This Sunday promises a real fun party; county’s birthday party set at courthouse

By Barry Nelson
Publicity Chairman
Mercer County Bicentennial Commission

The Mercer County Bicentennial Commission invites the public to a birthday celebration on Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Mercer County Court house.

The event will feature complimentary refreshments, music by the Shenango Valley Chorale, and comments by local officials. Additional highlights include the reading of the winning essay of the sixth grade and senior citizen contests, presentation of awards for the Bicentennial Photo Contest winners and various displays.

Doors will open at 1:30 p.m. The official festivities will begin at 2 p.m. with a trumpet fanfare, followed by a presentation of colors by the Boy Scouts of America. The invocation will be given by Rev. Gill of the Old Salem Methodist Church in Greenville.

The Penn Lake Girl Scouts will lead the Pledge of Allegiance. John G. “Jerry’’ Johnson, Bicentennial Commission chairman, will provide welcoming remarks, followed by remarks made by Mercer County Commissioner Chairman Cloyd “Gene’’ Brenneman and Mercer County President Judge Francis Fornelli.

David Shaffer, superintendent of schools at Jamestown, will present the winners of the elementary essay contest. This will be followed by unfurling of the Mercer County Bicentennial Quilt, for which each school district provided patches representing all districts and townships. This should be a stunning presentation that involved creative efforts of many public school students and teachers.

The Shenango Valley Choral will then present two choral selections. Nancy Ollinger, secretary of the Bicentennial Commission, will make a presentation titled “How God has Blessed Mercer County.’’ The Chorale will then perform another song.

The Bicentennial Photo Contest will then be presented, and the Mercer County Area Agency on Aging will present the winners of the Senior Citizen Essay Contest. Anderson Tatum of the Valley Baptist Church will provide the benediction.

Festivities will conclude with the group singing of “Happy Birthday’’ to Mercer County, and a ceremonial cutting of the birthday cake. Cake is being provided free of charge to all attendees. Non-profit groups, clubs and organizations which would like to participate in the Mercer County Bicentennial Birthday festivities can have a free exhibit space on a first-come first-serve basis. They will be responsible for providing their own skirted tables — a bicentennial theme is encouraged.

Representatives must contact the Bicentennial Commission at 662-2227 as soon as possible. Kathy Lima, vice chairwoman for the Bicentennial Commission said, “We are hoping that people from across the entire county will participate. Mercer County’s Bicentennial Birthday party marks an important historical occasion and we encourage the community to join us for the festivities and the ceremonial cutting of the birthday cake.”

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