After serving 20 years with the New Concord Fire Department EMS, Donna McKirahan still has a soft spot for the local department.

Read the full story originally published by Zanesville Times Recorder.

July 12, 2008

Storm stops tractosrs, but not appetites

By HOLLY RICHARDS
Staff Writer

NEW CONCORD - After serving 20 years with the New Concord Fire Department EMS, Donna McKirahan still has a soft spot for the local department.

"My heart belongs there," she said.

Sitting next to her family along the village's Main Street, McKirahan was excited to watch the annual parade that kicked off the New Concord Fireman's Festival Friday evening.

"I'm glad my daughter comes back to enjoy this with me," she said.

Her daughter, Gwyn Griffiths, traveled from Cincinnati with her children.

"We do this every year; it's a tradition," she said. "We love the fire trucks, and there's lots of them."

Pam Mcilyar of Cambridge also sat with her grandchildren on Main Street to watch her first Fireman's Festival parade.

"I've missed all the other ones because I had to work," she said. "I look forward to the whole thing and see the fireworks later."

"I want to see the horseys," said 9-year-old granddaughter Taelor Lemmings of Cambridge. "I love horseys."

Lined up in the parking lot of Shegog's IGA, members of the New Concord Church of Christ were also eager to continue their festival participation.

"We've been in the parade for several years, and we've always had a booth at the festival," said minister Dick Harris. "I like seeing all the kids at the festival."

The church walked in the parade to promote its Family Bible School, one of the church's "biggest events of the year," Harris said.

The New Concord Fire Department led the way down Main Street, followed by Boy Scouts, horses, clowns, area businesses and organizations and churches such as the New Concord Church of Christ.

Children and their families scrambled to scoop up as much candy as they could from the passing processional that included county politicians like Brian Hill, Troy Balderson and Jerry Lavy.

Keeping with the festival's theme, numerous trucks from area fire departments blared their horns and sirens along the route. New Concord's squad was out in full force, joined by those from Adamsville, Perry Township, South Zanesville, Byesville, Wayne Township, Cassell Station, Frazeysburg, and even Harrison Township, which is also holding its fireman's festival in Philo this weekend.

After the final truck passed, families headed over to the park next to the village library on Main and Stormont streets to enjoy other festivities and entertainment.