PARMA, Ohio -- The recent passing of NASA astronaut Capt. James Lovell has Parma Mayor Tim DeGeeter thanking his lucky stars once again.

It was 22 years ago this month that after a two-year campaign by a then-young Ward 4 Councilman, John Muir Park was officially renamed “Capt. James A. Lovell, Jr. Park.”

“That was a really special moment, which basically started out with finding that Capt. Lovell spent time during his childhood living here in Parma, I believe on Farnsworth Drive,” he said.

“The initiative to rename the park basically started with me just sending a letter to his suburban Chicago home office. From there, we were able to work it out where he came to Cleveland for a NASA event.”

Labor Day weekend 2003 kicked off at a ceremony with the mayor remembering Lovell and his wife

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