The City of Union has selected Linda and Randy Barlow as the Grand Marshals for the 2018 Union Celebrates America parade. The parade and community event is scheduled for Friday, June 29th.
The parade will start at 7 p.m. with the parade route as follows: Starting at the old Union Kroger/Braxton Drive down US Hwy 42 to Mt. Zion Road turning right on to Old Union Road where it will end.
“Linda and Randy Barlow have allowed the Union Celebrates America event to use their property for many, many years,” said Mayor Larry Solomon. “They have been gracious supporters of our event, as well as other community events at their property, and we wish to recognize the many contributions they have made to the City of Union and Boone County over the years. They and their family are fine examples of what makes Union a great place to live.”
Photo provided from last year’s parade.
The Barlows are well-known and well-respected members of the community and are fourth-generation residents of the City of Union. Randy spent two terms as a City Commissioner for Union and is currently a member of the city Economic Development Committee.
He was a member of the Union Fire Department for more than 20 years as a volunteer firefighter, serving as Chair for the District board, and helped with the initial organization of the Union Rescue Squad. He spent eight years as the Union representative of the Boone County Planning Commission and had a particular interest in helping Union develop responsibly.
In his early career, Randy worked for Kenner Products, the toy manufacturing company, including serving as Vice President of Engineering, and also worked at a Cincinnati printing company as a plant manager for plants in Texas, Arizona, Ohio, as well as a local machine division plant.
He attended New Haven and Boone County High School and earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas.
Linda Barlow is also a native Boone Countian and graduated from Boone County High School. She is a retired educator who owned her own private tutoring business in Union for more than 25 years.
Linda was the state director of the Odyssey of the Mind Program for nearly 20 years. She served as the PTA President for nearby New Haven School and served on several educational committees in the Boone County Schools. She is a graduate of Lamar University, with a degree in education.
The Barlows have two children: Jeff Barlow is the Fire Chief for Burlington, and his wife Pam is a pre-school teacher in Boone County. Their daughter, Karen Ackley, is in the pharmaceutical development industry and holds a PHD in chemistry. Her husband, Doug, also works in pharmaceuticals. The Barlow’s have two grandsons, one a senior at Cooper High, and the other a freshman at CHS.
There will be a community street celebration event immediately following the parade at the DelMonde Building (formerly the old firehouse) at 10087 Old Union Road – music by professional entertainers “The Wulfe Bros.” begins at 8:30 p.m. with fireworks following at approximately 10:00 p.m.
More information regarding the City of Union Celebrates America event can be found on the city’s website or by contacting Communications and Operations Director Melissa Hinkle at melissah@cityofunionky.org or 859-384-1511.
