La Canada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Association

DECO So, you may have noticed. This year, we have lots of furry dogs on our float. Which may make you wonder, how can you make fur with natural materials? Getting characters to be appropriately fluffy can be a big challenge. The most common material used for fur is pampas grass- if you see a tan colored fur on a character, it's likely pampas grass. We sometimes harvest it from our friends at local gardens, like Huntington Gardens. We also sometimes "over-decorate" pampas gras...s, where we spray it with glue, then roll it in seeds that are an appropriate color. In 2019, all of the Dodo Birds were made of pampas grass. Another form of fur is buffalo grass- this is a darker material, which is very easy to work with (a decorator favorite!). In texture it looks pretty similar to pampas grass, but it is naturally a different color. Last year, the darker parts of the Ostrich were made with buffalo grass. We've also made fur out of flowers- carnations and mums can make white fur look nice and fluffy. But what can be even more fun is using actual, natural cotton as a decorating material. Last year, puffs of cotton could be found on the hat of the flamingo. You may see cotton this year on the poodle! The trickiest fur we've ever made? Definitely Panda fur. It took the deco team a long time to find a material that would work for the black parts of the pandas a few years ago. Very few black materials appear in nature. Eventually we found a special type of seaweed that would work, and our pandas came to life! Jennifer Lazo & Sara Wickersham Co-Deco Chairs [email protected]

WE HAVE LIFTOFF!! The Pasadena Tournament earlier this month announced that the January 1, 2022 parade is a go: "[W]e are actively planning for the return of America's New Year Celebration, including the live televised Rose Parade presented by Honda and Rose Bowl Game, to usher in 2022." ... They added: "As we move forward with our plans to bring hope and optimism to the world, public health and safety remain our top priority. The evolving nature of the pandemic requires flexibility, ongoing adjustments, mitigation measures to be incorporated into our planned activities. We expect to announce more specific details on the Rose Parade and associated events as they become available," said Bob Miller, President of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association." Similarly LCFTRA is moving full speed ahead - while also complying with pandemic precautions and staying flexible. The 2022 theme is "Dream. Believe. Achieve." As the Pasadena Tournament explains, "The 2022 Rose Parade celebrates the determination of those who travel the path from dream to reality. . . . This year, we honor all those who reach beyond their grasp in the quest to make a dream come true." LCFTRA is once again dreaming, believing and achieving! Join in the fun! Greg Brown VP - Adminisrtation

More progress - first part of the backend is off and character foam is on site. PS - new types of swag for Flotique under review!

CONSTRUCTION Phase 2 of Pasadena ToR required safety changes: Rebuilding the back end continues. Float:... Chassis: The three main components of the sizable back end of the float are complete. Final welding to trim it all up will occur this week. Plans are for this weekend to start the dis-assembly of the old rear end of the existing chassis, and start the process of attaching the new components. This is a big heavy task, and while not ‘glamorous’, it is something to witness if you are around. Track: Concurrently we have completed a working section of track and a work- ing character supporting trolley. There will be five (5) of these large character trollies, that will then be linked together with ‘link-trollies’. All riding on a double rail track which should run approx. 100’. Hydraulics: Mapping of the hydraulic hoses for the replacement project is continuing; a great deal of much needed updating and cleanup there will result in a clean and stable float with less ‘hose surprises’ each year. Characters: Foam order is being configured, and when the foam sheets arrive in the next week to 10 days (estimated) we should be able to begin foam carving and character shaping. For those of you itching to get into the carving of foam... your time is just about here, so get your knives and rasps ready! We will try and send out word in advance, but feel free to swing by or reach out to any of us and we will give you an update. Satellite(s) : Here is a category we have not yet even started. so it is now time. We would like to start the oft delayed teardown of Leo the Satellite Ostrich. We had held off as there had been any number of possible mini-parade, showcase, and such ideas and concepts floated (pun intended.?. sure!) over the mysterious year-without-a-parade. But we are past all that and need to get that chassis and equipment ready for this year’s build, along with its own mini-satellite. Site: We continue to work in smaller shifts, spacing ourselves so we can keep moving forward. We are exploring our ability to re-start our on-site Saturday lunch ‘Burgers and (Hot)Dogs on the grill’...wouldn’t want to imply we are using our character-based ‘dogs’ for anything other than riding as characters on the float. The work is invigorating and challenging. If you want to 'get out', we are here - safely spaced, and eager to have the help and camaraderie. Ernest Koeppen, John Wolhaupter, Dwight Crumb Construction Co-Chairs [email protected]

