Grace Kirchner Leader Correspondent
Retired firefighter Ken Buchberger has been named the parade marshal for the 38th annual Clintonville Fireman’s Festival to be held Friday and Saturday.
Buchberger served with the Clintonville Fire Department for 19 years. He retired in 1986.
He said he could write a book on his experiences as a fireman, but the fire he will remember the most was when the Guys Shop on Main Street burned. A woman died in the fire. He remembers being on duty for 35 hours with that fire.
Buchberger was born and raised in Clintonville, graduated from Clintonville High School and spent his entire life here except for five years when he lived in Mattoon with his grandfather and the two years he served with the Army. He was employed at FWD for 40 years before retiring 22 years ago.
Buchberger resides in Clintonville and has two daughters, Denise and Brenda. His wife, June, is deceased.
The annual parade will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday. Due to the North Main Street reconstruction project, the parade will line up at the high school parking lot and then travel to 18th Street, North 12th Street, Eighth Street and then South Main Street. No pre-registration is necessary to enter to parade.
Activities planned at W.A. Olen Park after the parade include vehicle extrications, kiddie water fights, K-9 demonstration and live music by The Bomb from 7-11 p.m. Hot dogs, burgers, brats, and corn on the cob will be served by the firefighters.
The FWD Museum will hold an open house from 12-4 p.m. at both locations (Zachow-Besserdich Machine Shop on 11th Street and the Topp-Stewart Tractor facility at the end of 15th Street). Included in the display of retired fire trucks will be the FWD Model B prototype and the WWI Model B ammunition carrier, in honor of the 100th anniversary of the U.S. entry into World War I.
On Friday, the department will hold its annual fish fry in the park.
The festival is the annual fundraiser for the fire department.