Memorial Day weekend parades, observances abound in the region

A listing of Memorial Day events as submitted to The Vindicator. All events are Monday unless otherwise noted:

MAHONING COUNTY

Austintown: Austintown Memorial Day Parade begins at 10:30 a.m. and follows a route from Marc’s parking lot to the Fitch High School Veterans Memorial. A commemorative service begins at 11 a.m. sponsored by Austintown Memorial American Legion Post 301 and Austintown VFW Post. Master of ceremonies will be Paul Robinson, Post 301 Commander, who will introduce the main speaker, retired Navy Capt. Greg Cooper.

Boardman: The Boardman Kiwanis Club invites groups in the township to participate in a parade. Groups will assemble at the Center Middle School at 9:30 a.m., and the parade will begin at 10. The parade will proceed north on Market Street, to U.S. Route 224, then head east on Route 224 to Boardman Township Park, continuing into the park to the Maag Outdoor Arts Theatre for the Memorial Day service. Those attending may want to bring folding chairs. The American Legion Boardman Memorial Post 565 and WW II veterans will participate in the parade. Mike Lacivita, a Navy veteran, member of the Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame and the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame and local author, is the grand marshal and speaker. Mark Luke, Kiwanis member, will be master of ceremonies. Lt. Col. Bill Moss, Air Force retired, will lead the Pledge of Allegiance and place a wreath in honor of deceased veterans. The high school’s National Honor Society will place a wreath in honor of military personnel serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and the rest of the world. The high school marching band will march in the parade, and the Boardman Spartan Wind Ensemble will provide music for the memorial service. The service clubs will pass out candy to children. Organizer George Grim said those wishing to participate should show up at 9:30 a.m. Memorial Day at Center Middle School and check in with one of the organizers. For questions, call Grim at 330-758-5847. In the event of rain, the service will be in the Center Middle School auditorium.

Boardman: At 11 a.m. there will be a service at Lake Park Cemetery, Midlothian Boulevard, conducted by Commander Donna Burford, American Legion Post 158. Prayer will be by the Rev. Ron Shipley with music by Struthers High School band. Speaker will be Jane L. Stone, retired Air Force chief master sergeant. The wreath will be placed by VFW auxiliary. The Legion firing squad will have a gun salute.

Campbell: American Legion F.D.R. Post 560 and the 37th Division members will start the day at 8 a.m. at the Legion Hall, 103 Twelfth St. At 9 a.m. they will visit St. John Cemetery for services and then proceed to Archangel Michael, St. John Russian, St. Nicholas and St. Michael cemeteries. Residents are invited to attend the annual Memorial Day program at 11 a.m. at Campbell Memorial High School monument, where state Sen. Joseph Schiavoni of Canfield, D-33rd, will be the keynote speaker. The Rev. Michael Swierz of St. Joseph the Provider Church will give the invocation. The Rev. Steve Denas of Archangel Michael Orthodox Church will give a special prayer, remarks will be by Judge Patrick Cunning of municipal court, Mayor George Krinos and schools Superintendent Tom Robey. The high school band will play a medley of songs. Victor Reyes will be in charge of the firing squad. Taps will be performed by Angelica Vega, and the benediction will be given by the Rev. Ricky Tigner, pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church. Refreshments will be served at the American Legion Post 560 Hall after the ceremony.

Canfield: The 89th annual Memorial Day Service On the Green will be at 10 a.m. Monday. Presentation of the flag by the color guard of Canfield American Legion Post 177 will open the program. The national anthem will be sung by Capt. Scott Allen. Musical selections will be by Canfield High School band. Master of ceremonies will be city Manager Joseph Warino. Keynote speaker is Col. Ronnie Roberts, 910th Medical Squadron Commander, Youngstown Air Reserve Station. After the placing of the memorial wreath by Dan Kashubara, a parade will form and march to Canfield Cemetery. A memorial wreath will be placed there, and a firing squad will fire a salute over the graves of veterans. After the cemetery program, the parade will march to the War Vet Museum, where there will be a presentation of two new memorial plaques for the Wall of Honor. The museum will be open for tours. Services will be conducted by American Legion Post 177 and the War Vet Museum. In case of rain, the program will be at the high school auditorium on Cardinal Drive.

