Paul Smith has been named grand marshal for the 44th annual Lehighton Halloween Parade.

The march will be held at 4 p.m. Saturday. In the event of rain, it will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday.The announcement was made by parade chairman Julie Harris.She said Smith was named because of his six decades of service to the community through music, education and church-related events.He has been director of the Lehighton Band, formerly known as the Lehighton Men's Band, since 1965. The band is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year.For years the Lehighton Band participated in the annual Halloween Parade, but it won't this year. Many members are aging and, Smith said, the band doesn't march in parades any more.Smith was born and raised in Lehighton. At Lehighton High School, he participated in the band, orchestra and chorus.Graduating in 1955, he went to Mansfield State Teachers College, now Mansfield University, where he majored in music education.It was here that he met and married Linn, also a music major. They both graduated in 1959 and taught music in York County.In 1964, Smith accepted a job in the music department of the Lehighton Area School District, and over the next 29 years he taught vocal and instrumental music in elementary, junior high and high school.Both Linn and Paul took jobs at Zion United Church of Christ in Lehighton, she as organist and he as choir director, where they worked together for the next 46 years.During this time they built up the music program, formed bell choirs and founded the Zion Opera Workshop, which puts on annual Broadway-style musicals.His wife was born and raised in Emporium, Cameron County. She was involved with the music program in the Cameron County High School.They have two daughters, Dawn, married to the Rev. Steve Cureton, who is employed in the fundraising department of Geisinger Hospital in Danville, and Beth, married to Brad Cressley of Lehighton. Brad owns the Lehighton business Carbon County Music and More and is director of music at Zion United Church of Christ. Beth is a fourth-grade teacher in Lehighton.They have two grandchildren, Laura Cressley, a junior at Kutztown University majoring in music education and an organist at Zion UCC, and a son, Brandon Cressley, a Lehighton Area High School senior who is drum major of the high school marching band.The entire family is involved with the choir, bell choir and Zion Opera Workshop.Harris said the parade will form at Seventh and Coal streets. The route will be the same as last year: on Coal Street to Third, south on Third to Mahoning Street, west on Mahoning to Eighth, and west on Eighth to the Community Grove, where it will disband.Five bands have been announced for the parade.They are the Lehighton Area High School Band, Perseverance Jazz Band, Shriners, Allentown Hobo Band and

A.D.D.The judging stand will be in front of the Lehighton Borough Annex on North Third Street.