The ninth O’Mena St. Patrick’s Day parade didn’t exactly have the Luck O’ the Irish when it came to the weather. It was a mere 30 degrees with light flurries as the parade began. That did not deter a hardy and fun-loving group of Omena residents from walking or driving the parade route.
Ron and Mary Tonneberger were this year’s grand marshals. Omena’s canine Mayor, Rosie Disch, was dressed to the nines, with all 10 toes painted green.
Almost 30 people and 8 dogs participated, with over half of the people and most of the dogs walking the parade route. Many thanks to the Leelanau Township Fire Department, which had one of their fire engines lead the parade. Thanks also to Bill and Susan Krusel and their son William for providing some great Irish tunes to march to.
Sidetracking a bit from the story, it’s amazing how much time it has saved me since I learned that it is okay to end a sentence with a preposition. So much thought would go into rewording those sentences. While I frequently end my sentences with a preposition when I am speaking, I think this the first time I have done it in formal writing. How liberating!
Back to the St. Patrick’s Day parade, there were about a dozen parade-watchers gathered at Omena Beach, braving the brisk wind awaiting the parade. Among them, to no surprise, were Basil and Barbara Stowe, who have not missed an O’Mena parade, no matter what the weather. This year, three of their children joined them – Donna, Janet, and Marcus. Linda Szarkowski and Jule, an exchange student from Germany who is staying with Linda, were also there to watch the parade. You could say that Jule had come from the farthest away.
After the parade, everyone headed to Knot Just a Bar – Omena for some great Irish specialties, wonderful music by the trio Bill, Harry, and Sandy’s St. Pat’s O’Rama, and socializing with friends and neighbors. The Knot awarded gift certificates for the best Irish outfits. Diane Joyce won the Best Dressed Lass award, and Bill Krusel won the Best Dressed Lad award. This was not Diane’s first time to capture the title.
It’s time for spring house cleaning, so it’s important that I mention this Northport Arts Association (NAA) event now. They are holding their Arts and Treasures fundraiser August 10 and 11. They are looking for donations of fine art, sculpture, pottery, prints, frames, glass art, vintage jewelry, art and craft books and supplies, and other collectibles. The drop off date is not until August 6, but it’s not too early to start setting those items aside. You can go to their website for more information on this, and on current classes and other upcoming events.
Happy Birthday to Sarah Chenault, Agnes Cromartie, Amy Oosterhouse, and Julie DeWitt. Happy Anniversary to Mike and Laurie Adelson.
