Published: May 21, 2009 11:51 pm      

Memorial Day 2009 schedule: Chenango County

Afton

Afton will have Memorial Day activities on Monday. A parade will form on Pleasant Avenue at the intersection of Main Street and Pleasant Avenue and start at 10 a.m. The procession will go to the Susquehanna River Bridge and proceed to Foster Park for services.

Master of ceremonies will be Mayor Sally Muller. Pastor John Snell of Mercy Fellowship will give the invocation and benediction, and guest speaker will be Thomas Vail of Afton.

Afton Valedictorian Casey Mohrien will give the Gettysburg Address, and “In Flanders Fields” will be recited by Afton salutatorian Jonathon Gewerth.

Afton Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts will place poppy wreaths on crosses for those who have given their lives in service to their country.

The Afton High School marching band will provide music.

Members of the Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, school children, American Legion and VFW, DAR, Afton fire departments and auxiliaries and other local organizations are invited to take part in the parade.

In the event of bad weather, ceremonies will be moved to the Afton Central School auditorium.

Call the village office at 639-1022 for more information.

Bainbridge

Memorial Day 2009 is dedicated to the memory of three Bainbridge veterans who answered the final roll call: Milford (Dusty) Dyer, U.S. Army, World War II; Fred Neidlinger, U. S. Army, World War II; and Ben Simonds, U.S. Army, Korean Conflict. Rest in peace.

A parade will form Monday at Greenlawn Elementary School at 10 a.m. Services will begin in Greenlawn cemetery at 10:15 a.m., with the parade starting at 10:30 a.m.

The parade line of march will be: Greenlawn Avenue to North Main Street, right on North Main Street, left at the historical society to Front Street and East Main Street. Veterans will proceed to the River Bridge for services. All other units will continue to the area around the Village Park.

After ceremonies are completed on the River Bridge, veterans will march to the Village Park and form for the ceremonies at the Village Park.

Parade marshal is Sgt. Roger Barnhart, USMC; officer of the day, Marshall “Bud” Andrews Jr., Capt. USN, ret.; master of ceremonies, American Legion Vice Post Commander, Richard J. Rusakiewicz, MSGT, USAFR, ret.

The program will be as follows: invocation, American Legion Post 806 by Chaplain Paul Niles; recital of “In Flanders Fields” and the Gettysburg Address by Bainbridge-Guilford High School valedictorian Steven David Howe and Bainbridge-Guilford High School salutatorian Cody Dillon Woods; honorary parade marshal and guest speaker, Col. Randall W. Lambrecht, N.Y. Army National Guard, of Bainbridge; placing of wreaths by area veterans; recital of “Just a Common Soldier” by U.S. Marine Corps Veteran Sgt. Roger Barnhart; “Amazing Grace” played by bagpiper Eric Wilcox; roll call of fallen heroes and placing of flowers during the roll call by Troop 52, Boys Scouts Doug Lee, Aaron Zieman and Corbin Vandermark; placing of flowers at the memorial by local Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts. These flowers will wither and die, but the deeds and the services of these heroes will live forever.

Salute to fallen heroes by veteran firing squad commander Doug Lee; taps, by Bainbridge-Guilford band members; benediction by American Legion Post Chaplain Paul Niles; raising of the colors by area veterans, and national anthem by the Bainbridge-Guilford School Brass Ensemble, William Smith, conducting.

Presentation of parade awards by judges Sharon Rusakiewicz, Cynthia Butler, and Judy Betts will complete the program.

Greene

The Memorial Day parade in Greene is jointly sponsored by the VFW and Lloyd O. Jackson American Legion Post 692 each year. Beginning at Moore Memorial Library on Genesee Street at 10 a.m., it pauses at Memorial Park to place a wreath at the WWI veterans monument and to cast a wreath from the Genesee Street bridge into the Chenango River. The parade route travels to the Sylvan Lawn Cemetery for a memorial ceremony.

Participating are local dignitaries, the fire department, the Greene High School Band, and Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts will raise state flags to honor veterans from various states, and the honor guard fires a rifle salute.

Guilford

The Memorial Day parade in Guilford will begin at 8 a.m. Monday on School Street and make its way to Guilford Park for ceremonies. Any veterans who wish to participate should be at Dexheimer’s storage area on School Street between 7:30 and 7:45 a.m.

James Patrick Weir, who grew up in Guilford and was killed in Korea in 1950, will be honored during this year’s ceremonies. Surviving family members and friends are expected to attend.

Members of the Guilford Historical Society will chauffeur veterans who don’t wish to march.

There will be a reception at Guilford United Methodist Church on Main Street immediately following the parade. This will serve as a time for celebrating veterans and as a recognition ceremony for the 2009 GHS Citizen of the Year. Displays of documents and photos will be available for viewing, as well as a drawing for a patriotic quillow, which is a blanket that folds up into a pillow.

Oxford/McDonough

The Oxford American Legion’s Fort Hill Post will begin Memorial Day at 8 a.m. with a wreath laying ceremony and rifle salute at St. Joseph’s Catholic Cemetery on West State Street.

A parade will form at the Oxford American Legion Post 376 at 17 South Washington Ave., at 9 a.m., led by Post 376 Color Guard and Rifle Squad, Legionnaires, Sons of the American Legion and the Auxiliary. The parade will feature the village of Oxford Fire Department, Explorers and the Auxiliary. In addition, Brisben Volunteer Fire Department will have one fire truck following the Oxford Fire Department.

The Oxford Academy and Central High School “Pride of the Valley” the Blackhawks Marching Band will be a feature of the parade, directed by Julie Solomon and Kate Stopper. Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts, the Daisy Troop and 4-H club members are also expected to march.

