Middletown Firemen's Festival and Parade honors veterans

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[July 18, 2016]  MIDDLETOWN - Firefighters, food, fun, and family were a big part of the Middletown Firemen's Festival held July 15 and 16, 2016.

Saturday's events included a breakfast hosted by the Knapp Chestnut Becker (KCB) Historical Society in the Middletown Park Pavilion.

The small town has a lot of history. President of the KCB Historical Society, Bill Post, has worked with the festival for many years and has helped find a lot of old photos of the town. Post said his mom was born and raised in Middletown and he lived there until he moved to Lincoln when he was 13.



Post said former teacher Winifred Coningham Golden restored the Knapp Chesnut Becker Museum and Library found on the town's main square. He said the building had served many functions such as being a doctor's office, residence, pharmacy, Marbold Bank, post office, restaurant, and insurance agency.



Esther Boward has been coming to the festival since she was nine. Boward said her parents were very active in the local American Legion and community. Her late husband worked for the fire department for many years and Boward said they had a "fire phone" in their house. Boward likes giving back to the community.

A parade was another part of the morning events. One family waiting to watch it said, "We love a parade."

The parade was emceed by Ron Sanert. Sanert said he has been part of the festival for 40 years.

Entries in the parade included a color guard, Grand Marshall Earl Baker, Minions, the Land of Lincoln Antique Tractors and Small Engines Club, the Middletown Rough Riders, Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops, the Lincoln Railettes, and several fire departments from around the county.

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After the parade, a ceremony honoring veteran's was held in the pavilion. Lesleigh Bennett opened the ceremony by singing the National Anthem, followed by the Color Guard. To honor the veterans, a bagpipe player performed the songs Hector the Hero, Coming Home, and Amazing Grace.

Esther Boward gave the blessing, thanking God for America and all service men and women. She asked that God grant peace to the nation and thanked him for this nation. Boward said she was thankful for the volunteer fire department and rescue squad and remembered the veterans who gave the supreme sacrifice. Boward closed by asking God to Bless America.

Middletown Volunteer Fire Department Chief Josh Gasparini said, "We do this because of the sacrifice of veterans. They are the reason we are here. We recognize them with a small token of appreciation." He also recognized the Ladies Auxiliary and all they do to support veterans.
Gasparini and Assistant Chief Scott Schriber handed out "tokens of appreciation" to the veterans in attendance.

Boy Scout Troop 4111 of Lincoln performed a flag retirement ceremony to retire three flags. Troop member Zach Schafer explained how the flags would be folded, the metal cut off the flag, and the flags thrown into a wood fire. The ceremony ends with a salute and the Pledge of Allegiance.

Assistant Scoutmaster Melissa Tanner said the ashes have to buried after the fire dies down. Tanner said this was the first flag retirement ceremony the troop has done.

The events continue through the day with BINGO, a Firemen's Waterball Fight, Kid's Waterball Fight, and musical entertainment.

The Middletown Firemen's Festival brought out many community members to celebrate the town and honor firefighters and veterans.

[Angela Reiners]

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