Amherst
The city will hold its annual Memorial Day parade at 10 a.m. Monday. Line-up will be at 9 a.m. from the corner of Washington Avenue and Cleveland Street to Amherst’s Marion L. Steele High School. A short memorial service will be at the Cleveland Street cemetery at 9:55 a.m.
The parade begins at Washington Avenue. Participants will march south to Forest Street then west on Park Avenue to the Five Points. Once the band gets to City Hall, the parade will halt for a short, 15-minute ceremony. The parade will then continue toward City Hall. For more information or to participate, please call (440) 714-1213 or (440) 984-3398. This event is to honor all of our veterans.
Avon
CT file photo.
The Avon Memorial Day Parade will be 9 a.m. Monday. The parade begins at the Avon Senior Center, 36784 Detroit Road, and proceeds east on Detroit, ending at the historic cemetery and VFW memorial at the southeast corner of Detroit Road and state Route 83. Post members will be distributing poppies along the route.
Avon Mayor Jim Smith will join officers from VFW Post 7035 in a ceremony honoring the city’s war dead. After taps and a 21-gun salute, VFW members will go to Resthaven and St. Mary’s cemeteries for ceremonies.
Post 7035 commander Andy Fuechter will present donations from the post to Avon Police and Fire departments, and the Avon High School band.
The community is invited to enjoy a complimentary beverage and lunch at the VFW, 36950 Mills Road, on Memorial Day.
Avon Lake
The Avon Lake Memorial Day Parade will be at 10 a.m. Monday. The parade begins at the north drive of Avon Lake High School, 175 Avon Belden Road. It proceeds north to Electric Boulevard, where it turns left and proceeds to Glenview Drive, turns left and proceeds back to Avon Belden Road, where it goes north to Lake Road and into Veterans Park. A ceremony with American Legion Post 211 will be held at Veterans Park, including throwing a wreath into the lake, prayers and speeches.
Birmingham
“Land of the Free, Because of the Brave” is the theme for the Memorial Day parade in Birmingham on Monday. Line-up for all horses will be in the North parking lot. Parking for parade participants will be available on the north side of South Street at the Birmingham United Methodist Church and the west side of the field behind the Community Center. The parade will step off at 1 p.m. Services will follow at Birmingham Cemetery. New this year after the services will be a car show at the Community Center. All old cars welcome. Cub Scout Pack 435 will be selling refreshments.
In case of rain, the services will be on the south porch of the Birmingham Community Center and the car show will be canceled. For information, call Debby Shieve at (440) 965-8792.
Brighton Township
The Memorial Day ceremony will be Monday. All marching units are to meet at Brighton Center. The parade to the township cemetery will begin at 9 a.m. Also, there will be a pancake and sausage breakfast 7:30 a.m. until all are served, although service will be halted 9 to 9:30 a.m. so all can attend the parade and ceremony. The cost is $5 for adults, $3 for children, and it will be at the Brighton Congregational Church, 22086 state Route 511. All proceeds benefit the church building project.
Columbia Station
The parade will form at 10:30 a.m. at the Columbia Middle School. The parade kicks off at 11 a.m. from the middle school and will proceed to the cemetery and continue on to the Veterans Memorial site on state Route 82.
After the parade, hot dogs and beverages will be provided for the children at the pavilion in the park. The VFW Post 9340, 25742 Royalton Road, will also host an open house for adults.
Elyria
Memorial Day in Elyria will once again be all about pancakes, parades and prayers for the fallen.
Lorain National Bank is sponsoring Main Street Elyria’s sixth annual Memorial Day pancake breakfast 7:30 to 10 a.m. Monday at St. Andrews Church.
The Memorial Day festivities will begin with an 8 a.m. ceremony in Ely Square followed by the parade, which will begin at 10 a.m. from Court Street and travel down Broad Street to Washington Avenue. It then turns on Harrison Street and will end at the Ridgelawn Cemetery.
