Lacedonia chosen as grand marshall of 4th of July parade

Date: 6/28/2010

June 28, 2010.

By Chris Maza

Reminder Assistant Editor

EAST LONGMEADOW -- With the East Longmeadow Fourth of July parade quickly approaching, the town parade committee has selected M. Daniel Lacedonia as the 2010 grand marshal.

Lacedonia is the 13th grand marshal for what is the largest such parade in Western Mass., dating back to the 1800's and is flattered by the appointment by the committee.

"It's obviously quite an honor and I'm very pleased to be named the Grand Marshal," Lacedonia said. "I've done many things in this town. I love this town and I suppose that's why they selected me for this honor."

Parade Committee Chairman Carl Ohlin said the main thing the committee looks for in its grand marshal is what the candidates have done for the East Longmeadow community.

"We look for somebody visible in the community who has participated in town activities," Ohlin said. "We want someone basically who has contributed to making the East Longmeadow community what it is."

The list of deeds and accomplishments for Lacedonia in the town include serving as the chairman of the East Longmeadow Registrars of Voters and being a member of the East Longmeadow Lions Club, from which he earned the Distinguished Citizen of the Year award in 1993.

He has also served on several committees, including the cable TV, school and library committees.

Throughout the years, Lacedonia's community involvement has been focused around improving the quality of life for all. He has served as the chairman of the Human Rights Committee for Goodwill Industries and worked for decades with the Hampden County Association for Retarded Children.

He was also the director of the Western Mass. Food Bank and helped organize "A Piece of the Pie," an event in which local restaurants donate a percentage of their revenue to the food bank.

"When I looked a his submission, it listed 25 different activities he was involved in," Ohlin said. "He's a bundle of energy. When he gets involved in something, he goes straight ahead with it."

For Lacedonia, who earned the rank of lieutenant junior grade in the Navy, the parade is one of the great events commemorating our country and those who had and continue to protect its liberties.

This year's parade is dedicated to Sgt. Mark Ecker II, who was killed in a car accident last July. Ecker lost both of his legs in an IED explosion in Ramadi, Iraq, and the East Longmeadow native had marched heroically in the parade each of the past three years on two prosthetic legs.

"Fourth of July parades are patriotic events," Lacedonia said. "It's always nice to participate in patriotic events and I have always enjoyed going to the parade."

As a resident of East Longmeadow for nearly 60 years, Lacedonia said he admired the way the parade has grown and thrived throughout the years and said it is a good reflection on the town.

"It shows that the town is growing. This town is alive," Lacedonia said. "This is a great town to live in. All of my children were educated here and they've all gone to college and are doing quite well. I'm very glad to live in an up-to-date, progressive town."



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2010 East Longmeadow 4th of July Parade Lineup



ADVANCE UNITS

• 9:30 a.m. -- Exchange Club of Greater Springfield followed by the 9th Mass. Battery Artillery Re-enactment Group

• 9:35 a.m. -- East Longmeadow Fire Deptartment followed by all out of town fire companies and the Bureau of Fire Control (Smokey the Bear), Miniature Horse Drawn Fire Wagon

• 10 a.m. -- Start of parade from Birchland School.



MILITARY UNIT

• Police Pace Car and East Long-meadow Police Chief

• Music: Windsor Fife and Drum

• Western Mass. Vietnam Veterans Chapter 111 Honor Guard

• Korean War Veterans of Western Mass Chapter 2000

• Korean War Vets of Connecticut Chapter 1

• Music: Yankee Doodle Band

• Grand Marshal M. Daniel Lacedonia

• Float: South Hadley Veteran's Committee

• Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) District 7

• VFW Post 3236 Honor Guard

• VFW Post 70 with Ladies Auxiliary

• VFW Post 9397 Hampden

• American Legion Post 293

• American Legion Womens Post 463

• Float: WWII Veterans

• WWII Jeep (Harvey Boudreau)

• WWII Jeep (Bill Howard)

• WWII Jeep (Richard Roz)

• WWII Jeep (Harland Avezzie)

• 82nd Airborne WWII Re-enactors

• Bay State West Submarine Vets

• Active and inactive reservist from Westover

• Recent war veterans

• Music: Connecticut Hurricanes Drum and Bugle Corps

• USS ESSEX aircraft carrier

• U.S. Coast Guard Recruiting

• U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Division 9

• Springfield Veterans Activity Center Van.



