By Krystle S. Morey, Matthew Saari and Donna Frischknecht
Memorial Day will be the focus of area communities throughout New York and Vermont this weekend.
Towns large and small will have parades, ceremonies and even a commemorative plaque-unveiling to honor the men and women who fought and died in service to the United States of America.
Whitehall
The Birthplace of the U.S. Navy will host two ceremonies.
On Friday, May 26, starting at 10 a.m., Whitehall Elementary School will hold its 44th annual Memorial Day celebration. It’s scheduled to be outdoors with an alternative rain location of the school gymnasium.
The students will sing patriotic songs and elected officials and veterans will deliver speeches. Whitehall Boy Scout Troop 6083 in conjunction with American Legion Post 83 will conduct a flag-raising ceremony.
Three days later, on Monday, the American Legion will host the annual Memorial Day parade, Whitehall’s only parade of the year.
The event kicks off with a Catholic Mass at Our Lady of Angels Cemetery at 8 a.m. Following the Mass, the parade will step off in front of the American Legion post on Main Street at 10 a.m., moving north then turning down Clinton Avenue onto Broadway, turning onto Poultney St. then down Williams St. and terminating at the park, where a ceremony of remembrance will be held.
The parade’s grand marshal will be Conrad Peterson, a World War II Marine veteran.
Dresden
Just a few miles up the road from Whitehall, the town of Dresden will unveil a memorial plaque at the town hall on Sunday at noon.
The Whitehall American Legion Honor Guard will be present to perform a 21-gun salute.
Granville
Memorial Day activities in Granville kick off Friday, May 26, with a ceremony at Granville High School.
Students and community members are invited to the event, which will begin at 8:30 a.m. in the high school auditorium. The school band will play and area veterans will be in attendance.
On Monday, May 29, the VFW 1653 and American Legion Post 323 in Granville have an all-day celebration planned.
The day will start with a prayer and 21-gun salute at the monuments on the front lawn of Granville High School at 8 a.m.
Then members of the VFW and American Legion will lay wreaths, play Taps and perform a 21-gun salute at Elmwood Cemetery at 9 a.m. and at Mettowee Cemetery at 9:30 a.m.
Immediately following the cemetery visits, the Granville Memorial Day parade will start at 10 a.m. at the intersection of Pine and North streets in Granville and proceeds down Main Street to Veterans Memorial Park.
Members of the Granville Little League and Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops, school band, and first responders will march in the parade. Marchers will make stops along the parade route to lay wreaths and say prayers, including one at the WWII clock at TD Bank on Main Street and another on the Main Street bridge.
Upon leaving the bridge, the crowd will process to Veterans Memorial Park, where another ceremony will take place. The school bands will play the Star Spangled Banner, the chaplain will give a prayer, wreaths will be laid at each of the monuments and there will be a volley of three, followed by the playing of Taps.
Then Keith Koster of the New York American Legion will speak. Koster was the 2015-2016 4th District Commander and now serves as Judge Advocate for the 4th District. He resides in Saratoga Springs and holds many positions in the Saratoga County and Post American Legion.
The ceremony in the park will end with America the Beautiful.
In case of rain, the park ceremony will be moved to the American Legion Hall on Columbus Street.
VERMONT
Fair Haven
Fair Haven’s Spring Fling kicks off the unofficial start to summer. The outdoor event, featuring more than 40 vendors, is held on the Fair Haven Town Green, May 27 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. In the early afternoon, attention turns to the Memorial Day parade, organized by the local American Legion Post 49. The parade begins immediately after a ceremony honoring this nation’s veterans, which is held at the memorial at the intersection of Main and Washington Streets. It begins and ends at the intersection. Parade kicks off around 1:30 p.m. For further information about Spring Fling, contact the Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce at 802-265-8600.
West Rutland
The tradition of an annual Memorial Day celebration in West Rutland continues this year on Monday, May 29 at 10 a.m. am. The day begins with a parade, beginning at Westway Mall proceeding west on Main Street, Marble Street to Barnes Street to the cemeteries, continuing on Main Street to West Rutland School, ending at the Westway Plaza.
Hubbardton
At noon on Monday, May 29, the Hubbardton Battlefield State Historic Site will observe Memorial Day with a flag raising and tribute paid to the soldiers of Revolutionary War Battle of Hubbardton at the battle monument. The Hubbardton Battlefield is the site of the only Revolutionary War battle fought in Vermont—on July 7, 1777. It is located on Monument Hill Road six miles off VT Route 30 in Hubbardton, seven miles off exit 5 on US Route 4 in Castleton. For more information, call 802-273-2282.
Poultney
The Poultney Memorial Day parade begins 10 a.m. on May 29 at the Stewart’s Shop in town and continues up Main Street where a left is taken onto Route 30. Parade marchers, which will include members of the American Legion Post 39, will stop at the brook at the stone bridge for a short service. According to Robin Miller from the Poultney Village office, that service will take place around 10:15 a.m. The parade continues up to the cemetery, further north on Route 30. At the cemetery, three wreaths will be placed. The parade heads back south on Route 30 to the Town Hall where it will end at 11 a.m. Refreshments will be served at the American Legion following the parade.
Middletown Springs
The 48th annual Middletown Springs Memorial Day Parade takes place Sunday, May 28, at 3 p.m. “Unity and Sacrifice” is the theme of this year’s parade. And in observance to the 100th anniversary the United States’ entry into World War I, those who served during that conflict will be the focus of the parade and the ceremony that follows. The parade begins on South Street (Rt. 133) and Buxton Avenue and moves north to the Town Green. A riderless horse with military saddle and reversed boots in the stirrups will lead the procession, honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice in serving their country. Descendants, kin and supporters of the WWI veterans named on Middletown Springs’ WWI Monument on the Green will bring up the rear, holding the edges of a street-wide, 45-star antique flag from the late 19th century.
Hamburgers, hot dogs, baked goods, popcorn, soft drinks and water will be available for purchase on the southeastern edge of the Green, with proceeds to support the Fire Department and the parade.