Volunteers from the Organization Committee of Main Street Elyria plan to prepare and serve the $5 breakfast that consists of pancakes, sausage, coffee and juice. As a salute, veterans in uniform receive special pricing of $4 and $3 for children ages 4 to 12. Children under 3 are free. For more information, call Main Street Elyria at (440) 322-5000 or visit www.mainstreetelyria.com.
Fitchville
Memorial Day services will be at 2 p.m.
Monday at the Township Hall on Crescent Road, followed by a march to the cemetery The public is invited.
Grafton
The annual Memorial Day parade will line up at the Grafton Police Department beginning at 11:30 a.m. The parade will step off at noon.
The route will be down Chestnut Street to the five points, then down Main Street, where there will be a short program and memorial service at Grafton Village Hall before continuing down the street.
Grafton Township
Belden’s annual program and parade will begin at the Grafton Township Fire Hall at 10 a.m. The Fire Department, Midview band and AFROTC will be participating, as well as the choir from the Belden United Methodist Church and the Rev. Jeff Lanzer. The parade will begin at the hall and end at the Belden Cemetery where a short program will take place. Refreshments will follow at the town hall.
Kipton
The Kipton/Camden/Henrietta parade will be 2 p.m. Sunday in Kipton, followed by a ceremony at 2:30 p.m.
Parade marchers can bring items to be sent to area members of the military serving overseas. Items requested include shampoo, wet wipes, paper, pens, playing cards, hard candy, gum and puzzle books.
LaGrange
Memorial Day events will begin at 11 a.m.
Monday at the Keystone Middle School. The parade will proceed to the Civil War monument at the town circle where Navy veteran Dan Opfer will lay a wreath. The parade will proceed to Veterans Park on state Route 303 and West Street. Drew Boden of Boy Scout Troop 118 will then give the invocation. The speaker will be LTC Karen Wright of the U.S. Army Nurse Corps.
Lorain
The annual Memorial Day parade will begin at 11 a.m. at 18th Street and Broadway. The route will head north on Broadway to Erie Avenue where it will head west to Washington Avenue. Those participating in the parade are asked to line up on Broadway between 17th and 20th streets by 10:30 a.m.
Candy and brochures will be handed out to the curb-side crowd during the parade.
A service for veterans will be held at 2 p.m.
Sunday at the Palace Theater. Doors open at 1 p.m. and the event is open to the public.
Lorain firefighters will hold a fireman’s memorial at 9 a.m. Monday in Veteran’s Park at the fireman’s memorial.
New London
Memorial Day activities will get under way with a breakfast at the New London American Legion, 185 N. Main St., 7 to 10 a.m.
The Legion honor guard will perform the Memorial Day salute at Holy Cross Cemetery at 8:45 a.m. and at Grove Street Cemetery at 9 a.m. A parade will start at the Legion at 10 a.m., and will proceed to Memorial Park, next to the library on South Main Street. A ceremony will take place that will include members of the Legion and Legion Auxiliary, the high school and junior high bands, and the Rev. Doug Lang and the Rev. Cathy Ake.
The Memorial Day address will be given by Col. Reginald Fowkes, who retired after 26 years in the U.S. Army. He served in Vietnam, England, France and Germany and he now lives on his wife’s family farm near New London.
North Ridgeville
Memorial parade and ceremony will be Monday. The parade will start lining up in the Marc’s parking lot at 9 a.m. and will begin at 9:45 a.m. The parade route will proceed west on Center Ridge Road and conclude at the Ranger Stadium behind North Ridgeville Middle School.
All participants and spectators are encouraged to attend the Memorial Day ceremony following the parade in the stadium. The ceremony will pay tribute to our fallen veterans and feature patriotic selections played by the North Ridgeville Marching Band.
The parade and Memorial Day ceremony is organized by the North Ridgeville VFW Post 9871 and the North Ridgeville Lions Club. For information, call David Bogner at (440) 327-2955.
Oberlin
The Oberlin Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6273 will hold a Memorial Day ceremony at 9 a.m. Monday at Wright Park in Oberlin.
