KEYSTONE CLIPS Love a parade? Nominate a marshal

The Hermitage Holiday Light Parade committee is looking for a grand marshal for its Nov. 22 event.
Nominations are being accepted from the public until Sept. 15 and should be in the form of a letter explaining why a nominee deserves the recognition. Nominees must be from the Shenango Valley and must have made an extraordinary contribution to the community.
Nominating letters should be sent to the city of Hermitage in care of Amy Gargiulo, 800 N. Hermitage Road, Hermitage. 16148. The Holiday Light Parade is marking its sixth year. Parade time is 6 p.m.
Canoe trip
Shenango River Watchers will have their annual river canoe trip July 6. This year's trip will cover the river from West Middlesex to Pulaski. Participants are asked to meet at the boat launch adjacent to the West Middlesex viaduct on Pa. Route 318 at 11:15 a.m. to register. A car shuttle will be arranged and canoes will launch at noon. The trip will take four or five hours, and participants should bring a snack.
The group owns a few canoes that can be borrowed for the event, but they must be reserved. To do so, call Tom Amundsen at (724) 346-1123 or Mike McLaughlin at (724) 528-1102.
To reach the boat launch, take Route 318 west through West Middlesex and cross the viaduct over the river. At the upper end of the viaduct, make a sharp left onto Campground Road. The launch is on the left at the bottom of the hill.
Homeland security grants
Lawrence and Mercer counties received grants through the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help homeland security.
Mercer County received $34,921.78 through the Emergency Operations Planning to be used to update plans dealing with natural or man-caused disasters. The money can also be used to help first responders deal with terrorism involving weapons of mass destruction.
Lawrence County is getting $30,673.87 through the Emergency Operations Planning program and $1,970.58 to form a Citizens Corps Council. Citizens Corps grant money provides money to bring together law enforcement, fire services, emergency medical and management, volunteer organizations, the private sector and municipal elected officials. The county is also getting $4,820 for a Community Emergency Response Team, which is meant to help teach people how to handle emergencies until first responders arrive.