Memorial Day Festivities Set For Sunday!

The annual Memorial Day Ceremonies, concluding with the largest Memorial Day Parade in the region, are set for Sunday, May 29th, beginning at 8 a.m. Sponsored by the Somerville Veterans Services Department, the Somerville Allied Veterans’ Council, and the City of Somerville, the ceremonies will begin at 8:00 a.m. at the American Legion Post #19, 124 Highland Ave., with a short procession down Highland Ave. to the Central Library, placing wreaths on monuments along Central Hill Park. The parade will step off from the City Hall/Somerville High School concourse at 1:00 p.m., and will continue the 2.3 miles down Highland Ave. to the Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery in Teele Square.

The parade will include 22 marching bands, along with a wide range of community and school groups, specialty unit from the Aleppo Shriners, and local veterans’, fire, and police outfits from surrounding cities and towns. Beginning at Somerville High School, the parade will continue along Highland Avenue, through Davis Square to Holland Street, and onto Broadway ending at the Cemetery in Teele Square. Ceremonies will be held rain or shine.

The 2011 Parade Grand Marshall, Joseph Piro, is a World War II Veteran, and at 100 years of age, is a lifelong Somerville resident. Mr. Piro served for three years during WWII with the 761st Medical Collecting Company of the U.S. Army as a Tec 5, in Sicily, Rome, Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland and Central Europe. He is recipient of numerous honors, including: the Good Conduct Medal; Presidential Unit Citation; European African Middle Eastern Theater Campaign with Bronze Service Arrowhead. He was honorably discharged in 1945.

To accommodate the parade, the following streets will have parking restrictions from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., and street closures beginning at 11:00 a.m.

•Highland Ave. (Walnut St. to School St.)
•Prescott St. (Summer St. to Highland Ave.)
•Putnam St. (Summer St. to Highland Ave.)
•Vinal Ave. (Summer St. to Highland Ave.)
•School St. (Medford St. to Highland Ave.)
•Walnut St. (Medford St. to Highland Ave.)
•College Ave. (Morrison Ave. to Davis Sq.)
•North St. (Powderhouse Blvd. to Broadway)
•Alewife Brook Parkway (to Dilboy)

Beginning at 11:00 a.m., there will also be no parking on either side of the following streets (and in front of the Somerville Veterans Cemetery from North St. to Route 16). These restrictions will be lifted immediately following the parade:

•Highland Ave. (Walnut St. to Davis Sq.)
•Holland St. (Davis Sq to Teele Sq.)
•Broadway (Holland St. to Route 16)
•Dilboy Field
•Little Sisters of the Poor – 186 Highland Ave.

Please note that a bus routes to and from Clarendon Hill will not be running from 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

For more information, please contact Veterans’ Services at 617-625-6600 ext 4700.