The Herald, Sharon, Pa.

Community

Discussion

November 15, 2009

Grand marshal will keep order at holiday parade

By Joe Pinchot

HERMITAGE — Attendees of the Hermitage Holiday Light Parade better be on their best behavior — they will be under the watchful eye of Mercer County’s top judge.

Common Pleas Court President Judge Francis J. Fornelli has been named grand marshal for Saturday’s parade in honor of his years of community service.

Fornelli, 68, of Hermitage, was first elected to the bench in 1982 and was retained by voters in 1992 and 2002. He has been president judge since 1991.

The Sharpsville High School salutatorian for the class of 1959 is a graduate of Notre Dame and New York Law School.

He serves on a number of judicial committees, and locally he serves or has served on the boards of Southwest Gardens Economic Development Corp., Farrell, Mercer County Hall of Fame, John XXIII Home, Hermitage, and Community Food Warehouse, Farrell, among other activities.

Fornelli will share the spotlight with junior marshals Brendan Zampogna, 5, the son of Nathan and Margie Zampogna, Hermitage, and Karsyn Rupert, 8, daughter of Dan and Ashley Rupert, Lackawannock Township.

Their names were drawn randomly from those submitted, and they will get a handful of gift cards from city businesses.

The parade, which usually attracts about 15,000 people, has 51 entries so far, not counting the marshals, city commissioners and Santa Claus.

Fire departments who plan to run their trucks in the parade include Hermitage, Farrell, Shenango Township, South Pymatuning Township, Transfer, Wheatland, Sharon and Patagonia.

Marching bands will come from Kennedy Catholic, Reynolds and Hickory high schools.

Large floats are planned by Notre Dame School, T.J. Maxx, Grace Chapel Community Church, Twirling Angels, Bentley House, Sensations Baton, First National Bank of Pennsylvania and Kedron Masonic Lodge 389, all Hermitage; PNC Bank; U.S. Army Reserves’ 347th Quartermaster Co., Farrell; Hopscotch Early Learning and Childcare Center, Sharpsville; and Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, South Pymatuning Township.

Shenango Valley YMCA will be collecting non-perishable food items for Community Food Warehouse. The YMCA’s float usually is one of the first on the route, and volunteers will collect bags of food as they walk along. Paradegoers can place food bags on the road in front of where they are standing.

Food items that are particularly needed include canned meats, fruit and stew, tuna, cereal and oatmeal. Food also can be dropped off at the YMCA before the parade.

The parade, the city’s 12th, starts at 6 p.m. on Kerrwood Drive, and heads east on East State Street to North Hermitage Road, then north, where it ends at the former Hermitage Middle School. Following the parade, an awards ceremony and reception will be held in Delahunty Middle School.

East State Street will be closed from Buhl Farm Drive to the Shenango Valley Freeway from about 6 to 8 p.m.. Detours will be posted.

Text Only
Community
  • Curry promoted to Allied editor

    Herald copy editor and page designer Kim Curry has returned to lead sister paper Allied News -- where she began her full-time journalism career -- and staff writer Monica Pryts is reporting from Allied’s Grove City office.

    February 9, 2012

  • Vets’ clubs coordinate coupon clipping for troops

    The next time you come across coupons for items you don’t buy or that have expired, hang on to them; military men and women overseas can use them for their own groceries.

    February 6, 2012

  • American chestnut topic of workshops

    If you have an interest in helping contribute to the eventual return of American chestnut to our forest ecosystems, one of these workshops might be your cure for spring fever:

    February 4, 2012

  • Farrell grad a classic(al) example

    A Farrell High School graduate will return to the Shenango Valley next weekend to perform with an elite classical guitar quartet from the State University of New York at Fredonia.

    February 2, 2012

  • Kids meet challenge with 3-D creations

    When Sharpsville Area Elementary School fifth-grade teachers asked students to create their own cities, they were expecting colorful drawings of buildings, parks and streets.

    February 1, 2012

  • Student revives animation technique for feature spot in band’s music video

    Westminster College sophomore Joe Ligo knew the process of incorporating stop-motion animation into the video wouldn’t be easy.

    January 29, 2012

  • New coffee house Hallowed grounds

    Churches look to infuse faith in believers in all kinds of ways.

    At First Presbyterian Church of Sharon, leaders are hoping a little bit of coffee might help.

    Last week the church hosted its first Cana’s Corner Coffeehouse. Twice a month the church will open its doors to musicians and set up a coffee and snack bar.

    January 24, 2012 1 Photo

  • Hallowed grounds

    Churches look to infuse faith in believers in all kinds of ways.
    At First Presbyterian Church of Sharon, leaders are hoping a little bit of coffee might help.

    January 15, 2012

  • Satellite office

    For nearly 30 years, Sharon native Edward “Ted” Cattron was bound by threat of treason charges to keep a big secret from his family and friends and only recently has been able to share the truth.

    December 11, 2011

  • Artist creates with fabric

    Evian Zukas-Oguz said her husband calls her “the nutty professor of fabric” because of the way she goes into her own world when crocheting, sewing, weaving on a loom or working on a knitting machine.

    December 8, 2011