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A salute to patriotic events, parades

It was patriotic events and parades that filled my Aug. 12 and 13 schedule. And despite the extreme heat that could have faltered a lesser person, the people taking part in both stood up to it very well.

State Sen. Lou Gentile, D-Steubenville, was walking the route on both days, stopping to shake hands and say a few words as well.

Those who marched in the parades have my admiration. I say kudos to Mary Ann Boyd, a grandmother, who marched in parades both at Scio and Adena for her son-in-law, Frank Hoagland, in his political run for state senator.

I was pleased to see that a walking unit from Wintersville, the Great Clips styling salon, took part, especially since it was so hard to reach Scio with state Route 151 closed outside of Jewett.

Lamont and I took the suggested detour, and it was many miles and time out of our way.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Jewett-Scio marching band. It is made up of past students who went to Jewett Scio High School and have continued to play their chosen instruments. They can march and dance up a storm with the best of them. There were majorettes who still had their white boots with the tassel, too.

I thank J.T Thompson for getting a chair for me to be seated during the 145-or-more-unit parade. It took more than an hour and a half to pass through.

Now on to Adena. Mary Rapaovi looked like a real queen as she rode through the village streets in a carriage reminiscent of Cinderella. Her granddaughter, Carissa, rode with her and read her biography. She looked lovely with her crown and even got a kiss from Sheriff Fred Abdalla, who was grand marshal.

Roger Sliva presented a moving program by honoring the military from World War II to the more present wars. Concentration was on the Vietnam War, where the village is one of the very few commemoration villages for the war’s 50th anniversary.

Louis Vasich was honored as the oldest veteran present. He is a World War II veteran and was celebrating his 90th birthday on that Aug. 13 day.

(McCoy, a resident of Smithfield, is a staff columnist and food editor for the Herald-Star and The Weirton Daily Times. She can be contacted at emccoy@heraldstronline.com.)

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