Milder weather for today's St. Patrick's Day parade.

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Those in attendance appreciated the milder temperatures
during the parade.

By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.

VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF

BOARDMAN — Fairly mild temperatures and dry conditions were not lost on parade participants or those who came out to see them march down the usually busy Market Street area in the township.

Folding chairs and vehicles lined the street between the township government building and DeBartolo Place on Sunday afternoon. Many chairs sat empty as children abandoned them to stand alongside the road clutching plastic shopping bags in anticipation of catching candy tossed from passing parade floats. Many parents were busy helping their little ones collect the treats.

With the mild weather, many parade spectators abandoned their winter jackets and let the more festive green shirts, sweaters and beads show. The result was a hooray of green hues along both sides of the parade route. The theme this year was "Blarney in the Valley."

Rob Kale, treasurer with the Mahoning Valley St. Patrick Day Parade Committee, said turnout for the parade was very good. The weather, he said, was a key factor in the high numbers. Sunday's high reached 43.

"Turnout was very good this year and the weather really worked in our favor," he said.

Kale said a lot of work goes into parade preparation and the committee and participants appreciate the high level of support from the community.

Megan Beam, a yearly parade spectator from Boardman, said she is a member of the community that will continually offer support to the parade.

Beam spent Sunday afternoon dressed in green shirt, green sunglasses in the shape of a clover and a Leprechaun hat. She and her 4-year-old son, Brendan, waved at passing floats while collecting candy to add to Brendan's collection of sweet treats.

"We just like to come out every year and celebrate being Irish," she said. "I just think it's great that the community can come together and do things like this," she said.

Beam said she appreciated the warmer weather during this year. She said her family, in past years, would go back and forth to the car to get warm, but they were able to enjoy the entire parade this year.

Sue Brandenstein of Youngstown said she is very familiar with cold parade conditions. She and her sons George and Christopher used to participate and she can remember bundling up the two boys before they started passing out candy.

Brandenstein and her sons enjoyed the parade from the sidelines this year. Both boys said they enjoyed riding on a float, but prefer collecting candy to passing it out.

Keith Davis of Youngstown has watched the parade every year since 1987. He said watching the kids enjoy themselves is a delight. He brought his neighbor's son, who has never seen a parade, to enjoy the festivities.

The mild weather also made the parade more pleasant for the participants.

Dale Queen of Mahoning Valley Olde Car Club said club members have participated in the parade for years, but always appreciate the higher temperatures.

He said some classic car owners do not like to bring their vehicles out in bad weather, but the nice weather brought out about 20 car owners.

Kenneth Dressel, dressed as a leprechaun, has donned his green suit and rode his green tricycle bike in St. Patrick's Day parades for years. His adult son now decorates cars and one-of-a-kind bicycles and joins his father along with two of his adult daughters.

"It's a family affair anymore. We enjoy this. I dress up like this, and we make people smile. We really enjoy that," he said. "It's much better this year. I am really glad we got this weather."

Kale said the parade had more than 130 participants with something for everyone to enjoy.

"We have ... tractor trailers, marching bands, piping units — there is a little bit of everything in the parade," he said.

jgoodwin@vindy.com

Monday, March 12, 2007