Memorial Day Parade

The 131st Memorial Day parade in Westminster will begin at 10 a.m. tomorrow, rain or shine.Starting at Pennsylvania Avenue and Monroe Street, marchers will proceed down Pennsylvania, turn left on Main Street, then left on Church Street, to the end of the parade route at the Westminster Cemetery.Formal exercises will follow at the cemetery with Maj. Karen Doyle, battalion commander of Western Maryland College ROTC, as guest speaker.Paul Peterson, a senior at Westminster High School, will read Lincoln's Gettysburg Address and "The Star-Spangled Banner" will be performed by Joan Fehle, accompanied by the Westminster Municipal Band under the direction of Richard Hill.

Monday, May 30 Memorial Day parade Parade in Historic Annapolis runs 10 a.m. to noon with a memorial ceremony from noon to 12:30 p.m. at City Dock. The parade route begins on West Street at Amos Garrett Boulevard, follows Church Circle to Main Street and ends at City Dock. Information: annapolis.gov. Blacksmith group The Chesapeake Forge Blacksmith Guild meets at 7 p.m. at Kinder Farm Park, 1001 Kinder Farm Park Road, Millersville. Members learn new techniques while working on projects.

Rep. Beverly B. Byron, D-6th, will be the honorary parade marshal for the Westminster Memorial Day parade Monday. Westminster resident Harry Emigh Jr., a veteran of World War II and the Korean War, will lead the parade.Joseph Walsh, a county resident and Pentagon reporter for NBC Radio, will give an address during a program after the parade. Walsh covered the Persian Gulf war and the fall of the Soviet government in Moscow.The parade will form at 9 a.m. at Belle Grove Square and start at 10 a.m. on a downtown route to the Westminster Cemetery.

The 140th annual Westminster Memorial Day parade and observance kicks off from Monroe Avenue at 10 a.m. tomorrow, followed by a memorial service at the Westminster Cemetery. This year's speaker at the memorial service is Maj. Edwin F. "Ed" Singer III, who will leave for a 14- to 15-month tour of duty in Iraq on Wednesday with the 450th Civil Affairs Battalion. Singer said his speech will focus on veterans from previous wars. "I guess my thing is, I have an appreciation for the things people did that came before us, like in World War I and II, Korea, Vietnam," Singer said.

As a rule, state Sen. Michael J. Wagner, a Ferndale Democrat, avoids parade appearances, saying that they only give constituents the chance to insult him.But the senator says he will risk it today. He is to ride in the Glen Burnie Memorial Day Parade at 2 p.m. with County Council candidate James "Ed" DeGrange.He last appeared in a Maryland City parade in 1978, during his first -- and unsuccessful -- run for the Senate against H. Erle Schafer. He's eschewed them ever since."The Glen Burnie Parade is a payback," Mr. Wagner said tongue-in-cheek, referring to criticism that he fancies himself an old-school political boss.

They're everywhere -- trendy silk banners flapping in the breeze.Joyful greetings to all who pass by? Or the pumpkin leaf bags of the '90s?As a woman who still has difficulty remembering to write "1994" on each check, I am in awe of people who manage to change banners to match the holidays.Valentine hearts, shamrocks and Easter Bunnys are nice, but I would like to see the banners used for a more practical purpose, as a warning. For example:* A scale superimposed on a refrigerator. Beware of dieter.

Entering the house, my friend paused and sniffed the air."Potpourri?" she asked. "Who's coming to visit?"I chose to ignore her.Giving me a smile suggesting I was way out of my league, she explained:"You're removing the labels from old TV Guides and attempting to affix them to copies of New Republic. There's a box in your trash from a recently purchased step aerobic bench. These clues taken alone could mean it's an old school friend."Moving into the kitchen, she continued."Fresh fruit artfully arranged in a basket replacing the Tupperware bowl of Gummy Bears and Gushers.

