Carnation Festival celebrates lawmen, welcomes Lamborn relative to Alliance

ALLIANCE − W. John Gross isn't known to be a man of few words.

But for the briefest of moments on Saturday, the 86-year-old former FBI agent and longtime historian stood silently at an Alliance Area Senior Center lectern. He said he was shocked when he was named the Greater Alliance Carnation Festival's Grand Parade marshal during the festival's Community Luncheon.

The Grand Parade begins at 11 a.m. Aug. 10.

"I'm speechless," he said alongside his wife, Georgene.

Gross was one of three retired or active lawmen honored at the luncheon. The others were Alliance Police Lt. Michael Yarian and retired chief Scott Griffith, who now is an auxiliary officer with the department.

Gross: 'I'm not a politician. I didn't run for office.'

Born in Massillon, Gross is a former Ohio State Highway Patrol trooper and FBI agent, serving under J. Edgar Hoover. He also was a pilot, and, along with his wife, has been a dedicated servant of the Alliance community for decades.

He also is credited with securing the Navy A-7 Corsair jet that aims skyward from the front lawn of Alliance High School. He also helped create the Sept. 11, 2001, memorial at Silver Park and the skate park at Memorial Park.

The busy fellow also gives history tours at Alliance City Cemetery.

"I'm not a politician. I didn't run for office," said Gross, who served three years as the city's Safety-Service director. "I just wanted to be part of the community."

Further explaining, Gross said his passion for local history started while he was serving with the FBI. He said he couldn't directly be involved in the communities where he was assigned. A former boss told him to visit the cemeteries in the towns as a starting point to learning about the history of the communities.

He was told to "go to a local cemetery, go to the one closest to downtown and work your way to the farthest cemetery."

"You look at the tombstones and then look around the community and you'll see the same names on buildings. Then you look up the people, and you'll find out what the community is all about," Gross said.

He added: "That just made me want to commit ... to the history of this community."

Georgene Gross said Saturday's honor was "extremely special."

Yarian: 'I didn't see it coming.' Neither did Griffith.

Yarian, a Marlington High graduate, has been in a law enforcement for almost three decades. He has served in Alliance for 25 years.

On Saturday, he received the 2024 Favazzo/Jeswald Founders Award named for the festival's late founders Ben Favazzo Sr. and Patrick Jeswald. Both died in 1996. "I didn't see it coming. I am very grateful," Yarian said.

Equally surprised was Yarian's former boss, Griffith, who retired in 2023. Alliance Mayor Andy Grove named Griffith the city's Citizen of the Year on Saturday.

"Now I see why my son told me to wear anything but shorts," Griffith said with a laugh. "This is an outstanding community."

Relatives of Levi Lamborn make historic visit

The event's keynote speaker, Mike Lamborn, great-great nephew of Levi Lamborn, shared a detailed history of his family, dating to early life in Pennsylvania. Mike Lamborn, his wife, Terry, and cousins are visiting Alliance for the first time. They're the first Lamborn relatives to attend the annual Alliance festival.

Levi Lamborn is a major part of the city's history. Born in Pennsylvania, Lamborn moved to Alliance to set up his medical practice. A politician, physician and horticulturist, he is credited for growing some of the first carnations in the United States.

His scarlet carnation, called the Lamborn Red carnation, later became Ohio's state flower.

Mike Lamborn, who owns Lamborn Winery in Napa Valley, also discussed his family's business, saying that they produce about 2,000 cases of wine a year, and use only grapes grown on their own land.

Lamborn and his family will be spending the week in the Alliance area, and will visit various landmarks and places that will help increase his knowledge of Levi Lamborn's influence.

Reach Benjamin Duer at 330-580-8567 or ben.duer@cantonrep.com . On X (formerly Twitter): @bduerREP .

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Carnation Festival celebrates lawmen, welcomes Lamborn relative to Alliance