Pasadena Tournament of Roses Marks Its Centennial Festival

Your series on the Tournament of Roses was fascinating (Part I, Dec. 29-Jan. 1). I have attended probably half of the 100 parades over the years, having been initiated by my late mother Grace Moore Gales, who was exactly 1 year old when the first parade was held. Seeing the 1913 picture of the woman in a cart drawn by the ostrich reminded me that my mother worked at the Cawston Ostrich Farm about then, and she once rode in the parade with her brother driving a decorated power lawn mower provided by the Annandale Country Club. How the floats have changed!

If sponsoring companies calculate so carefully the cost of a float versus the minutes of exposure on television, I cannot understand why their drivers don’t keep recommended distances from the participant ahead of them. Too many “tailgate” on the parade route as if they were in traffic rather than keeping back so spectators can fully enjoy each entry until it has completely passed by. Leaders of marching bands and banner carriers are even worse at tailgating.

If committee members wants to get a cut of the vending money and benefit spectators too, they should sell an audio tape through street hawkers. Using information only available to the association, it would describe each float’s motif and flowers, tell who is on board, give tales about horses and participating bands like one hears on TV. One does not have time to read a program about each float and watch it too, but one could listen to a tape while watching to enhance the enjoyment of the visual spectacle. One would just have to remember to bring one’s own tape player or buy or rent one there.

DONALD GALES

Rolling Hills