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.
