Archive - May 24, 2007 - Page
May 24, 2007
By ANDY KIRKALDY
VERGENNES — Like many World War II veterans, Vergennes native Martin Casey says he was just doing his job when he signed up to fight fascism, a decision that led him to fight under Gen. George S. Patton in Germany and then do post-war service in Japan.
Although he enlisted to serve in WWII, it took some arm-twisting on the part of officials of Vergennes American Legion Post 14, an outfit Casey has served as commander four times, to get him to agree to act as the marshal of the city’s Memorial Day parade, the state’s largest.
Casey, an accomplished musician and former Vergennes city clerk and shop owner who has also held many other key offices for Post 14, said others are more deserving of the honor. His parting words to an interviewer discussing parade duty with him were, “Don’t make me out to be some kind of war hero.”
May 24, 2007
By MEGAN JAMES
MIDDLEBURY — Middlebury College officials and town police are gearing up for what they believe will be the largest graduation ceremony this town has ever seen.
Former President Bill Clinton will deliver the commencement speech at the college this Sunday, May 27, and 7,000 people have secured tickets to see him.
In an effort to keep the ceremony, which will celebrate the approximately 600 graduates of the class of 2007, as intimate as possible, tickets were reserved for graduates and their families, alumni and friends of the college. No tickets are no longer available.
Secretary of the College John Emerson could not reveal many of the details of Clinton’s visit, only that he will speak at 10 a.m. on the green below Mead Chapel, and that only people with tickets will be permitted. Commencement is scheduled to run from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
ADDISON COUNTY — The last weekend in May is always a big one for anyone who likes to listen to brass bands play, wonder at the precision driving of Shriners in pint-size vehicles, and watch a procession of friends and neighbors march past holding banners and waving. This year should be no exception.
Six Addison County towns will host Memorial Day parades this weekend.
As usual, Orwell will kick-off the festivities with its traditional Sunday afternoon parade, which gets under way at 1:30 p.m. The 34th annual parade will line up on North Orwell Road and proceed through the village to the green. This year’s parade marshal, Cindy Watrous, will lead a procession that includes the Fair Haven Union High School band, the Catamount Pipe Band, four American Legion color guard units, at least six Shriners units and a collection of fire department and rescue vehicles from area towns. The Rev. John Tatro of the Orwell Congregational Church will give the invocation as part of the memorial service on the green.
