Let's hear it for the hometown firefighters

MONROE-They came from far and near for the Orange County Firemen's Parade held in Monroe last Saturday. There were bands from Connecticut to the Bronx, but the biggest cheers went up for the hometown volunteers, the Mombasha Fire Company. The parade of fire trucks was every little boy's dream. Each company tried to show their engines to their best advantage. And each unit was accompanied by a marching band, making it a real toe-tapping event. Several members came home to march with their comrades — Herb Dorn and Joe Gnochi from the state of Florida, Jules Albert, Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Phil Pascarelli from Georgia. This year's county president and past-chief of the Mombasha Fire Company, John Karl, said, "It was a real good turnout from the public. At times, it was wall to wall people watching the parade. We really appreciated it."