Ellsworth: Ellsworth Memorial Day services will be at 11 a.m. today at Ellsworth Elementary School, state Route 45. Maj. Brent Davis from the 910th Airlift Command at Youngstown Air Reserve Station will be the main speaker. Special music will be provided by Western Reserve High School band and choir quartet. A parade will follow from the school to the Ellsworth Cemetery memorial on U.S. Route 224, where the VFW Post 9571 will pay tribute to deceased veterans.

Lowellville: St. John Cemetery, Villa Marie Road, will celebrate the annual Memorial Day Mass at 9 a.m. Refreshments will be served.

Lowellville: A procession will begin at 10 a.m. Monday at Holy Rosary Cemetery to decorate graves and salute the dead. The procession will proceed to Poland Township Cemetery, where another service will take place. The Rev. John Trimbur, Mayor Jim Iudicani, Mahoning County Commissioner Anthony Traficanti and Chaplain Vince Bellanca will participate in the services.

New Middletown: There will be a parade line forming at 9 a.m. Monday at Springfield High School, 11333 Youngstown-Pittsburgh Road. It will begin at 9:30 a.m. and travel north on state Route 170 to the elementary school. A memorial service will be conducted at the memorial marker. The local VFW will present colors, taps and a gun salute honoring veterans and those serving in the Armed Forces. A flyover by the 910th Airlift Command is planned.

North Jackson: There will be a ceremony at the Vietnam Memorial at 8:45 a.m. at Jackson- Milton High School football field, 13910 Mahoning Ave. The parade will begin at 9 a.m. All marching, horse-drawn and motor units are welcome.

North Lima: Beaver Township Ruritan Club and Beaver Township trustees are sponsoring the Memorial Day parade and service. The parade will assemble at 10 a.m. at Berlin Industries, judging will be at 10:30 a.m., and the parade will begin at 11 a.m. There will be a service at the township memorial after the parade.

Poland: Opening ceremony will be at 9 a.m. honoring the four chaplains at the War Memorial Building, 35 Cort- land St. The parade begins at 10 a.m. at Baird Mitchell Field and will end at Riverside Cemetery. A brief ceremony will also take place on the Main Street Bridge in honor of those lost at sea, with the full memorial service at the cemetery. School Superintendent Dr. Robert L. Zorn will be the speaker, and Stanley Clingerman, past commander of American Legion Post 15, will serve as parade grand marshal. Chaplain of the day is Pastor Julianne D. Smith of Prince of Peace Evangelical Lutheran Church. Participants should meet at Baird Mitchell Field at 9:45 a.m. In case of inclement weather, ceremonies will be in the Poland Middle School gymnasium.

Struthers: At 8 a.m. the Tri-State Marines will have a memorial service to honor those who were killed in the bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut in 1983. Three of those men were from the area: Cpl. Edward Johnston of Struthers, Cpl. Stanley Sliwinski of Niles and Sgt. James McDonough of New Castle, Pa.

At 9 a.m. services will be at the Bridge Street bridge with Commander Jerry Arendas VFW 7538 and John Mackinbobby as chaplain to honor veterans buried at sea. There will be a 10 a.m. service at Veterans Memorial at Struthers High School. Ray Ornelas of VFW 3538 will conduct the services. The high school band will perform. Speaker is Gary Pentfield, past State VFW commander. The Rev. Ron Shipley will offer prayer. VFW Auxiliaries of 3538 and 7538 will place the wreath. There will be a gun salute for deceased veterans.

Youngstown: Mahoning Chapter 42 of the Reserve Officers Association will have services at 8:30 a.m. at Oak Hill Cemetery.

