Dennis Filippone, the interim superintendent of the Brick Township School District, has been named the grand marshal of the 2018 Columbus Day Parade in Seaside Heights. "Dennis stood out among this year's nominees because of his commitment to the education of our youth in the school system," Parade Chairman Michael Blandina said, "especially for his efforts over the last several years to bring more culture and heritage into Brick Township's high schools."

The annual Italian festival in Seaside Heights is set for Oct. 5-7, with the parade on Sunday, Oct. 7, the Ocean County Columbus Day Parade Committee said in a news release. Filippone has been an educator in the Brick schools since 1978. The 1974 Brick graduate returned to his alma mater after graduating from Southern Connecticut University, and was a special education teacher at Lake Riviera Middle School until 1995, when he was named assistant principal at Brick Township High School.