Sand
leads roses at parade
By Kari Schneider
On-line Forty-Niner
Waking
up New Year’s Day bright and early in order
to watch the Rose Parade on every local
channel on television is a tradition. It
is something that the community has come
to count on through the years.
 This
year the Rose Parade theme is “Children’s
Dreams, Wishes and Imaginations,” and in
concord with the theme, the city of Long
Beach is titling their float “Castles in
the Sand.”
It is the city’s 86th year participating
in the Rose Parade.
The float, standing 15 feet tall, 55 feet
long and 18 feet wide, costing $115,000
is being paid for by the city of Long Beach
through the Long Beach Area Convention and
Visitors Bureau, said Bob Maguglin, public
relations manager for the bureau. The money
is set aside in the city’s budget every
year.
Phoenix Decorating Co., one of the largest
builders of Rose Parade floats, designed
the float for the city. They build nearly
half of the floats that appear in the parade.
The float will have two 6-foot weedy sea
dragons in honor of the Long Beach Aquarium
of the Pacific, which is the first institution
to breed sea dragons in captivity, said
Maguglin. Colorful seaweed will spill from
the castle’s five towers.
Sand carvings on the side of the castle
will represent the Queen Mary and a Grand
Prix race car. Designs of shells, sea stars
and two weedy sea dragons will also grace
the float.
A contest, on Dec. 13, will choose one child
from each of the nine districts in Long
Beach to be on the floats, sponsored by
the Long Beach Parks and Recreation Department.
To get involved in the decorating of Long
Beach’s Rose Parade float, students can
call Bob Maguglin at (562) 495-8345 no later
than Dec. 18. Dates for decorating are set
for Dec. 26, 27, 28 and 29 from 8 a.m. to
11 p.m. There are two shifts from 8 a.m.
to 4 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. and Phoenix
Decorating Co. would like a minimum commitment
of four hours.
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