Smiles warm up St. Pat's parade

Cold weather didnot stop the fun.
By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
BOARDMAN -- Nine-year-old Hayley O'Hara spent Sunday afternoon bundled in wind breaker pants, mittens, a winter hat and a ski jacket that covered the lower part of her face, shivering every time the roaring winds hit her 65-pound frame.
But when the candy from passing parade vehicles started flying, the heavy clothes and heavier winds could not hold back the enthusiastic youngster from grabbing mittens full of sweet treats.
O'Hara and her brothers Robert, 8, and Matthew, 4, were just a few of the hundreds of children and thousands of attendees at the 24th annual St. Patrick's Day parade here.
Paul O'Hara stood along the street helping his kids gather treats, but said the candy he could do without, it is the bagpipes that he refuses to miss. Along with bagpipe music, spectators were treated to an array of emergency vehicles, company vehicles, politicians, and large-headed cartoon legends such as Mickey and Minnie Mouse and Winnie the Pooh.
Then there were the floats and marching bands. Many children could be seen keeping step with the marchers for short distances, imitating every move.
Patrick O'Brien, 5, cheered and clapped at the passing displays to the point of almost losing the knitted Cleveland Browns hat he wore and allowing the zipper on his stuffed jacket to fall open. He attended the parade with his 6-year-old cousin Kera Trella, aunt Kathy Trella and his father, Bill, who had to rebundle the excited kid several times.
Lots of enthusiasm: Patrick's enthusiasm was matched many times over by other children along the parade route. A group of individuals riding miniature dirt bikes brought groups of kids to the street's edge. The riders were not passing out candy, but the "wheelies" and other small stunts kept the young crowd's attention.
There were also "toys" on hand for the adult who is still a kid at heart. Classic cars made their way down the Market Street parade route, catching the eye of many parents who previously had been helping the kids grab candy and making sure kids' coats remained fastened.
Along with all the fun and excitement usually associated with the parade, the usual cold weather made staying warm a top priority.
Austintown resident Alberta Williams made routine checks of her four children throughout the parade, making sure all outerwear stayed fastened. She said the children saw a flier at church and did not want to miss the parade floats.
Pennsylvania resident Sandy Murphy attended the parade for the first time with her grandsons Tyler Powers, 4, and Andrew Donaldson, 13, who both saw TV ads and wanted to see the parade first-hand.
Murphy grabbed every spare blanket kept in the car for emergencies and staked out a spot on the ground, and there she sat completely wrapped in blankets and enjoyed the festivities.
The more seasoned parade attendees, however, know the best way to enjoy the parade on a blustery day. Rick Sobotka of Washingtonville, Pa., watched from the confines of an automobile strategically parked along the street.
Sobotka, who was warm enough inside the car to remove his jacket, has been attending the parade for more than a decade with his mother and her close friends.
Members of the Rolling Thunder Ohio Chapter 4, an organization that espouses the rights of veterans and prisoners of war, spent the entire day on motorcycles, but said the weather was no problem because others may be facing even tougher obstacles.
"The way we see it is the cold weather is not so bad because prisoners of war never have a nice day," said sergeant-at-arms Tim McNally. "That is the way we see it."
There was a prevailing sense of patriotism throughout the parade, with American flags flying and "God Bless America" in the background as some of the floats passed by.
The Vindicator, WFMJ-TV and Cumulus Broadcasting were parade sponsors.
jgoodwin@vindy.com