Parade • President
Robert C. Maxson was the grand marshal of
the Belmont Shore parade, riding with Associated
Students Inc. President Jamie Pollock, Treasurer
Zaira Tinoco and Vice President Hironao Okahana.
For more photos see Page 5. Tracey Roman
/ Online Forty-Niner
LB
stakes out parade seats to see Santa
By Kristi Gohn
Online Forty-Niner
Contributing Writer
Approximately 75,000 people flocked to Second Street in Belmont Shore to watch
Santa, Snoopy, Ronald McDonald and more at the 23rd annual Christmas Parade
put on by Belmont Shore Business Association Saturday.
Many families and friends were there to see someone they knew march in the
parade.
William Melvin, 9, was looking forward to watching his sister march with the
campfire girls.
Adriana Romesburg, 19 from Long Beach, was there to support her sister marching
with the ROTC.
The Long Beach Police Department strictly enforced a “no chair until
3 p.m.” rule but many began to pick prime pieces of sidewalk well before.
Serious parade watchers like Kathi Duncan, with Hill Middle School Outdoor
Club, knew it was crucial to get there early to get a good seat. Duncan got
to Belmont Shore at about noon to park and at about 2:45 p.m. she joined the
groups of running people to stake her claim to a piece of median.
At 6 p.m. the parade began with the Long Beach Junior Concert Band. Long Beach
mayor, Beverly O’Neill, and Cal State Long Beach president, Robert C.
Maxson, served as the grand marshals.
“
This is my way to wish everyone a happy holiday—and a special warm holiday
greeting to all the students at Cal State Long Beach,” Maxson said.
The cheering crowd was treated to numerous holiday wishes and band performances
as the parade moved up and down both sides of the street. Local high schools
played Christmas music and danced their way down the parade route. Banning
High School from Wilmington had the crowd roaring with their dance routine.
City Council members, Miss California, Tamiko Nash, Snoopy and Ronald McDonald
waved to the anxious spectators. Snoopy arrived in true Old West fashion, by
a horse-drawn stagecoach.
The 150 entrants included everyone from the local cub scout chapters to the
American Red Cross to the Aquarium of the Pacific. Long Beach Clothing Company
even drove a huge lifted red Ford truck decked out with lights and the company
logo in the parade. The Marine Corps Toys for Tots marched reminding everyone
to donate.
The parade ended with Santa perched atop a shiny red fire truck wishing the
crowd lots of holiday cheer.
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