TOWN OF EAST LONGMEADOW

• Music: East Longmeadow High School Band

• East Longmeadow High School Varsity Cheerleaders

• Town Officials: East Long-meadow Board of Selectmen, School Committee and Republican Town Committee

• Float: Elks Lodge #61 and marchers

• State dignitaries: State Sen. Gale Candaras, State Rep. Angelo Pupolo Jr.

• Out of town officials: Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno and city councilors

• Music: Excelsior Drum Corps

• Hampden Board of Selectmen

• Longmeadow Select Board

• Longmeadow Democratic Town Committee

• Lenox/American Saw

• East Longmeadow High School Girls Basketball Western Mass. Champions

• Float: Springfield Lodge of Elks #61

• East Longmeadow Council on Aging

• Morning Glory Walkers

• Western Mass. Relics Softball Team

• Acres Power Equipment Co.

• East Longmeadow Suburban Youth Cheerleaders

• East Longmeadow Youth Foot-ball

• Music: Springfield Italian American Band

• Cub Scout Troup 272

• East Longmeadow Girl Scouts

• Titan Cheerleaders

• Float: Bodyworks Unlimited (float and cars)

• Meadows Driving School

• St. Michael's Players

• Congregational Church of East Longmeadow

• East Longmeadow High School 50th Anniversary Committee

• Big E (mini-tractor trailer)

• WWLP-TV: Sy Becker, Laura Hutchinson, Ashley Sattler and Nate Luscombe and the news truck

• DPW Truck-Steve Sevigne driver

• Hampden County Sheriff's Department (marchers and van)

• Music: Marquis of Granby

• Ms. Senior Mass. "Dr. Bobbie Rennix"

• Red Hat Society

• DJ Nino Cuccvia

• Greater Springfield Credit Union East Longmeadow Branch

• Float: Lupa Zoo

• Charlie Serafin (unicycle)

• Springfield Armor Basketball Team

• Wildcats Dance and Cheer Team

• Pioneer Gymnastics

• Wilbraham Twin Meadows Hockey

• Music: Polish American String Band

• Peter Pan Bus Lines

• Teddy Bear Pool

• Music: Hartford Steel Symphony

• East Longmeadow Unico/car

• East Longmeadow Rotary/car

• East Longmeadow Lions Club

• Whispering Horse Therapeutic Center

• C.E.R.T. Unit

• Donavan's Pub

• Springfield Falcons Hockey and mascot (Screech)

• Springfield Park Rangers

• Music: Les Eclairs Band

• Western New England College Police

• Ludlow High School Cheer-leaders

• Springfield Colleens

• Float: Chicopee Colleens

• Music: Celtic Thunder Youth Pipe Band

• Western Mass. Project 912

• Complete Restoration Solutions

• Wingate of East Longmeadow

• Colorful Creations Bead Co.

• Music: Faith Tabernacle Church

• Adam Quinnville Roofing and Siding

• Daponte Tractor Restorations

• Executive Valet Parking

• Antique Harley Davidson Motorcycle

• Back to the 50's (two '56 Fords)

• Parade of Corvettes "Old to New"

• Music: Old School Rock Band

• Han's Marshal Arts

• International Order of Rainbow Girls

• Helma Court 64 Ladies Oriental Shrine of N. America

• Leading the Melha Shrine Unit.



MELHA UNIT

• American Medical Response Vehicle.



NOTE: Banner carriers are urgently needed to assist in carrying musical sponsors banners and to date there are very few banner carriers who have signed on to help.

Anyone who can help out is asked to call Carl Ohlin at 525-2952 for information.