Y Ddraig Goch

The mayor wore leeks.
Although of Irish descent, Clarks Summit Borough Mayor Harry Kelly went Welsh on Monday.
Monday was St. David’s Day, the feast day of the patron saint of Wales.
The flag of Wales, Y Ddraig Goch (the Red Dragon), was raised over Clarks Summit Borough during a 1 p.m. ceremony Monday at the flag pole on State Street at Winola Road. The mayor wore leeks around his neck, in time-honored Welsh tradition.
He was joined by other celebrants, who were perhaps not as fragrant but, like Kelly, wore red or other clothing signifying an affinity to Wales. They included members of the St. David’s Society of Lackawanna County, who are celebrating the society’s centennial this year.
Society president Brian Kaeb, Clarks Summit, said the group had to wait as borough public works employees dug a path through the still-deep snow at the triangular site.  
In addition to Kaeb, members of the society’s board of directors who live in the Abingtons include: Warren Watkins and David Jones of Clarks summit; Tudor Williams, South Abington Township; and Mario Johns and Elizabeth Turner, Dalton.
The society held a dinner Monday night at Trinity Episcopal Church hall in Carbondale.
Through the end of May, the Anthracite Heritage Museum at McDade Park will display artifacts depicting Welsh heritage and its effect on the area’s history and culture through language, music, song, mining, iron making and poetry.
During the Memorial Day weekend of May 29-30, the society will hold a banquet and choral concert by the 50-voice Ystradgynlais Welsh Male Choir.
Clarks Summit is the sister city of Ystradgynlais.
 

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