{"id":1697,"date":"2018-08-02T20:57:57","date_gmt":"2018-08-03T00:57:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/?p=1697"},"modified":"2018-08-02T20:57:57","modified_gmt":"2018-08-03T00:57:57","slug":"features-24","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stjindy.com\/newindy\/?p=1697","title":{"rendered":"Features"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mint Festival Grand Marshal Mark Palmer<\/strong>: commitment to kids, community<\/p>\n

By Rhonda Dedyne<\/p>\n

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Working with young people and being involved in community service has been a priority for St. Johns Public Schools Superintendent Mark Palmer throughout his career as an educator and administrator. Those attributes make him a perfect choice to help lead the 2018 Mint Festival as Grand Marshal of the Mint Parade, says Mint Festival General Chairperson Brenda Terpening.<\/p>\n

“We are very excited to have Mark as our Grand Marshal for 2018.\u00a0He has a great interest in seeing that kids excel in our community, and the Mint Festival is a lot about kids in many ways. The Committee\u2019s choice of Mark for Grand Marshal was a unanimous decision.”<\/p>\n

The roots to that decision were planted back in 1999 when Mark and his wife, Denise, moved to Clinton County following his acceptance of an offer to serve as St. Johns High School Principal. The distinctive aroma of mint became part of the daily summer routine during his first year at SJPS.<\/p>\n

“That first year here, we were living in a house in Bengal Township on Centerline Road near Francis Road where Tom Irrer and his family farm mint,” Mark recalls with a smile, noting the fragrance of newly chopped mint. “Denise and I were very familiar with farming having grown up in the Shepherd area, but this was our first introduction to mint.”<\/p>\n

Being part of a district like St. Johns Public Schools is a perfect fit for the family that includes daughters Grace and Jada, both of whom were born here and are students at SJHS. “This area fits our lifestyle perfectly,” Mark says, citing the advantages of a large-size school system that has an intimate community feel. “In terms of community service, it’s important to be actively involved and also be visible at events – both school and non-school.”<\/p>\n

The respected educator is a member of the St. Johns Kiwanis Club, serving in various capacities over the years. Along with other area residents, Mark and Denise helped organize “Compassion in Action” that provides back-packs filled with food items to students in need. “The response by donors to the back-pack program has been unbelievable,” he says. “We fill about 50 back-packs every two weeks for distribution at our elementary schools.”<\/p>\n

That kind of dedication is evidenced in work on behalf of the Mint Festival, too, Terpening says. “Mark has always supported the Mint Festival’s use of school property for Festival events like the Mint Queen Pageant, parking at and around St. Johns High School for various Mint activities, and the Redwing Marching Band’s participation in the Mint Parade.”<\/p>\n

As the Grand Marshal, Superintendent Palmer will have a great view of the thousands of people who will line the streets from SJHS through to the downtown business district. The parade begins at 10 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 11 – and he’s ready for it.<\/p>\n

“St. Johns Public Schools is a tremendous school system and I am very pleased and proud to be serving our students and families here,” he says. “I am also looking forward to my expanded role as superintendent and the opportunities that provides to work with even more community residents. The people here have given so much to our family and it’s important to give back to them.”<\/p>\n

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Past Grand Marshals<\/strong><\/p>\n

1985 Robert Halsey and Lawrence Yallup
\n1986 Alden Livingston
\n1987 Frank Sipkovsky
\n1988 Louis Sipkovsky
\n1989 Esther Crosby
\n1990 Peter Kurncz, Sr.
\n1991 Otto and Donna Kus
\n1992 J.E. Crosby, Jr.
\n1993 Richard Woodhams
\n1994 Larry Crosby
\n1995 Tom Irrer
\n1996 Peter Kurncz, Jr.
\n1997 Larry Kus
\n1998 Jerry Henning
\n1999 All Past Grand Marshals Honored
\n2000 Paul and Joann Martis
\n2001 Jim Crosby
\n2002 Doug Irrer
\n2003 John Kurncz
\n2004 All Past Grand Marshals Honored
\n2005 Shirley Huguelet and Ed Martis
\n2007 Art Motz
\n2008 Mark Crosby
\n2009 All Past Grand Marshals Honored
\n2010 Andy Todosciuk
\n2011 Mayor Dana Beaman
\n2012 Dean, Leo and Paul Henning
\n2013 Walter Viges
\n2014 Karl and Heather Hanover
\n2015 Bill Richards
\n2016 Dennis and Pat Koenigsknecht
\n2017 Ted Lewis<\/p>\n

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Band Camp, 2018<\/strong> (turn on your speakers)<\/p>\n

courtesy of Troy Hicks<\/p>\n