'Truly An Honor': Farmingdale Trustee Named Grand Marshal Of St. Patrick's Day Parade

FARMINGDALE, NY — Cheryl Parisi, a trustee of Farmingdale Village, was announced as the grand marshal of the municipality's St. Patrick's Day Parade. The parade is scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday, March 16.

This is the first time Parisi was named grand marshal of the parade, now in its 11th year.

"It is truly an honor to be recognized by the Farmingdale community," Parisi told Patch. "I am very proud of the village and all of its accomplishments over the last 17 years. Now to lead the parade down Main Street is very exciting."

The Farmingdale Village Board selects the St. Patrick's Day Parade grand marshal each year, Mayor Ralph Ekstrand said.

"However, because I am sneaky, the board selected it without [Parisi's] knowledge," Ekstrand said. "I surprised her with it. She would have recused herself from the vote. We voted when she was out of the room. She didn't know."

Parisi said being named grand marshal is "definitely very special, especially the first time."

"I am fourth generation and my great grandfather, Stephen Jaisle, was a trustee in 1904 when the village incorporated," she said. "Farmingdale is an amazing community and to have this opportunity makes me very proud."

Ekstrand said the honor came well deserved for Parisi, who joined the village board with him back in 2008.

Parisi is in her 17th year as a village trustee, and Ekstrand noted that Parisi chairs the village's beautification committee. The committee is responsible for changing the village's decorations each season.

"Which is, in my opinion, a really monumental/pain in the neck task," Ekstrand said.

Parisi supervises the village's decor for Christmas, Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, autumn, pumpkins, and more. She also leads the seasonal changes in lighting and oversees the 450 hanging baskets the village places throughout its eight municipal parking lots, according to Ekstrand. Parisi also supervises the village's flower pots each season.

Currently, Parisi is heading the in-house committee to restructure and re-landscape the Farmingdale Village Green.

"That's the reason why we picked Cheryl," Ekstrand said. "She's never been really recognized. And that is the work as being chair of the beautification committee; this is separate from her duties as trustee. She's fulfilling her duties as trustee and took this on independently of being a trustee."

Parisi shared her goals for the village's future. She said she would like to see a Performing/Cultural Arts Center in the Village.

"This is an idea I have been working on for the last five-six years," she said. "It will provide a destination for the region, bringing more people during the winter months, helping not only our restaurants, but all the merchants on Main Street. I am hoping that we receive the grant we have applied for to further this dream along."

Parisi noted that Farmingdale Village recently purchased the Thomas Powell house on Merritts Road. The village is filing an application to place the house on the National Historic Registry to create a place that schoolchildren can visit to learn about Thomas Powell and the Quakers.

"Farmingdale has so much to offer to everyone and I am excited to be a part of it," Parisi said.