Veterans will gather near the Wright Park Soldiers Memorial. Also, the Oberlin Veterans of Foreign War will have a flag disposal ceremony at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Oberlin Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6273, 42369 Oberlin-Elyria Road. Cub Scouts will take part in the ceremony. Call (440) 323-5315 to find out about dropping off a worn-out or damaged flag for disposal.
Penfield Township
The Penfield Township parade will assemble at 10 a.m. at the west end of Horseshoe Drive. The band will lead the parade to the monument.
The welcome speech will be given by Penfield Township trustee Duane Johnson, followed by the invocation by the Rev. James Reymann of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Wellington. The ceremony will also have the reading of Veterans names, feature taps, a performance by the band and the raising of the flag.
Sheffield
The village will honor its patriots with cemetery services, the playing of taps and 21-gun salutes.
At 11 a.m., Sheffield will have its annual flag raising and lowering ceremony followed by a 21-gun salute at the Village Hall.
Sheffield Lake
Sheffield Lake residents can attend services at the VFW Post 8686, 577 Harris Road, at 11 a.m. Monday or help AMVETS put flags on grave sites in the city’s cemeteries. AMVETS will begin its efforts at 7:30 a.m. and afterward will return to the AMVETS post to play taps.
Vermilion
Vermilion AMVETS members will place flags at local cemeteries including Maple Grove and Rugby cemeteries at 9 a.m. Saturday.
Vermilion E&R Church at 752 Grand St. will dedicate its 10:30 a.m. Sunday worship service in honor of Memorial Day. The community is invited to join for prayer and reflection.
At 2 p.m. Sunday, the Vermilion Veterans Council Rifle Squad, Color Guard and Auxiliary will meet at 3:30 p.m. at Volunteer Bay, followed by services at 4 p.m. at the Inn at Chappel Creek. Services will also be 4 p.m. at the Lake Road Cemetery, commonly called McKenzie Woods. Vermilion High School will be the scene of services at 5 p.m. All times are tentative.
Veterans will gather at 7 a.m. Memorial Day at the American Legion post for coffee and doughnuts, followed by an 8 a.m.
observance to lower the American flag to half-staff at Exchange Park where a wreath will be placed. The same observance will be repeated at 9 a.m. at Maple Grove Cemetery. At 10 a.m., units will form at Ferry Street for the Memorial Day parade.
Services will be 11 a.m. at Victory Park featuring Lt. Col. Joel Hagy, a U.S. Army veteran.
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Committee
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Committee will hold its annual Memorial Vigil on Saturday at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial of Lorain County on North Lake Street in Amherst. The opening ceremony will begin at 6 p.m. and the closing ceremony will be at midnight. Amherst Mayor David Taylor will speak, the Rev.
Michael Plog, of Faith Baptist Church, Amherst, will give the invocation and Joseph Koziura, a Vietnam veteran and candidate for Lorain County commissioner, will be the keynote speaker. The Army ROTC of Southview High School, led by 1st Sgt. Sam A. O’Bechi, and the Navy ROTC of Admiral King, led by Commander Daniel Tuttle, will be the Color Guard, Dennis Munoz will be the vocalist and Ron Tennant will play “Amazing Grace” and taps.
All are welcome. For information, call Don Attie at (440) 320-3781.
Wakeman
Participants in Monday’s activities should gather near the Wakeman Congregational Church at 6:45 a.m. A march to the old school on River Street will take place at 7 a.m. Area Scout troops will present and raise the flag and lead the Pledge of Allegiance. The Gettysburg Address will be presented by Christen Dillon, and the Memorial Day address will be given by Legion member Ross Baird.
Also participating in the activities will be the Western Reserve band and other members of the Wakeman American Legion. Breakfast will be served 8 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. at the Legion Hall following the event.
The public is invited.
Wellington
Services will get under way at 10:30 a.m. Monday at the monument in front of Town Hall. That will be followed by a parade led by the Wellington High School band.
