Grand Occasion
Nutley honors President Colligan as Grand Marshal of St. Patrick’s Day Parade
The Honor Guard and Pipes and Drums from Port Authority Local 116
helped lead the parade.
Nutley Police Officer of the Year Joe O’Halloran.
Members of Nutley Local 33 wore shirts with green PBA shields.
70 NEW JERSEY COPS ■ MARCH 2018
St. Patrick never has seen luck of the Irish quite like this: Murphy,
Colligan, Wieners and especially an O’Halloran.
NJ State PBA President Tony Wieners recommended to the
Essex County Emerald Society that current President Pat Colligan
be honored as Grand Marshal of the 2018 Nutley Irish American
Association St. Patrick’s Day Parade on March 3. Colligan invited
Governor Murphy to join him in leading the parade. The event also
honored Nutley Police Officer of the Year Joe O’Halloran.
Now, here’s where the luck really helped.
March 3 was the Saturday following the first Nor’easter, that shed
60-miles-per-hour winds on New Jersey. The storm threatened to
blow out the parade.
“We were supposed to line up at noon and start at 1 p.m.,”
explained Colligan, who wore a green-and-gold “Grand Marshal”
sash. “The wind literally died down at noon. I guess it was Irish
luck.”
The parade turned into a true St. Patrick’s Day gala, starting with
the four-leaf-clover-laced pants that the governor sported. Presi-
dent Colligan invited the vaunted Port Authority Local 116 Hon-
or Guard and Pipes and Drums to help lead the parade, and PBA
members from throughout Essex County joined the march, includ-
ing large contingents from Bloomfield Local 32 and Belleville Local
28. Belleville accompanied its longtime member Wieners.
Ray Nelson, a member of the Essex County Emerald Society, rep-
resented Sheriffs Officers & Court Attendants Local 183. West Essex
Local 81 State Delegate Brett Keepers led a group from his Local,
as did Bernards Township Local 357 State Delegate Hank Werner.
State Delegate P.J. Sandomenico was part of a large contingent
from Nutley Local 33 that wore specially made shirts with green
PBA shields to support O’Halloran.
The vice president of Local 33 since 2000, O’Halloran has served
as the township’s traffic safety officer and its first motorcycle officer
in 20 years. He has many specialized training certifications, mostly
in crash investigation, traffic control and enforcement.
Topping off the festivities was the presence of President Colli-
gan’s entire family. His wife, Lynette, was honored with a “Wife of
the Grand Marshal” sash.
“It was an awesome day,” Co