Honorary Mayor wins again.Gamble, the incumbent honorary mayor of Lehigh Acres raised the most money to retain his title for this year. Shown here is Gamble at left, with the new Deputy Mayor, Tammy Rodriguez. In the center is Charlotte Rae Nicely, executive director of Lehigh Community Services, sponsors of the honorary mayor contest. Photo by Mel Toadvine For this photo and other pictures at the Lehigh Spring Festival Parade, go to: cu.lehighacrescitizn.com

Oscar Gamble, who oversees the Wound Center at Lehigh Regional Medical Center, held on to his title as Honorary Mayor of Lehigh Acres over the weekend. Tammy Rodriguez earned the title of Deputy Honorary Mayor and will assume the ceremonial duties of the honorary mayor should he be away.

Charlotte Rae Nicely, executive director of Lehigh Community Services, told several hundred people Friday night, March 25 that her agency is receiving nearly $4,500 to help the needy in Lehigh with rental and food assistance from monies raised by the two contenders for honorary mayor. In the contest, they held events to raise money for the agency.

Last year, her agency raised $10,000 but because of the ill economy, Nicely said she was happy with the money received this year.

She said she had forgotten to prepare a king-sized check with the amount written on it as has been the custom for years.

The Honorary Mayor Contest is not an official part of the Lehigh Spring Festival, but the new honorary mayor is named at the end of the festival each year on the outside stage at Veterans Park.

The family of slain U.S. Marine Sgt. Jason Amores rides in an open convertible Saturday in the Lehigh Acres Spring Festival Parade. His wife, Jennifer, and his two children, Korbin and Violet were parade marshals and were in the beginning of the parade down Homestead Rd. A group of Marines surrounded the convertible during the parade. Photo by Mel Toadvine More photos can be viewed at: cu.lehighacrescitizen.com

“We are having hard times and everyone is being affected. I understand why the contributions are down this year, but we appreciate the money people gave to their candidates,” Nicely said.

The new deputy honorary mayor, Tammy Rodriguez is employed by AAA Realty in Lehigh Acres.

The nine-day Lehigh Acres Spring Festival concluded Saturday night after a rock concert. It has begun March 18 and continued until Saturday with nightly events, including concerts, contests, games, fireworks, and a midway with rides and lots of carnival fast food.

Thousands lined the streets Saturday and the parade began exactly at 11 a.m. as planned. It lasted for an hour and a half. Parade Chairman Andy Reisinger said everything went on without a problem. This year’s parade did not lag. Entries moved down Homestead Road as parade watchers lined the streets.

Many got there an hour before the parade began just to get a good location and not get caught up in a traffic jam when the Lee County Sheriff’s Office began shutting down streets leading onto Homestead Rd.

Lehigh Senior High School’s marching band participated in Saturday’s Lehigh Spring Festival Parade. Photo by Mel Toadvine More photos can be viewed at: cu.lehighacrescitizen.com

As usual and is the custom, Lee County Mike Scott lead the parade followed by the Lehigh Acres fire Department and several JROTC members from both Lehigh Senior High School and East Lee County High School.

The judge’s stand was located in front of SunTrust Bank while Danny Stephenson and Vicki Culver moderated the parade as it approached the judge’s stand. Some groups stopped and performed such as a martial arts entrant. Another was a dance group from the Caribbean Social Club.

The crowds around the judges stand and up and down Homestead Rd. clapped and many stood up if they were sitting to honor the late Sgt. Jason Amores of Lehigh Acres, a U.S. Marine who was killed while fighting in Afghanistan in January.

His wife, Jennifer Amores and her two children, Korbin, 9, and Violet, 3, rode in an open convertible and were parade marshals. A large photograph of Sgt. Amores was attached to the front windshield. He and his wife grew up in Lehigh, attended high school together and married. He had reenlisted after serving in Iraq.

Several U.S. Marines walked by the convertible in honor of their comrade.

A cartoon character in the parade stopped to hug a young child who attended the parade with her parents. Photo by Mel Toadvine More photos are at cu.lehighacrescitizen.co

Several firms in Lehigh and some clubs and a few churches made floats that were pulled by trucks in the parade.

One of the entrants was RE/MAX Realty which provided free balloon rides the night before the parade to visitors at Veterans Park.

In the parade, a man continued to open a valve shooting flames high in the air. Flames like this are used under big balloons to create heated air which makes the balloon rise in the air.

True to tradition, plenty of candy was tossed out to children along the route and they quickly retrieved their treats in paper bags most had brought with them.

Also true to tradition was the great weather on Saturday. Early morning fog had burned off by around 9 a.m. and temperatures were hovering around the 80-degree mark. Most parade watchers came with lawn chairs and many found trees to sit in the shade as the sun was hot. It has never rained in three decades of the day of the parade.

Youngsters who won pageants at the Lehigh Spring Festival walked down Homestead Rd. in Saturday’s parade. Photo by Mel Toadvine For more photographs of the Lehigh Acres Spring Parade, go to: cu.lehighacrescitizen.com

Debbie Jackson, a member of the Spring Festival Committee, noted that the concerts by local and Nashville musicians were paid for from contributions from area businesses and friends.

“We had a great festival and we had great crowds. I think everyone enjoyed this year’s event,” she said.

Within a few months, the committee will begin meetings for next year’s festival which will be held again in March, sometime before Easter.

The festival began many years ago as a way Lehigh folks bid farewell to their neighbors who came to be called snowbirds over the years.

It was originally held on land behind the Lehigh Flea Market and where Microtel Inn is located today. In fact, many of the inside events were held in the building which houses the flea market. Later, events like the bubble blowing contest and the pet contest were held on a long flatbed trailer while cooking events were held at inside sites. Now they are held at the Veterans Park in tents.