Entertainment & Lifestyle

Area residents had a chance to tour the historic chapel at Glendale Cemetery, Akron’s oldest cemetery, during last year’s Memorial Day ceremony. Jim Hartman and his son Ryan, of Copley, took a moment to examine the stained-glass windows in the chapel.

During the Memorial Day observance at Glendale Cemetery last year, an Honor Guard made up of Copley Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion members presented a military salute to those who died in U.S. conflicts.

Photos: Krista Galloway

SUMMIT/MEDINA COUNTIES — Parades and solemn services will mark Memorial Day, May 25, throughout the area. Local communities have planned a variety of events to recognize veterans. The following is a list of events taking place in the West Side Leader coverage area.

SUMMIT COUNTY

Akron

The Akron-Summit County Veterans Council (all VFW, Legion and Army/Navy posts) will host a Memorial Day Military Observance Ceremony May 24 at 1 p.m. at the Civil War Memorial at Glendale Cemetery, 150 Glendale Ave. in Downtown Akron. The program will include a 21-gun military salute by the combined Copley VFW/American Legion Rifle Honor Guard, as well as a short talk by Summit County Veterans Service Commission President George Fisher. A guided tour through the 150-year-old Civil War Chapel will follow. Glendale Cemetery, Akron’s oldest, was dedicated just after the Civil War. For more information, call (330) 668-2205.

Bath

The annual Memorial Day observance will take place at noon May 25 at the Bath Veterans Memorial Park, located on the corner of West Bath and North Cleveland-Massillon roads. Residents are encouraged to bring flags, chairs and umbrellas.

The township will present a tour of Stony Hill Cemetery at 2 p.m. The cemetery, previously known as the Miller Cemetery, has more than 50 markers, many of which belong to the Hopkins and Miller families, who arrived in the area in 1813 and 1827, respectively. To get to the cemetery from state Route 18, head north on Harmony Hills Drive and then east on Melody Drive. Parking is available in the cul-de-sac.

Also, the Bath Township Museum, 1241 N. Cleveland-Massillon Road, will be open May 25 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. A tour of Stony Hill School, with 10 volunteers portraying early educators relating tales of school days in the neighborhoods, will start at 2 p.m.

Copley

The American Legion Copley Post No. 473 and Copley VFW Post No. 7971 will lead a parade May 25 starting at 10 a.m. from Copley-Fairlawn Middle School, 1531 S. Cleveland-Massillon Road. The parade will end at the Copley Veterans Cemetery, on state Route 162, where a celebration of the 40th anniversary of the dedication of the Eternal Flame at the cemetery will take place. WKYC-TV News Channel 3 co-anchor Eric Mansfield, a retired major of the Ohio National Guard, will be the guest speaker and in the parade, and the Rev. Becki Verbridge will give the invocation. Participants in the parade will include the Garfield High School Navy Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps Honor Guard, Copley High School bands, Copley Police and Fire departments, Copley Kiwanis, Lions Club members, Boy and Girl Scouts, and bagpipers from the Celtic Eagle Pipe Band. A flyover by a Chinook helicopter, courtesy of Company B, Unit 3-238 GASB Ohio Army National Guard, also is planned, weather permitting. In case of rain, events will take place at the middle school.

Cuyahoga Falls

The 77th annual Cuyahoga Falls Memorial Day parade, hosted by the American Legion Charles Faust Post No. 281, will take place May 25 at 9 a.m. The 1.8-mile parade route will feature more than 100 units this year, according to parade organizers. The route will begin from the State Road Shopping Center, located at the intersection of Portage Trail and Lillis Drive, and head east to Fourth Street, then to Oakwood Drive and to Oakwood Cemetery, where a service will take place at 11 a.m. Participants are asked to bring their own lawn chairs. Speakers will include Stow Police Chief Louis Dirker, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran; Gold Star Mothers Melody Roop, Linda Large and Julie Emch; Gold Star Fathers Wesley Emch and Larry Large; and Miriam Dirker, sister of Joseph Guenther, who was killed in action during the Vietnam War.

City officials will recognize Cuyahoga Falls resident Maj. Scott Croghan, a pilot of a C-130 aircraft. Croghan will retire from the Air Force in August and has performed the local flyover when available. Prior to the parade, local Boy Scouts will walk along the route and collect nonperishable food items to be boxed by the United Service Organization and sent to troops overseas. Items also are being collected at the Natatorium. For more information, call Dave Sebastian at (330) 923-3201.