Youngstown: VFW Post 6488 and Ladies Auxiliary will sponsor a service at 1 p.m. at the post, 2065 Coitsville Hubbard Road. The keynote speaker is Lt. John C. Holzer, commanding officer of Naval Operation Support Center, Youngstown. A wreath will be placed at the flagpole, weather permitting. Taps will be played by Joe Pavlok. A gun salute will be by post members. “God Bless America,” “Battle Hymn of the Republic” and “America the Beautiful” will be led by Geraldine Crenshaw, secretary of the auxiliary.

Youngstown: There will be a War Remembrance service at Smoky Hollow Memorial, corner of Walnut and Rayen, at 11:15 a.m. with speaker Ret. Col. Angelo Italiano. Prayer will be by Monsignor Michael Cariglio of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church.

TRUMBULL COUNTY

Girard: Services will be at 11 a.m. at Girard City Cemetery. High school freshman, sophomore, junior and senior class presidents Andrew Anthony, Courtney Keller, Bryan Dockerty and Sophia Martini, respectively, will read a biography of a deceased veteran from WWI, WW II, Korea and Vietnam. The 2010 class valedictorians Alisa Cario and Janette Gross will recite the Gettysburg Address. The high school band will perform. Boy Scouts of Troop 40 will raise the flag. Leslie Kroc will play “Amazing Grace” on the bagpipes, and the Girard Veterans Council will fire a rifle salute. Anyone participating in the service is asked to be there by 10:30 a.m.

Newton Falls: The parade will line up at Arlington School at 10 a.m. and move out at 10:30 a.m. It will stop at Four Corners Memorial Park for the laying of the wreath, then at West River Bridge to honor the men and women who were lost at sea, and then memorial services will be at Veterans Park with Raymond L. Hanzes, commander of VFW Post 3332, serving as master of ceremonies. Speaker will be Lt. Col. William Meade, commander of the Ohio Army National Guard Training and Logistics Site. The service veterans’ organizations will have an open house for members and the public from noon to 2 p.m. at AMVETS 112 and Army/Navy 271; from 1 to 3 p.m. at American Legion Post 236; and from 2 to 4 p.m. at VFW Post 3332.

COLUMBIANA COUNTY

Columbiana: American Legion Memorial Day parade will proceed down Main Street at 10 a.m., and the service will follow at Firestone Cemetery.

Columbiana: The public is welcome to attend a special Memorial Day service at Jerusalem Lutheran Church, 415 S. Main St. at 9:30 a.m. today. They will be honoring everyone serving in the U.S. military present and past. On the sanctuary walls are the names of every member who has been killed in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. They also have a military altar in the chancel with pictures of friends and church members serving in the military.

Salem: Memorial Day activities will begin with breakfast served to veterans at 8 a.m. at the Memorial Building. A service on the Village Green, corner of Lincoln and State Street, begins at 9 a.m. Salem Memorial and Patriotic Association has selected Bishop George V. Murry of the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown to speak at the memorial service at Hope Cemetery at 11 a.m. The lineup for the parade forms on South Broadway at 9:30 a.m., and the parade begins at 10 a.m. The honorary parade marshal will be WW II veteran Placido “Tom” Bongiovanni.

MERCER COUNTY

Sharon: The Sharon Memorial Day Parade begins at 11 a.m. These roads will be closed to all vehicular traffic during this event: Case Avenue from Linden Street to East State Street; East State from Case west to North Oakland Avenue; North Oakland from East State north to the Oakwood Cemetery entrance, and all cross streets with North Oakland and East State Street along this route. The parade is anticipated to last about an hour.

Mercer: The Memorial Day 500 will dedicate a live black-gum tree as the Mercer County Liberty Tree at noon at Citizens Cemetery. The tree was donated by Kraynaks and will be planted in June at Mercer County Courthouse. The ceremony will include portrayals of soldiers of America’s past wars. The tree will be watered with symbolic red water and will be decorated by widows of county veterans.