BY PAUL MITCHELL
North Country This Week

Residents throughout St. Lawrence County are invited to attend condensed versions of Memorial Day festivities on Monday, May 31.

There will be no Memorial Day parade in Canton this year but a traditional wreath ceremony on the Main Street bridge will be held at 10:30 a.m. The event will include the playing of Taps and a volley of rifle fire top honor U.S. Navy veterans.

“On Memorial Day, we honor our fallen, but we must also embrace the feeling of honor, patriotism and pride,” stated David M. Pearson, commander Edward C. Seymour Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1231, Canton.

“As families and friends gather together for the traditional barbecue or outing, please take a moment to reflect on these heroes and what their sacrifice meant to the way of life we enjoy today. There is no greater gift than to give one’s life in defense of another. We honor their service, mourn their loss and remember the families they left behind,” Pearson added.

The ceremony will conclude with military honors for a deceased Canton VFW Post veteran at St. Mary’s Cemetery.

There will not be an open house following the ceremony due to Covid restrictions.

In Ogdensburg, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2936 and American Legion Post 69 will host a brief ceremony at 11 a.m. at the Veteran’s Plot at the Ogdensburg Cemetery. Officially not open to the public, this ceremony will be limited to 15 people; but people can watch using social distancing. In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will be held at the VFW Post, 1112 Champlain St.

Mayor Mike Skelly and other city officials are been invited. Following the event, soup and sandwiches will be available at the VFW Post.

For more information, call 315-393-7904.

In Massena, a parade will begin at 11 a.m., originating at Sacred Heart Church, making its way down Main Street to Veterans Memorial Park on Andrews Street for a noon ceremony. Fred Cockayne, Amvets judge advocate and DAV chapter 171 commander, will speak. There will also be a flag raising, rifle salute and playing Taps. The event is sponsored by Amvets Post 4 in Massena.

In Norwood, The American Legion Post 68 will hold a Memorial Day parade with a theme of “Salute to Community Service Workers and First Responders.” The parade will begin at 11 a.m. from the American Legion post and make its way along Spring Street to the Village Green Park.

There will not be a traditional gathering at the park. The American Legion float will pause the parade as it reaches the village park and Norwood mayor Tim Levison and the American Legion post commander will lay a wreath on the monument. The Norwood Brass Firemen’s Band will play Taps.

The public is invited to watch along the parade route. Following the ceremony, a free lunch with hot dogs, hamburgers, macaroni salad, chips and brownies will be served at the post. Social distancing protocol will be observed.

In Potsdam, a Memorial Day ceremony will be held at 5 p.m. in Ives Park; sponsored by Robert J. Freego Amvets Post 282, Canton VFW Post 1231 and the DAV. Covid protocol will be observed.

In Waddington, a parade and ceremony will begin at 10:30 a.m. on the bottom of Main Street and proceed to the monuments.A chicken barbecue will begin at 11 a.m. at the Legion. Drive-thru only at a cost of $12 per dinner and $6 for half chicken only.

In Gouverneur, a parade will begin at 10 a.m. from the Dunkin’ Donuts on Main Street, marching east on Rt. 11 to Hailesboro Street, then to the cemetery where a 30-minute ceremony will take place. A free luncheon will follow upstairs at the American Legion. The ceremony is sponsored by American Legion Post 0065 and VFW Post 6338.