Hamden Daily News - Your hometown cyberpaper
Hamden Weather
WXPort
What We Are | Inside Hamden | Letters to the Editor | HDN Contact Info | Archives | Send Us Money
Google
Search the HDN
Click here for
2007 Municipal Election Results

Inside the HDN
Home
General News
Town Government
In Your 'hood
Schools
A Chat in Hamden
Sports
Arts
Miscellaneous
Kids' News
Mark Your Calendar
Press Releases

Highville Charter School Story
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

Columnists
At Least Think About This New
The Dunbar Hill Report
Guest Column
HHS Newsroom
I'M GONNA SAY IT ANYWAY
My Word
Ron Responds
Tony Talks Sports
Victual Reality New
Whitneyville Before Elvis

Neighborhood News
Mount Carmel Buzz
Wanna be a neighborhood columnist? Please click here.

Special Sections
Hamden Milestones
Hamden Landmark Tales
Hamden's 70th Memorial Day Parade
Scenes from Summer Camp
The Angels of Martyrdom,
a novella by Hamden High senior David Amrani

The 7th Annual Brooksvale Fall Festival
Maple Sugaring at Brooksvale
Inside Hamden's Farmers Market
Hamden Snapshots, 2007

Town Stats
Local Obits
Bad Boys, Bad Girls 2008
Red Hot Calls 2008

Local Politics
Legislative Council '07-'09
LC Committees '07-'09
Board of Education '07-'09
BOE Committees '07-'09
Hamden Democratic Town Committee '08-'10
Hamden Republican Town Committee '08-'10
Hamden Green Party


Local Sports Links
Hamden High Cheerleaders
Hamden Hurricanes
Hamden Fathers' Baseball/Softball

Hamden Fathers' Basketball
Hamden Youth Lacrosse
Hamden Youth Hockey Assoc.
Hamden Figure Skating Assoc.
Hamden Soccer Assoc.
Greater Hamden Baseball Assoc.
Hamden Heronettes Synchronized Swimming


Town Links
The Mayor
Town Clerk
Town Hall Departments
School Superintendent
School Department

Hamden Police Department
Hamden Professional Firefighters
Hamden Arts Commission
Hamden Public Library
Hamden Dog Park
Elections & Registrars

Department

Hamden State Reps.
Peter Villano
Brendan Sharkey
Cameron Staples
Alfred Adinolfi

Hamden State Senators
Martin Looney
Joseph Crisco



Interesting Links
Vision Appraisal, Hamden
Concerned Citizens for Hamden Neighborhoods
Hamden Alliance for Responsible Taxation
Hamden Tax Relief
Hamden: Nobody Gets Out Alive
Hamden High Student Web Site
DEP Newhall Community Blog
Newhall Project Remediation
The Cheshire Town Post
Underground Town Hall
New Haven Independent
ctnewsjunkie
ConnecticutBLOG
My Left Nutmeg
Connecticut Local Politics
Colin McEnroe, To Wit
westportnow
Kent Tribune
cnn.com
Moveon.org
The Huffington Post
Drudge Report
NewsTrust
pittsburghdish
barista

craigslist
Yale Rep
Long Wharf Theatre
Shubert Theater

U.S. Veterans Affairs

Hamden's 70th Memorial Day Parade

May 29, 2006

Marching for Memories

Story by Sharon Bass; photos by Sharon Bass, Betsy Driebeek and David Driebeek

Some veterans' faces were bright red. Some stopped for water and rest. They were dressed in full uniform -- long sleeves and all -- and the weather was hot and sticky with bursts of bright sunshine. But marching in Hamden's 70th Memorial Day Parade yesterday was apparently far more important than comfort.

An estimated 2,400 made the trek from Hamden High to Old Memorial Town Hall, as the nearly 6,000 who lined Dixwell Avenue waved them on.

Vets, old and young, schoolchildren, athletes, dancers, cheerleaders, Hamden fire and police and a host of community and veterans' groups made for an impressive lineup, entertaining the crowd while reminding folks of the deceased who fought in American-involved wars.

Memorial Day parades didn't used to be so festive, said Abner Oakes, chair of the Hamden Veteran's Commission. They began as a simple and more somber event with the sole purpose to put flowers and flags on veterans' graves.

"I think it's now a way to honor veterans and [have] a community affair. It's something everybody looks forward to. I couldn't believe how many kids were marching," said Oakes, who organized this year's parade with fellow Commissioner Tom Slater. The parade cost the town $5,000 to hire bands and buy flags for cemeteries.