THE OPPORTUNITY TO honor the spirit of volunteerism presents itself as the Glen Burnie Improvement Association accepts nominations for the Richard H. Carter Memorial Award for outstanding service to our community.Nominations will be accepted through May 1, when members of the award committee begin the task of selecting this year's recipient.Committee member Roger Little outlines the basic requirements for a nominee: residence in the 21060 or 21061 ZIP code; outstanding service to the greater Glen Burnie community as a volunteer and not as part of the nominee's employment.

Please note that even though I do not have the space to be unbelievably witty in my weekly column, I have rented a small space at Giant in the bulk food aisle where I share my insight on the human condition with shoppers who have been reduced to buying plastic bags full of generic gummy bears.*Fifty years after their victory, veterans of World War II will march again when Glen Burnie's annual Memorial Day Parade steps off at 2 p.m. Sunday with a salute to the men and women who fought in the "Big One."

I CAN'T believe you're giving up your column." My friend shook her head at the news I am retiring from the weekly deadline in a few weeks.Smiling, I noted the paper had offered me such an attractive early-retirement, golden-parachute deal that I couldn't pass up the opportunity."They're letting her continue to field all 6 a.m. phone calls from subscribers who can't find their morning paper," my son added.Their laughter was interrupted by my younger son, still peeved at my decision."Go ahead and laugh," he huffed.

CENTRAL Memorial Day parade is set for tomorrow American Legion Post 31 will sponsor the 139th annual Memorial Day Parade and Observance tomorrow through Westminster. The parade will start at 10 a.m. and march down Pennsylvania Avenue to Main Street to Church Street to Westminster Cemetery. A Memorial Day program will begin at 11 a.m. at the cemetery. If the parade is canceled because of inclement weather, the program will be held at the National Guard Armory on Hahn Road. Information: 410-848-6179.

UNIONTOWN'S MEMORIAL DAY service was particularly moving this year as residents laid a wreath to honor David Bennett, a Vietnam veteran and the town's former Memorial Day parade organizer. Bennett, former president of the Uniontown Improvement Association, died in December at age 66. Many friends and neighbors remember him for his many community activities, his fondness for old cars and his loyalty. It seemed fitting to honor not only a war veteran but a man who has meant so much to so many in the Carroll County village.

Westminster Carroll Post 31 of the American Legion will observe Memorial Day with a parade and memorial service tomorrow. The parade will feature five marching bands, veterans organizations, Scout troops, the Civil Air Patrol, Army National Guard members, Civil War re-enactors and about 200 children from St. John School re-enacting the first Memorial Day Observance in 1868. The parade will begin at 10 a.m. at the Monroe Street formation area, continue down Pennsylvania Avenue and go east on Main Street to Church Street, then to the Westminster Cemetery for the memorial service at 11 a.m. Walter Shipley, a World War II Navy veteran, will be honorary marshal.

I CAN'T believe you're giving up your column." My friend shook her head at the news I am retiring from the weekly deadline in a few weeks.Smiling, I noted the paper had offered me such an attractive early-retirement, golden-parachute deal that I couldn't pass up the opportunity."They're letting her continue to field all 6 a.m. phone calls from subscribers who can't find their morning paper," my son added.Their laughter was interrupted by my younger son, still peeved at my decision."Go ahead and laugh," he huffed.

I GUESS YOU'RE excited about the big vacation," my friend said as she carried her suitcases into my bedroom. "A family reunion on the Gulf of Mexico. You're going to have a great time."

THE OPPORTUNITY TO honor the spirit of volunteerism presents itself as the Glen Burnie Improvement Association accepts nominations for the Richard H. Carter Memorial Award for outstanding service to our community.Nominations will be accepted through May 1, when members of the award committee begin the task of selecting this year's recipient.Committee member Roger Little outlines the basic requirements for a nominee: residence in the 21060 or 21061 ZIP code; outstanding service to the greater Glen Burnie community as a volunteer and not as part of the nominee's employment.

John Stumpf III is grooming his old fire engine these days, making sure that old Glen Burnie engine No. 332 is ready to roll with the volunteer fire company's new No. 332 in the community's Memorial Day parade."