Also, Northlawn Memorial Gardens, 4724 State Road, will feature 408 flags flying over its avenues May 24-25. The flags were presented by the U.S. government to families of veterans and entrusted by them to the cemetery to be flown in memory of the veterans buried there, according to cemetery officials. Boy Scout Troop No. 333 will assist in raising the flags in the morning and lowering them at sunset May 24-25. The VFW Bob Appleton Post No. 3294 will place flags on each of the 2,200 veterans’ graves at the cemetery prior to Memorial Day weekend. A formal service conducted by the VFW Ralph Huff Post No. 1062 — which will do a 21-gun salute with assistance from veterans from Ajax, Canada — will take place at the cemetery May 25 at 1 p.m. For more information, call (330) 923-7084.

Fairlawn

Fairlawn Mayor Bill Roth will host the Fairlawn VFW Post No. 349 Memorial Day Ceremony May 25 at 11 a.m. at Bicentennial Park, 3486 S. Smith Road. The Rev. Walter Chisholm, commander of the Fairlawn VFW Post No. 349, will be the master of ceremonies, and Tom Adams will lead the flag-raising ceremony. Also, one award will be presented to the city’s outstanding police officer and fire department member. Fairlawn Lutheran Boy Scout Troop No. 390 will assist in the service, and Harry Schwab will present a memorial remembrance. For details, call (330) 668-2205.

Norton

On May 25 at 11 a.m., the Loyal Oak VFW Post No. 4466 will host a memorial service at the gazebo in Williams Memorial Park to honor fallen U.S. soldiers. The park is located at the northeast corner of South Cleveland-Massillon Road and Norton Avenue. The local winner of the National VFW Voice of Democracy scholarship competition — Norton High School junior Devon Morrison — will read his essay. Bill Schweitzer, quarter master of the VFW, will be the master of ceremonies.

Peninsula

Mother of Sorrows Church, 6034 S. Locust St., will host a memorial service following the 8:30 a.m. mass on Memorial Day at its cemetery. Also, there will be two parades in Peninsula May 25. The first will begin at the Boston Township Hall, located on state Route 303 and Riverview Road, at 11 a.m. The procession will head to Cedar Grove Cemetery, located on state Route 303, where a memorial service is planned.

The second parade will begin at noon at Cornerstone Family Church (formerly Boston Community Church), located at Hines Hill at Boston Mills roads, and will proceed to Boston Cemetery for another service. The Woodridge High School Band will participate in both parades, along with veterans, Scouts and youth organizations, antique cars and the Valley Fire District.

The Cuyahoga Valley Historical Museum, 1775 Main St., will unveil an exhibit celebrating the sesquicentennial of Peninsula and Boston Township. The exhibit will open to the public at 9 a.m.

Also on Memorial Day at 10 a.m., the Peninsula Library will host its annual memorial service commemorating the service of former staff, board members and Friends of the Peninsula Library.

Richfield

Two parades and ceremonies are planned in Richfield Village May 25, including a short one at 8 a.m. led by the American Veterans Post No. 176 at Fairview Cemetery, 3990 Brecksville Road, with a short service to follow, and a second parade with participation from local high school bands, fire trucks and other organizations and groups stepping off at 9:45 a.m. from the Richfield Historical Society, 3907 Broadview Road, and marching to the West Richfield Cemetery, 4219 Broadview Road, with a service to follow. The Bath-Richfield Kiwanis and Revere Local Schools Key Club members will offer a pancake and sausage breakfast from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Masonic Temple on Grant Street. The cost is $5, or $3 for children younger than 13.

MEDINA COUNTY

Granger

Activities will begin May 25 with a Memorial Day Parade at 9 a.m. at Highland Middle School, leading to a service at Fairview Cemetery, with the Rev. Shannon Blower, pastor of the Church at Stony Hill, as the keynote speaker. The short parade will form in the Highland Middle School parking lot. An open house with refreshments will take place at the fire station, 3737 Ridge Road, following the program.

The Granger Library and Historical Society, 1195 Granger Road, will host an open house focusing on World War II from 10 a.m. to noon. Call (330) 239-1523 for details.

Sharon

Sharon Township’s Memorial Day Parade will begin May 25 at 9 a.m. beginning at Ruhlin Construction, 6931 Ridge Road, and traveling north to finish at Sharon Center Circle. A ceremony will take place at the circle at the conclusion of the parade and an open house will follow at the Sharon Township Administrative Building. For details, call (330) 239-1291.