BOCES Educator/Former TV Producer to Lead Peekskill St. Patrick’s Parade

From the City of Peekskill: Elizabeth Mitchell Marques, a Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES television and film instructor for more than 20 years, and former cable TV producer, will lead the on Saturday, March 10, 2012 at 3pm as Grand Marshal. 

Marques was installed as Grand Marshal on Sunday March 4, 2012 at the Mansion at Colonial Terrace.  Four aides, also honored for their service to the community, will  march with Marques.  They are: Community Volunteer Frances Catalina; Rev. John Higgins; Lt. Cathy Johansen  and The Stadium owner/Sports memorabilia collector James Walsh.  

The parade steps off at 3pm, starting at the Fire House on S. Division St., makes a left on First St., right on Union Ave., right on Central Ave., left on N. Division St., right on Main St., right on N. James St., then right on Brown St.  The reviewing stand will be on the corner of James & Park Streets. 

The parade will be preceded by a special St. Patrick's Mass at Assumption Church at 1:30pm.  The Mass will feature bagpipes,  Irish tenors and concelebrants from St Columbanus. A large crowd is expected. Last year’s Grand Marshal, Rev. James Gardner will concelebrate as well. 

New this year will be a brunch at the Peekskill Elks Lodge, 1038 Brown Street at 11:30am. The brunch is open to the public and walk-ins are welcome.  The brunch is $15 for adults and $5 for kids under 12.  

The Village of Buchanan is hosting aas well on Sunday, March 11 at 2 p.m.

Cablevision’s Optimum Local will provide exclusive coverage of the parade.  In the Westchester/Putnam Area the parade can be seen on Channel 118 on March 10 @ 8 PM 

March 12 @ 10 AM, 2 PM & 8 PM;  March 14 @ 10 AM, 2 PM & 8 PM; March 17 @ 8 PM.  In Yonkers and Port Chester/Harrison the parade can be seen on Channel 18 on March 12 @ 10 AM & 2 PM; March 14 @ 10 AM & 2 PM.   

Marques was instrumental in televising the first parade in 1990 when she was Program Director at the local cable TV company, a tradition continued today by Cablevision.  The parade back then was shown live and took place at night.

It didn’t hurt that the local cable TV company’s decision-maker was Irish when the idea of starting a St. Patrick’s Parade was being considered.  Were it not for Marques, today’s cable television coverage of the Peekskill St. Patrick’s Parade would not exist.  In 1990, she assembled an all volunteer crew, lugged three large studio cameras out to the curb and produced the first live TV coverage of the first Peekskill St. Patrick’s Parade, all under the cover of darkness.  

“She knows how to milk a cow and play the accordion, loves the Wizard of Oz and lapses comfortably into an Irish brogue when she wants to cheer you up or underscore a point. Liz prefers to be behind the scenes, but I am happy that she will get her moment in the spotlight as Grand Marshal.  She deserves it,” said Bill Powers, former Grand Marshal and former colleague. 

A year after the first parade, Marques left the cable industry to teach television production to an entirely new generation of TV professionals at Putnam Northern Westchester BOCES--a teaching job she still enjoys today.  Over the years, she has taught nearly 1000 high school students how to edit, shoot, write, light, direct and host TV and film projects.  

She was instrumental in the development of the Communications Academy at BOCES, an innovative approach of integrating core subjects like math and English into the TV and Film curriculum. About 90% of Marques’ students go on to college and her students have placed first in New York State and third in national student video competitions. 

Marques is proud of her Irish heritage and has many fond memories of her most recent trip to the Emerald Isle: “We were driving through Donegal at dusk, admiring the beautiful colors and landscape.  My mother started singing softly.  A hush came over the rest of us in the car. It was then I realized that Ireland was truly heavenly and that Ireland's beauty will always be our beacon home,” said Marques in her installation speech.  

“We are the way we are because of our challenges.  My grandparents went through a lot of struggles. What gets us through our struggles is our belief in family, friends and God. Through our sadness, we learn to laugh.  We know there’s got to be a brighter side,” she added afterwards. 

Marques attended Lakeland Middle School and is a graduate of Walter Panas High School.  She also attended ATS Radio and Television Institute, Westchester Community College and Mercy College, always focusing her education on communications and media. 

Marques resides today with her family, husband Al and daughters Kristen and Nikki, in Cortlandt Manor.  Her proud parents, Elizabeth and Patrick, originally from County Monaghan, live in Peekskill.

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