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Irish on parade
2009 Mahoning Valley St. Patrick's Day Parade
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3.15.2009 Market Street during the 31st annual Mahoning Valley St. Patrick's Day Parade.
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Jeremy Brown, 12, mother Maryann Brown, both of Homeworth, and friend, Parker Zamarelli, of Salem stand along Market Street during the 31st annual Mahoning Valley St. Patrick's Day Parade. "Its really cool," said Zamarelli who said he hadn't been the the parade since he was much younger as he dawned an frog costume recently worn in a school production.
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Grand marshals and state championship winners, Ursuline's football team, walks along market street during the 31st annual Mahoning Valley St. Patrick's Day Parade.
The 31st annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade featured some 170 units on a warm, sunny afternoon.
By LINDA M. LINONIS
Vindicator Staff Writer
More than a wee bit of Irish luck turned Sunday into a fine looking day for the 31st annual Mahoning Valley St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
Enjoying sunny skies and a temperature in the low 60s, throngs of people lined the parade route from its start at Boardman Township Building at McClurg Road, north along Market Street to DeBartolo Place and its end at Southwoods Medical Complex. Boardman Police Department estimated the crowd at more than 10,000.
Casey Malone announced parade units to the crowd gathered near the judges’ reviewing stand at Flamingo Plaza. She provided a lively running commentary throughout the parade. At the stand, the committee offered T-shirts with the slogan, “Irish as Paddy’s Pig.”
Everyone’s Irish on St. Patrick’s Day and at the parade, which featured the theme, “Go Green.”
Those who turned out to support the parade did just that — wearing green hats, scarves, T-shirts, sweatshirts, jackets, jewelry and pants festooned with shamrocks and leprechauns. Light-up glasses and necklaces, blinking kelly green, also were popular. More than one man was seen wearing a kilt.
Patrick Sullivan of Canfield was attending his first St. Patrick’s Day Parade with his dog, Teagaen.
“It’s nice to be in a place where they have such a parade. I liked the Ursuline band,” he said.
Teagaen is an Irish wolfhound weighing in at 180 pounds. “Teagaen means beautiful in Gaelic, and she sure is,” Sullivan said of his mild-mannered dog who resembles a pony. People came up to Sullivan and asked to pet his gray-haired dog, who didn’t mind the attention.
Sullivan said he and his wife, Heather, had come from Arizona to Canfield a few years ago because of his job, but when that changed, they decided to stay because they like the Mahoning Valley. They’ve gotten new jobs here.
“We’ve made it our home. We like the seasons ... in Arizona it was summer, almost summer. And we’ve made friends here,” he said.
“This is a wonderful community,” he said, noting they are raising their two sons here.
He might be partaking in some Irish fare on St. Patrick’s Day, which is his birthday. No joke, he produced his driver’s license as proof. “With a St. Patrick’s Day birthday, it sometimes gets a bit like a Christmas birthday,” he said.
Bill and Linda Hobbins of Austintown also attended the parade, with their Irish setters, and at least seven were seen prancing about. “We like for people to see the breed,” Linda Hobbins said. Dugan, 7, is a champion and walks like one. The red-coated canines are certainly friendly ambassadors for their breed and the Irish.
Mark and Mandy Odom of Boardman attended with their children, Destiny, 12, and Christian, 5, and Champ, their pet dog. The morkie, a cross between a maltese and yorkie, wore a T-shirt with Irish on it. The couple said they’ve come for at least 10 years. They said among their favorites in the parade were the Irish step dancers.
Fred Kirven of Boardman, accompanied by pets in the family, said he “loved the noise of the parade.” He said he had participated as a Boardman Optimist and liked it. “It’s a great day for it,” he said. “We’re calling the dogs O’Max and O’Riley today.”
Jackie Breese of Girard sprayed temporary green color on her dogs, Clancy and Murphy, golden-doodles, a poodle and Golden retriever mix. “I come every year with the dogs,” she said. “It’s a nice time to hang out with friends and their dogs.”
The parade featured a mix of governmental officials, police and fire vehicles from area departments, nonprofit community agencies and businesses. Many tossed candy to children as they moved along the parade route.
Last year’s grand marshal, Kelly Pavlik, WBO/WBC middleweight boxing champion, was again on hand to celebrate the “wearing of the green” in the parade, and his admiring fans cheered the champ.
Grant Williams, a member of the parade committee, said each of the 10 divisions has a sponsor. Some 170 units participated; they had until Friday before the parade to register.
“I think it’s important to carry on the tradition,” Williams said. “It’s well-accepted and we get a good response.”
Williams admitted some years with cold weather were a challenge for participants and viewers.
“We’re happy if there’s no rain. But today, the sun is a bonus,” he said. “I think at this time of year people are looking for a reason to get out of the house, and the parade is a good activity.”
The parade concluded with 1948 metallic green Dodge driven by Skip Dixon. Malone called it “an incredible car.” And its color was the perfect finale to the “Go Green” event.
The Vindicator and WFMJ-TV were sponsors of the parade.