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Lowellville celebrates heritage
By ELISE McKEOWN SKOLNICK
LOWELLVILLE
Nobody seems to know quite when it started, but every year residents of Lowellville get together for a celebration.
“We’re just promoting, overall, the heritage of Lowellville, the history of Lowellville,” said Mayor James Iudiciani Sr.
This year’s Lowellville Day kicked off Saturday with a parade, followed by a laying of the roses ceremony, a 21-gun salute and the playing of Taps to honor the 17 Lowellville residents who died in wars.
The rest of the day included food, games and hay rides.
“We turn it into an eight-hour fun event,” Iudiciani said.
Friends Ainsley McCaughtry and Emma Mariotti, both 14, started their day with the parade; McCaughtry as a participant, Mariotti as an observer.
“I marched in the parade because I’m a cheerleader,” McCaughtry said. “It was pretty hot, but pretty fun.”
Mariotti collected candy while she watched the parade.
“I got Laffy Taffy,” she noted.
Both attend the celebration annually. It’s a tradition in the village, they said. And they know most of the people in attendance.
“Everybody knows everybody in Lowellville,” McCaughtry said.
They enjoyed the celebration.
“I wish they’d have more of these,” Mariotti said.
The McCaughtry family also attends every year.
“You get to see everybody, you get to eat some good food. It’s like a big village visit,” Bill McCaughtry said.
Will, 13, added, “It’s like a family reunion.”
Proving his point: Bill is Ainsley’s uncle.
“It’s very important for the community to come together,” Bill said. “Especially here because it’s such a small community, and they’re very tightknit. And everybody’s friends.”
It’s a good chance to see people you don’t see all the time, he added.
Laila, 11, said it’s a fun event every year.
“Sometimes you get to go into the parade, sometimes you just come down to see all your friends,” she said.
She participated in the parade, and took a hay ride.
Will, while enjoying an ice cream cone, said he likes the food.
His favorites are pizza, ice cream and the homemade lemonade.
Terri McCaughtry said local businesses put up stands and sell food.
“It’s a nice community thing,” she said. “And you can patronize the local businesses.”
Organizations such as the Parent Teacher Organization and the Lowellville United Methodist Church also sold food as a fundraiser.
A duck derby and a battle of the bands were part of the event. Cheryl Mamula, a school crossing guard, was named Lowellville Person of the Year.