Hannah LaCoe, left, 6, and her sister Grace, 9, wave flags in the back of the truck of Dalton Do It Center, owned by their father Scott and grandfather Doug LaCoe at the 2019 parade.
Abington Journal file photo
Auxiliary of VFW Post 7069 members John Yevonishon, left, and Nick Shychuk perform the folding of the flag as Senior Vice Commander John Wettstein, center, reads the meanings behind each fold at the Memorial Day ceremony at the 2018 parade.
Abington Journal file photo
Dressed in red, white and blue, Mariah McClendon, 8, and her sister Asiah, also 8, both of Clarks Summit, cheer for the 2018 parade with their pom poms.
Abington Journal file photo
CLARKS SUMMIT — After a three-year hiatus, the Memorial Day Parade will return in Clarks Summit on Monday, May 30. For just this year, it will be called the annual VFW Post 7069 in conjunction with Clarks Summit Borough in memory of Dominic Scott. Scott was the parade’s chairman. He along with World War II veterans and Korean War veterans ran it for 27 years before his death in 2019. He was also a life member of Post 7069 and a former councilman. After his death, Mike McLane, quartermaster and adjutant of Post 7069, coordinated the parade, which was canceled in 2019 due to rain and again in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID.
“After talking with the borough and a lot of civic organizations in Clarks Summit, we decided to have the parade this year,” said McLane.
The parade will have the same route as previous times, from the parking lot of Clarks Summit Elementary School on Grove Street, through South Street, and end at the VFW Post 7069 for the ceremony, which will begin at approximately a quarter after twelve.
“We’re happy that COVID has subsided and we can have the parade,” said McLane. “It’s something that the citizens of the borough look forward to. And it’s a way that Post 7069 gives back to the community.”
Local fire companies, scouts from Pack 160 and Pack 251, and Abington Heights High School will participate in the parade. The Abington Heights High School marching band, which is composed of 38 band students and five band fronts, will perform a wide variety of patriotic songs in the parade such as “You’re a Grand Old Flag” and “Stars and Stripes Forever.” There will also be a tribute to every branch of the US military by performing each of their songs. The students will be led by band director Michael Lesnesky. He teaches band for both the middle school and high school. He used to teach concert band, marching band, and jazz band at the Valley View School District for the last 12 years.
“This is my first year at Abington and I am teaching concert band at both the middle and high school, as well as marching and jazz band at the high school,” he said. “I have only heard excellent things about the Memorial Day parade, so it is truly an honor to be the director of the Abington Heights Marching Band and to participate in the first parade as part of the district. I really look forward to an outstanding event.”
Clarks Summit council members will also march in the parade again this year. Council president Gerrie Carey believes the parade will have a big turnout. “There’s going to be an overflow of people because of the fact it’s been delayed,” she said. “Dominic is definitely in charge of the weather for our parade, and since it’s in his honor, he better not let it rain on it.”
