Oct 27, 2005 By Angie Santello 6 min read

Creativity abounded at this year’s 68th annual Halloween Parade that wound through the streets of a refurbished downtown Uniontown on a cold Wednesday evening. Though the chill numbed the fingers and toes of some, it didn’t deter the crowds from coming out to enjoy what has become for many a family tradition they wouldn’t want to be without.

Pete Porreca, commander of Uniontown’s Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 47, understood that. So, although this week’s snow and slush worried him to the point where it crossed his mind to cancel, he said he couldn’t forego the annual attraction that many from around the county look forward to.

An average of 20,000 people, viewers and marchers in all participate in the parade each year, and this year was no different, said Porreca.

At the gathering site of parade marchers, second generation costume maker Evelyn Clemmer put the finishing touches on four of her family members’ costumes.

Clemmer said she would have come to the parade rain or snow.

“It’s a tradition in the family,” she said as she lit up the battery-powered torch her 14-year-old granddaughter, Kara Nickelson, held as the Statue of Liberty.

Clemmer recalled her costume creations she handcrafted for her four children years ago when they were kids. She said one time she didn’t have the money to make a fantastic costume, so she cut a piece of her prom gown and crafted it into an angel costume for her daughter.

“I like doing it. I just like being creative,” said Clemmer, speaking of the variety of costumes she has made over the years.

Clemmer’s 3-year-old grandson, Kyle Sexton, was costumed as a little gray mouse with a mousetrap caught on his long tail, pulling behind him a red wagon with a large chunk of cheese.

Clemmer explained that the body of the mouse suit was two men’s sweatshirts sewn together to form a gray, furry body.

His mother, Paula Sexton of Smithfield, said Kyle has dressed as a costumed participant in the parade since he was a baby.

Sexton, 31, still hasn’t lost her enjoyment for the parade or for dressing up, perhaps a trait she inherited from her mother.

Sexton didn’t hesitate to jump into a robot costume intended for her younger son who couldn’t make it to the parade, even when it came to forcing the top of the silver robot body decorated with actual computer microchips over her head.

This year, Sexton kept her eyes open for items to use in Kyle’s mouse costume. She said she retrieved the cheese from her hospital job. It was a piece of foam the hospital was going to throw out, she said.

Standing nearby in a Cinderella costume, 4-year-old Molly Moore of Fairbank, came with her mother and baby sister, 11-month-old Delaney Moore, to march in the parade. Molly Moore has participated in the parade since she was 3 months old hen her mother, Maria Moore, dressed her baby daughter like a dinosaur.

Moore said she thinks the parade is just “a great family activity.

“And a lot of people come out for it,” she said, noting that this type of event wasn’t held in Beaver County, where she is from originally.

“If they canceled (because of snow), I think I would have been more disappointed than them,” Moore said, motioning to her children.

One year, Moore and Molly dressed like twin “Sesame Street” characters.

“I was big Elmo, she was little Elmo,” Moore remembered, smiling.

Casi Bryner, 12, of Uniontown, who dressed like a colorful clown, said he looks forward to the parade and to dressing up each year because “it’s fun and I love to see all the different costumes.”

His brother, 6-year-old Shea Bryner, likes to come to the parade because he “gets candy.” Bryner was dressed like a bookroom complete with multiple arms, one holding a Dr. Seuss book.

The boys’ mother, Jan Nicholson, comes up with different costume idea each year for her sons. One year, she created a lighted Christmas tree costume that Casi wore.

Also preparing to march in the parade was the Kendall family from South Union Township. The dad, Bruce, was dressed like Darth Vader, and the mother, Cherie, was dressed as Princess Leia. Cole, their 3-year-old son, was dressed like Luke Skywalker. His aunt added the final touch to the overall theme by dressing as the big and hairy monster, Chewbacca.

The float, a wooden replica of the Star Wars X-wing flight was hand built by Cherie’s father. He spent less than a month constructing the float his grandson happily rode inside with a model R2D2.

“He worked eight hours a day on it,” Cherie Kendall said of her father.

Even the Fayette County Sheriff’s department search and rescue dogs were included in the festivities. The dogs were dressed up to march in the parade. The Pitbull Akita, Akita and mix-breed dogs came dressed as Santa, a reindeer and an elf, heralds of the fast-approaching Christmas season.

The VFW and radio stations Froggy 94.9 and Pickle 99.3 sponsored this year’s parade.

Judging took place at the VFW after the parade. Cash prizes were awarded to all age groups, including those for overall best costume and inside floats.

The judges were Uniontown Mayor James Sileo, Fire Chief Myron Nypaver, Police Chief Kyle Sneddon and VFW Post past auxiliary presidents, Jean Stefancin and Veronica Hanyo.

The costumed winners were as follows:

For the under 2-year-old age group: Kayli Morosko, Hanna Whetsel and Albert Dressler.

For the 2, 3, and 4-year-old age groups: First place, Cole Dorobish; second place, Cole Allen and Riley Bosley; third place, Alaina Chrise; fourth place, Rah-Meir Reynolds; fifth place, Kyle Sexton; and sixth place, Candice Handlin.

In the 5, 6 and 7-year-old age groups: First place, Christian Horwat; second place, Jason Mills; third place, Madison Thomas and Brian Thomas; fourth place, Shea Bryner; fifth place, Brayden Shawl; and sixth place, Seth McGee.

In the 8, 9 and 10-year-old age groups: First place, Michael Giachetti; second place, Marcella Mills; third place, Nicholas Hornsby; fourth place, Amanda Sutton; and fifth place, Michael Duritsky.

In the 11, 12 and 13-year-old age groups: First place, Sarah Fike; second place, Olivia Sutton; third place, Casi Bryner; and fourth place, Charles Mills III.

In the 14, 15 and 16-year-old age groups: First place, Daniel Karfelt; second place, Jenny Luoma; third place, Kara Nickelson; fourth place, Rebecca Zajac; fifth place, Amber Isler; and sixth place, Amber McManus.

In the 17 and older age group: First place, Paula Sexton; and second place, Lynda Vuhovecky.

Best costume overall: First place, The Big Bad Wolf, Ronald Cole; second place, Miss Piggy, Becky Bowers; and third place, pizza slice, Amanda Giachetti.

Best float: first place, Star Wars, Cherie Kendall; second place, pirates, St. John’s Cub Scouts No. 602; and third place, King Kond, Joshua Yucha.