Carrying the flag – Town, volunteers preparing for 2010 festivities

Winthrop veteran’s agent Larry Holmes and local businessman Lou Camacho have each been marshalling their respective corps of volunteers and helpers, as the town gears up for the annual Memorial Day Celebration.

According to Holmes, the weekend’s festivities will actually begin on Sunday, with an 8:30 a.m. Marine Service at the Cottage Park Yacht Club, to be followed by a Memorial Mass at St. John’s Evangelist Church on Winthrop Street at 10 a.m.

“There won’t be any square dedications this year, because the town has a new Memorials Committee that has to approve all dedications, etc., and that has slowed down the process a bit on getting public places dedicated,” explained Holmes, who for the last several years has usually made square dedications and re-dedications a part of the Memorial weekend Sunday events.

“On Monday, the annual Memorial Day service will take place in the main cemetery between Bowdoin Street and River Road,” said Holmes. The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m.

Local organizations such as the Winthrop Lodge of Elks and the Winthrop Emblem Club, the Winthrop Police and Fire Departments and Winthrop Little League will be joined at the ceremony by Winthrop State Representative House Speaker Robert DeLeo and State Senator Anthony Petruccelli, Council President Jeff Turco and Council Vice President Linda Calla.

“The keynote address will be given by U.S. Navy Captain Taryn Pittman,” said Holmes. “Linda Calla will read Logan’s Order and Tina Marie Talvi will sing “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” Dorothy Tassinari will sing “America the Beautiful,” and Bill Furey will sing “God Bless America.”

Meanwhile, under the direction of Camacho, The Winthrop American Legion Post has been working with other civic and town organizations, to bring back the Memorial Day Parade, which will begin at 2 p.m. near Winthrop Centre.

“We brought it back two years ago, took last year off and now the veterans are up for doing it again,” said Camacho.

Camacho said this year’s parade will feature the American Legion, the Winthrop AmVets Post, four bands, the United States Marine Corps and close to a dozen other local organizations.

“We’re going to have antique cars, a guided missile, whatever the Marines can bring and also sorts of groups from around town,” said Camacho. “There will be a lot of participants," including members of the Winthrop Little League, which will hold a short ceremony by the flag pole at the parade’s end point at the Little League fields on Cross Street.

The Parade will step off from Walden Street, turn right onto Pauline Street, left onto Pleasant Street, continue straight onto Washington Avenue, turn left again onto Rover Road and right onto Cross Street and end at the Little League field on Cross Street.