This year saw Hamden's first female grand marshal, Bernice Scaramuzza. The 85-year-old was a corporal in the Marines from 1944-1946. Her late husband, Joseph Scaramuzza, was in the Navy. The couple moved to Hamden 58 years ago.

"I'm just so honored. I'm just so honored," Scaramuzza said about marking her spot in local history as the first woman marshal. "Anything for veterans I'm willing to do." She is also a member of the Veterans' Commission. During World War II, she said she assembled and repaired airplane propellers in Quantica, Va.

Another notable town vet, George Meinsen was dressed in his wool gabardine getup to march with the Lancraft Fife & Drum Corps. He had marched in Hamden's first Memorial Day parade in 1936 when he was a boy, and said he hasn't missed many since.

"This is like my 600th parade. I go to at least 15 a year," said Meinsen, 82, who lives on Treadwell Street and served in World War II. Over this holiday weekend, he said he and his Lancraft group also joined North Haven's and Seymour's parades.

"I was a drummer before World War II," he said. "Now I play the fife. Basically it's a dedication to this drum corps, which has a huge history." The grandfather of 19 said the corps has performed in Chicago, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Switzerland.

Snapshots of the Parade

Who Marched (in order of appearance)

American Legion Post #88 Color Guard
Hamden Veterans' Commission
New Haven Gaelic Highland Pipe Band
Hamden Fire Department Color Guard
Hamden Fire Department
Hamden Volunteer Fire Department
Hamden Legislative Council
Hamden State Representative Delegation
Hamden Middle School Band
Greater New Haven Chapter #2 DAV
Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #10321
Greater New Haven Korean War Veterans #204
American Legion Post #105
AMVETS Post #9
Jewish War Veterans Post #204
Marine Cadets of American Company A 1st Battalion
Connecticut 29th Colored Regiment
Lancraft Fife and Drum Corps
Army National Guard Vehicle
Hamden Police Department Color Guard
Hamden Police Department
Knights of Columbus
Commodore John Barry Assembly Color Guard Day Spring Lodge #30
Hamden Figure Skating Club/Team Esprit
Hamden/North Haven YMCA
Women's Club of Hamden
Relay For Life
Hamden Commission on Disability Rights & Opportunities
Bashta's Martial Arts
Miss Connecticut's Outstanding Teen, Melanie Sanches
Teen Miss East Mountain, Ashley Membrino
Teen Miss Sprague, Lucy Fernandez
Hamden Girl Scouts and Brownies
Hamden Boy and Cub Scouts
Hamden Youth Soccer Association
Greater Hamden Baseball Association
Elm City Banjo Society
Hamden Republican Town Committee
Hamden Elks Lodge
Clear Channel Radio
Hamden High School Cheerleaders
Hamden High School Band
Dance Unlimited
Hamden Youth Hockey
Hamden High School Dance Team
Hamden Youth Lacrosse
Hamden Heronettes
Hamden Father's Football & Cheerleaders
Connecticut Alumni Drum & Bugle Corps
Miss Greater Hamden, Brooke Kellee Rivero
Miss North Haven Preteen, Shelby Johnson
Little Miss Junior Hamden, Eliza Kanner
Greater New Haven Stroke
Revolutionary Soldier, Craig Reynolds
Paradise Country Club Float
Joni's Dance Center
Hamden Father's Baseball/Softball Association
Academy of Kempo Martial Arts
United Methodist Church
School Bands from Bear Path, Helen Street, West Woods



MATTHEW J. CORCORAN, ESQ.

Auto Accidents
860 343 3443

email us



HAMDEN REPUBLICANS FOR CHANGE
Check us out!

Help support the Hamden Daily News by clicking a link below. If you purchase something at one of the advertised businesses via that click, we get a few bucks -- while you don't pay an extra cent.

21st Century Insurance
Amazon.com
Anna's Linens
Barnes & Noble
Beau Ties
Beyond Bedding
Big Mans Land
Blockbuster
Cheap Trips
Constructive Playthings
The Container Store
Cuban Crafters
Dancing Deer Baking Co.
ebay
Expedia.com
Flowers.com
GiftCertificates.com
GNC
Green Cine
Kaplan Test Prep
Lane Bryant
LensCrafters
Macy's
Match.com
National Pet Pharmacy
Nirvana Belgian Chocolates
Office Depot
PetSmart
Sears
Sierra Club
StubHub
StuffedAnimals.com
Thrifty Rent-a-Car


Talk To Us
Talk To Us
Letters to the Editor
Copyright© 2005 Hamden Daily News
Site designed by Joanne Kittredge



Tip Us Off
Send news tips