Premier Catering (Joe Garvey), Piccolo Trattoria, Guru’s Indian Cuisine, Passanante Home Food Services, Applebee’s, Nothing Bundt Cakes, McCaffrey’s, Issac Newton’s, Harvest Seasonal Grill, the Newtown Athletic Club, Thyme Bar & Grill and others.