Press Release reprint: Dec.28. 2005
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Newark Returns to its roots Fire Department wants to revive rose parade
NEWARK - Phelps had its sauerkraut. Lyons had its peppermint. But Newark had its roses - and, for many years, its Rose Parade. This summer, local firemen plan to revive that tradition. The Village Board last week gave permission for the Newark Volunteer Firemen's Association to hold a Rose Parade July 22.
Dick Colacino, a spokesman for the fire department, said he hopes it will be the biggest parade the village has ever seen.
"It's a way to me of bringing back our pride and demonstrating our heritage," he said .
Colacino and the other members of the parade committee will meet later this week to start planning the event. They need to line up sponsors - Colacino isn't sure how much the parade will cost - and will start sending out invitations to other fire departments whose members may want to participate. They need to decide what to include in the parade.
The old parades featured rose-decked floats, a Rose Queen and a bicycle decorating contest for children. All of that could be back, Colacino said.
"It used to pack in thousands of people on a weekend, many years ago," he said. "I would see them during the winter working on the floats .... It was the biggest event of the summer."
Colacino guessed that the last parade was held some 30 years ago, around the time the Jackson & Perkins Co. left Newark.
Founded in 1872, Jackson & Perkins had for years grown roses and other plants in the village. The company's flowers won many prizes, And Newark began calling itself the Rose Capital of the World. But the company moved west and apartments replaced the gardens that once grew along Route 88. Without the roses, the Rose Parade came to an end.
Colacino said he would like to get the whole community involved in bringing it back. He'd like to have local bands perform, possibly including the high school band, and he
said we may also reach out to other community groups. "We're looking for ideas and some help on it, probably," he said.
The Firemen's Association may only hold the parade once. In future years, it could be passed off to other organizations, Colacino said.
Also serving on the parade committee are Bob Orbaker, Dave Greco, Steve Vanderbrook, Gerald Van De Walle, Don Snow, Joe Nicosia Sr., Mike Cole, Mike Colacino, Kevin Shultz, Ron Elliot, Rod Bliss, Rusty Havert and Fire Chief Paul Chetney .
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jmiller@{ltimes.com
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