ESSEX COUNTY FREEHOLDERS CELEBRATE ST PATRICK’S DAY

(Newark, NJ) – The Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders held its 2018 “Salute to the Irish” St. Patrick’s Day Celebration on Wednesday, March 14, 2018, at the South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC) in South Orange, New Jersey. The ceremony commemorated the heritage and traditions of the Irish community.

This year’s event was a collaborative effort of the Freeholder Board and lead sponsors, President of the Board and Freeholder At-Large Brendan W. Gill, District 4 Leonard Luciano of West Caldwell, and Essex County Clerk Christopher Durkin. President Gill began the program with opening remarks and acknowledged the importance of celebrating diversity and heritage in Essex County. As the previous Grand Marshal of the 2014 Nutley Parade, President Gill shared his firsthand experience with the distinguished honorees.

The program was highlighted by presentations of the Board’s Commendations to the Grand Marshals, Deputy Grand Marshals, and members of the organizing committees for Essex County’s three St. Patrick’s Day Parades: Nutley, West Orange, and Newark.

The 40th Annual Nutley St. Patrick’s Day Parade, which was held on Saturday, March 3^rd, was represented by Grand Marshal Patrick Colligan, Deputy Grand Marshal Tammi Tribble, Parade Queen Tara Connor, “Member of the Year” Ellen Bennett, “Police Officer of the Year” Joe O’Halloran, and Parade Chair Deidre Hollywood.

Grand Marshal Patrick Colligan is President of the New Jersey State P.B.A. His Irish roots date back to the Civil War. In 1992, he began his career in law enforcement with the Franklin Township Police Department and became a Delegate to the State P.B.A. In 2005, he was appointed to the Executive Board. Colligan resides in central New Jersey with his wife, Lynette, and their three children, Kayleigh, Connor, and Brenna.

Deputy Grand Marshal Tammi Tribble is the owner of Photo Arts Productions in Nutley and serves as the Nutley Irish American Association’s (NIAA) Event Chair for their American Cancer Society Relay for Life fundraiser. She created the Walking in Faith Fashion Show, a fundraiser that commemorates the memory of her late husband Wayne. Tribble is also the proud mother of her daughter Ashley.

The 2018 “Member of the Year,” Ellen Bennett, was born and raised in Belleville and is the eldest of her three sisters. She is an active member of the NIAA and has helped at several of the Association’s events, including serving as the Captain of NIAA Relay for Life team. Bennett resides in Cedar Grove and works as a Media Supervisor at an advertising agency in Pearl River, New York.

Parade Queen Tara Connor of Nutley is a middle school teacher at the Academy of Saint Joseph of the Palisades in West New York and a photographer. Connor is very excited to join the procession and overjoyed to receive the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of her mother, aunt, and uncle as parade dignitaries.

The 2018 “Police Officer of the Year,” Joe O’Halloran, worked for the Nutley Police Department and served in the Patrol Division as a Traffic Safety Officer until 2014 when he became the first motorcycle officer for the township in over 20 years. Since 2000, he has served as Vice President of Nutley P.B.A. #33 and is an Assistant Scout Master of Nutley Boy Scout Troop 147. He is the proud father of four children, Samantha, Kelly, Joseph, and Aidan, and has lived in Nutley for 50 years.

The 67^th Annual West Orange St. Patrick’s Day Parade, which will be held on Sunday, March 18^th, was represented by Grand Marshal Donald R. Shauger, Sr., Deputy Grand Marshals Robert Lynch, Brad Squires, and Sean J. McGinley, and Parade Chair Sheila Parisi.

Grand Marshal Donald R. Shauger, Sr., and his wife, Lisa, founded the Shauger Group, Inc., a family owned and operated contracting company that has become one the largest private employers in the City of East Orange. Together they also created the Timothy Groves Memorial Scholarship in memory of former West Orange Police Officer Timothy Graves. The Scholarship benefits students in financial need. Shauger is the proud father of two children, Marisa and Donald.

Deputy Grand Marshal Robert Lynch owns and operates the Kilkenny Alehouse in Newark  and is a member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians Division 9 in Montclair, the Shillelagh Club in West Orange, and numerous other organizations. In 1996, he met his wife, Michele, and the couple married in 1998 and moved to Verona. In 2000, Michele gave birth to their son, Robert, who is presently a senior at Seton Hall Prep.

Deputy Grand Marshal Brad Squires began his career as a member of the Orange Police Department. He went on to serve as a Detective in the Street Crimes Narcotics Task Force and in the Criminal Investigations Department. He previously served as President of Orange P.B.A. Local #89, and in 2004, he transitioned to the West Orange Police Department and became a member of West Orange P.B.A. Local #25 where he now serves as Vice President. Squires has been married to his wife, Denise, for 14 years, and together, they reside in Long Valley, New Jersey, with their two children, Braden and Shea.

Deputy Grand Marshal Sean J. McGinley graduated from West Orange High School in 1988. Upon graduating, he successfully completed a four-year apprenticeship with the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America with Local Union 1342 and entered into the field of construction and carpentry. In 2001, he joined the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 68 and spent four years working in Jersey City. In 2005, he founded McGinley Building Services and currently sits on the Giblin Association’s Board of Governors. In 2006, he and his significant other, Carole, welcomed daughters Madison Grace and Cadence Alice, his pride and joy.

The 2018 Newark St. Patrick’s Day Parade will be held on March 16^th, which is known as the infamous “granddaddy of them all.” This year’s parade is dedicated to Essex County Sheriff Armando B. Fontoura. Sheriff Fontoura has been in law enforcement for nearly 51 years, and during his tenure as the county’s Sheriff, he has implemented countless new changes to improve safety.

Grand Marshal Joseph M. Taylor is the former Executive Officer and Managing Executive Officer of the Panasonic Corporation. He worked at Panasonic for 35 years and retired in December 2017. He created Panasonic’s Smart City, an initiative that demonstrates how public-private partnerships can work to improve the quality of life of residents. In 2013, he was instrumental in the decision to move the company’s headquarters to the City of Newark. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Hussmann, Ceribell, and Plug and Play and Board of Trustee for the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT).

Deputy Grand Marshal Josie Logue Tully graduated from St. Mary’s High School in Buncrana, County Donegal, and came to the United States at age 17. She lived and worked in Newark for Sentry Life Insurance Company and later ITT in Clifton. Tully is an active member of Saint Clare’s Parish in Clifton and has been involved in many Irish organizations. She met her late husband, Frank Tully of Virginia, County Cavan, at McGovern’s in Newark, and the couple married in 1962. Together they lived in Clifton and raised their three daughters, Cathy, Colleen, and Carolyn. Tully is also the proud grandmother of five grandchildren, Frank, Shivaun, Brandon, Krystina, and Peter.

This year’s program also featured opening and closing prayers from Reverend Paul Donohue of St. Lucy’s Church.

The program was filled with performances, including: a bagpipe performance by Conor Gardner, vocal selections from Carolyne Volpe Curley, a selection from the Castle Rae Band from Ireland, and a special Irish Dance performance by students from the DeNogla School of Irish Dance.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

For Additional Information:

Medinah E. Muhammad, Public Information Officer

Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders

465 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.,

Newark, New Jersey, 07102

(973)-621-4452

mmuhammad@freeholders.essexcountynj.org