The 35th annual Mahoning Valley St. Patrick’s Day Parade will move down Market St. in Boardman on Sun., Mar. 10, beginning at the Township Government Center at 1:00 p.m.
      Upwards of 200 units---floats, bands, politicians, Irish groups, honorees---speckled with the zany, will travel north where the parade will end at Southwoods and Market St., in front of the Edward J. DeBartolo Building.
      Estimates place crowds along the parade route at between 15,000 to 20,000 people where all seem to adhere to the old adage that ‘Everybody is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day.’
      Theme of this year’s parade will be Shamrocks of Steel. Grand Marshal will be James Rooney, president of Advanced Manufacturing Technology Ventures LLC (AMTV), of Wexford, Pa. He is the son of Pittsburgh Steelers Chairman Dan Rooney, who once served as Ambassador to Ireland.
      Special honorees will be Dan Becker, Lord Mayor of Kilkenny; Bill Leskovec, Ockerman Award; and James ‘Muggsy’ McGuiness, Bill Cleary Award.
      Joyce Kale-Pesta, serves as president of the parade committee, while Casey Malone is director. Also heading-up the parade committee are Robb Kale, treasurer; Sharon Sabatka, secretary; and Joe Illencik Jr., head marshall.
      Parade Committee members include, Tom Butler, Terry Brennan, Joe Calinger, Pat Chrystal, Marilyn Carroll, Julaine Gilmartin, Peggy Lazano, Dolly Milick, John Sheridan, Mary Jane Venitti and Grant Williams.
      Serving as parade marshals will be Jack Filak, Bill Leskovec, Paul Dolak, Jason Calinger, Ted Stipanovich, Tony Barbessi, Tim Philibin, Anthony Sabatka, Terry Coyle, Mike Cook, Brian Kelly, Matt Hlebak, Joe Illencik III, Doug Sherl, Joe Illencik Sr., Mike Timlin, Gus Gustafson, Lenny Sefcik, Ed Maloney, Jim Doran, Ray Kelly IV, Tom Eich, Tim Kelly, John Eich, Anthony Wanio and Rob Pappas.
      “This is the first year we have had a website and it has been great. People are using that for submissions to march in the parade and it is going really well. Check out the site at MVStPatrickParade.com,” Malone said this week.
      The Mahoning Valley St. Patrick’s Day Parade is among the largest such events in Ohio.