Communities gather for Memorial Day...

5/24/2011

Communities through the area will honor veterans at Memorial Day ceremonies and events, most of them Monday.

Cobleskill...
In Cobleskill, AMVETS of Schoharie County will host a parade, stepping off at 10am from Legion Drive to Centre Park.
At the park, a Memorial Day service will feature Mayor Mark Galasso as the keynote speaker.
All are invited.

Schoharie...
Schoharie’s Memorial Day parade will be Thursday, May 26, with lineup at 5:30pm.
The parade will step off at 6:30pm.
A memorial ceremony will follow at Main and Spring Street; parade prizes will be awarded.
The event is sponsored by Schoharie American Legion Post 1261.

Richmondville...
In Richmondvile, services will be held in the Memorial Park on Main Street across from the Post Office at 11am.
The Richmondville American Legion and Legion Auxiliary from Post 249 are sponsoring the event; the public is invited.
Post Commander Fred Guay will open the service, Lesley Sanders will offer the prayer, and guest speaker will be Richmondville Mayor Kevin Neary.
The memorial wreath will be presented and placed by Auxiliary President Betty Reven.
There will be a gun salute and Jeremy Ginsberg will play “Taps”.
A dish-to-share luncheon will follow at the Richmondville Fire House.
Sliced meat subs and drinks will be provided by the American Legion and table service will be provided by the Auxiliary.


Middleburgh...
Middleburgh’s Memorial Day ceremony will be held at 10am at Memorial Park on upper Main Street.
The American Legion, VFW, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts and Brownies, along with the third grade chorus, under the direction of Vicki Hoerz from Middleburgh Elementary, will take part in the program and Thelma Serrie will lead the singing.
The speakers will be retired Marine Corps Colonel James Bridadier and retired Navy nurse Debbie Bridadier.
Refreshments by the Cooperative and Century Clubs will follow.
In case of rain, the event, which is sponsored by the Middleburgh, Rotary, will be held in the Methodist Church Hall.

Sharon Springs...
In Sharon Springs, Memorial Day parade lineup will start at 10:30am at the school.
The parade will step off at 11 am with music provided by the Sharon Springs Central School band.
Following the parade, memorial ceremonies will be conducted in front of the monument in front of the school.
Last year, Sharon Springs American Legion Post 1269 started the third phase of the memorial project, which was the installation of pavers honoring servicemen and women.
Additional pavers continue to be placed.
BBQ chicken dinners will be available for purchase.
Advance sale tickets are available from members of the SSCS Class of 2014.

Old Stone Fort...
The Old Stone Fort in Schoharie will commemorate Memorial Day the way it was done more than a century ago: With brass bands, Civil War soldiers, oratory, cemetery tours and flowers for the graves.
A flag-raising ceremony will start the day at 10am, and events will build to the dedication of Schoharie County’s first Civil War monument at 5pm.
Throughout the day, the Excelsior Cornet Band, the only authentic Civil War brass band in New York, and the 77th New York Regimental Balladeers will perform “the greatest hits” of the 1860s-1880s.
The Fort’s traditional observance––called Decoration Day before its current Memorial Day name––also features Abraham Lincoln impersonator and Civil War scholar Pete Lindemann, along with historic readings, period performances by the band Rural Felicity and cemetery tours to decorate the graves of Civil War soldiers with spring flowers.
In late afternoon, events will turn to the new monument, which stands by others near the fort.
The Corporal James Tanner Camp #134 of the New York Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War spearheaded the drive for the Civil War monument.
The Sons will also take part in the dedication ceremony, which begins at 4:30 with a parade from the Dutch Barn to the monument with Civil War re-enactors and a flower wagon.
The Excelsior Cornet Band will perform at the monument as the Sons and President Lincoln will present remarks.
In addition to the monument dedication, the Fort is also featuring a special exhibit of memorabilia from local Civil War veterans.
The schedule for Decoration Day follows:
•10am, flag-raising ceremony and museum opens.
•11, 77th Regimental Balladeers concert.
•Noon, Memorial Day flag-raising followed by Excelsior Cornet Band concert.
•1pm, Cemetery tour.
•2, Balladeers concert.
•3, Address by President Lincoln and readings of historical documents.
•3:30, Rural Felicity performs.
•3:30, Cemetery tour.
•Parade from Dutch Barn to monument.
•5, Civil War monument dedication.
•6, Decoration Day procession through the cemetery to place flowers on Civil War graves.
•7, Balladeers and the Excelsior band perform and a flag-lowering.