A salute honoring those who died at sea will be given at the Main Street Bridge (that crosses over the Chenango River). This includes tossing a memorial wreath into the water, followed by a rifle salute.

The parade will continue up the hill on Albany Street to the Riverview Cemetery with a ceremony and speeches honoring the member of the departed ending with a rifle salute. Post Commander Jim Caron will give a greeting, and the roll call of deceased will be read by the post chaplain. Officiating clergy will read a prayer. The Pledge of Allegiance and the Gettysburg Address will be read by two of the American Legion Boys State delegates.

After the ceremony, Legion members will visit the NYS Veterans Home residents. The color guard, selected clergy and guest speakers will conduct a memorial service in the recreation room.

The color guard will also go to the Warn Ten Broeck Cemetery, seven miles south of Oxford, to place a wreath and to salute the deceased.

There will be a fundraising chicken barbecue at the Legion by the SAL at 11 a.m. after the parade.

McDonough will also have a Memorial Day parade starting at 11 a.m. Oxford Academy’s Marching Band will participate.

Mount Upton

The Mount Upton Charles M. Townsend American Legion Post 1143 will present a parade and services in honor of Memorial Day on Monday.

Parade participants are asked to line-up at 10:30 a.m. for an 11 a.m. start. Services will take place at the Lions Club park in the center of town at 11:20 a.m. Retired Maj. Chris (Dutch) Niessingh is the scheduled guest speaker.

Call Tim or Kathy Hudson at 764-8240 for more information.

New Berlin

Frank H. Arnold Post 348 of the American Legion announces that Terry Bresina, will be the guest speaker at the Memorial Day services to be held in the village of New Berlin on Monday.

Memorial Day observances will start with a parade at 9:30 a.m., leaving Hyde Park and proceeding south on North Main Street and entering the Milford Academy School lawn on South Main Street, where the ceremonies will take place at about 9:50 a.m.

The following order of march is suggested: American Legion, Unadilla Valley Central School Band and Color Guard, Brownies, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Pittsfield Fire Department, New Berlin Fire Department and any other organization or units that want to take part.

Any organization that wishes to honor the day is invited to participate. All those marching should have their units at Hyde Park between 9 and 9:30 a.m., the starting time.

Post 348 asks all area residents to honor the day with a display of the national flag and observance of the true meaning of Memorial Day.

All American Legion members are requested to participate in this Memorial Day Service. If you are able to take part in the parade by marching, you will need to be at the Legion home by 9 a.m. If you are unable to march, try to be in front of the Milford Academy, on the terraces by 9:45 a.m. or as soon as the parade ends to show your support.

A flag-disposal ceremony at the New Berlin Fire House will follow Memorial Day service.

There will be an open house at the American Legion Post after the ceremonies. Refreshments will be provided by the Legion and Legion Auxiliary.

Norwich

Commander Laurel Alksnis of the Lt. Warren E. Eaton, DSC, American Legion Post 180 in Norwich, has announced the Memorial Day events planned for Monday to honor veterans of all wars, including the victims of 9/11, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, POWs, MIAs and active military personnel worldwide.

From 9:30 to 9:45 a.m., participants in the Memorial Day parade will line up at the VFW, located at 61 E. Main St. in Norwich. The parade will begin at 10 a.m. and proceed up East and West Main streets to the West Side Park, where ceremonies will continue in front of the WWII Monument.

Master of ceremonies Frank Revoir, Past Commander of American Legion Post 189, will introduce this year’s guest speaker, Col. Edward B. Downey (USAR), 98th Training Division (IET), Rochester. He is serving as assistant staff judge advocate, special projects officer. In addition, Downey is a self-employed attorney.

South New Berlin

The annual community Memorial Day program will be at the South New Berlin Firehouse at 11 a.m. Monday.

Serving as master of ceremonies will be Chief Petty Officer Samuel Gainfort, USN (Retired). The invocation will be given by Pastor Barry Davis, of the First Baptist Church South New Berlin. The program will include music by the Unadilla Valley Central School Band, presentation of the flag by the UVCS Color Guard and singing of the national anthem by Johanne Daniels.

The program will also include the reading of the Gettysburg Address by Harold Funke; guest speaker, Brig. Gen. Robert H. Purple, ANG (retired); and song selections by the Holmesville Baptist Church Men’s Ensemble. The benediction will be provided by the Rev. Romeyn Kipp, of the Holmesville Baptist Church.

The program will be followed by a parade from the firehouse, stopping at the four corners for the laying of the wreath and rising of the flag by veterans Ken Axtell and parade Sergeant-at-Arms Harold Funke at the Legion Park Monument.

The parade will continue down to the cemetery for a short service, laying of a second wreath by area kindergarten students Ray Lynn Cuhn and Blaine Rifanberg, military honors, taps played by Paul Hudson and Beth DuVall, and a final prayer by David Dibbell of the South New Berlin Church of Christ.

After the parade, there will be the traditional Old Home Day dinner at the First Baptist Church of South New Berlin and a chicken barbecue at the SNB firehouse provided for by area volunteer firefighters and auxiliary members.

The public is invited, with a special plea going out for area veterans to attend. All area children with bicycles are invited to meet at the library the morning before the program (about 10 a.m.) to decorate their bicycles for the parade.

The South New Berlin Free Library & Yorker Museum will be open Monday from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. Floats for the parade are provided for by the South New Berlin Free Library, South New Berlin First Baptist Church and the Holmesville Baptist Church (additional floats are welcome), and antique cars are courtesy of the Rolling Antiquers.

Also participating in the parade will be apparatus of the South New Berlin Fire Department, along with New Berlin and South New Berlin Boy Scouts and South New Berlin Girls Brownie Troop.