PRESIDENT's MESSAGE This month as we celebrate St. Patrick's Day, I think we have gotten a bit of good Irish luck. Another month has gone by and there is more good news. Vaccinations are on the rise while the virus numbers continue to decrease. The County moved from the Purple Tier to the Red Tier which allows for more businesses to open. I do think it is strange that the worst tier is Purple, and the next tier is Red. I thought that maybe the worst tier should be Red? Regard...less, we are moving in the right direction. This is certainly good news for business, schools, etc. It is also good news for the Float. With all this positive movements, it allows us to open more opportunities to continue to improve and build out the float. Our construction team is busy with the design plans making needed improvements. We are starting the planning for our Wine and Roses event in November. We are hopeful that we can have this event in-person. If not, we will have a contingency plan for a virtual event. Wine and Roses is the key part of our fundraising efforts for the year. We are very excited to have the opportunity to at least plan for the event and hope we will be allowed to gather and support the organization. I cannot say enough how wonderful our leadership team has been this past year. Everyone in their own way has truly answered the call to make our organization better and improved. We are building upon our rich traditions and wonderful past to make LCFTRA the best it can possibly be. For everyone's efforts, I am very grateful. Happy St. Patrick's Day. Michael Davitt, President [email protected]

So the work on the back end continues - just about off! The satellite got a little smaller and the track is looking better. Thanks to the crew for the hard work!

DECO Did you know? There is an Excel spreadsheet that is the beating heart behind every float that has recently been decorated. It is filled with formulas and definitions that make it possible to determine every material needed on the float. By finishing this spreadsheet, we've officially "called out" the float for the year, although it's never quite finished until final judging is complete.... The first step is to name every single piece of the float. Here's an example of a character's eye. These are all of the parts of one eye of one character: "Bicycle Dog, Left Eye: Main, Highlight, Pupil, Outline". That's four different names for one eye! After we name every single part of the float, we can decide what materials go on each part. What's usually on an eye? Tapioca, Onion Seed, Poppy Seed, and Statice have all featured on recent float eyes. Once we've typed those materials into the spreadsheet, the magic happens. The spreadsheet automatically determines what paint color will go under the eye, what glue will be used, what material needs to be ordered, and how much of each! This year we're inviting folks to join us in "calling out" the characters on the float. We'll choose a character or two, and you are welcome to join us in suggesting materials to decorate that character. Check in next month for the first set of dates. If you know you are interested in joining us, please send an email to [email protected], and we'll add you to the list! Sara Wickersham, Jennifer Lazo Deco Co- Chairs [email protected]

PAST PRESIDENT LOOKS BACK BEFORE AND AFTER: During these first two weeks of February, the organization normally would be scrambling to get renderings, at least the black and white versions, ready for the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Theme Draft meeting. Because of the Pandemic, the organization can bypass Theme Draft and go straight to preparing for its second appearance before the Design Variance board to get final approval of the rendering with all the graffiti tags appropr...iately licensed, or at least displaying phrases that do not require licensing. With the celebration and exhilaration that occurs after final judging and the parade, it is often easy to forget the starting point for each year. Like comic strips, I started to compile three panels for some of our past floats: from black & white to color to parade. So please enjoy from concept to performance for our own unique graphic art strips. President Ann Neilson produced three award-winners: 2012: if pigs could fly (Bob Hope Humor), 2013: Dino-Soar (Animation); and 2014: Dog Gone (Bob Hope Humor). Ann was also the first president to actively search for sponsorships to name the characters with Dog Gone. Pam Wiedenbeck, Treasurer and Past President (2010 & 2011) [email protected]’

CONSTRUCTION Phase 2 of Pasadena Tournament of Roses' required safety changes: rebuilding of the back end continues. FLOAT: As the result of safety changes required by the Pasadena TofR due to the event in the 2019 parade, we are required to reconstruct the front end and the back end of the float for increased towing capacity (over 30,000 lbs of capacity!!!).... The front end work is complete and work has begun on assembling the three sections of the back end. The portion that will contain the two hydraulic drive motors has been assembled and tack welded. The two mounting plates for the drive motors have been fabricated and have arrived on site waiting for the final assembly and welding. The center section of the rear end has been assembled and Owen Doodie from Loren Brugger Welding has finished the structural welding of the section. All the pieces of the third section that includes the rear hitch assembly have been deburred, beveled, and positioned awaiting the structural welder. Pam and Dwight have removed the framework behind the radiators in preparation for their complete removal. The hydraulic hose replacement project is proceeding, Earl at Hoseline has spent time working on the hoses going to the front\ end. Dwight, Pam, John, and Ernest have removed more of the hydraulic hoses from the animation system. We are making headway on the replacement hydraulic-hose project with a goal of eliminating hoses, redesigning the layout and management of all hoses and manifolds, and replacing most of the older lines. We are also developing a schematic diagram of the hydraulic system to assist in future operations and maintenance. A meeting was held with Kelly Roberts from the Downey Float. Kelly was a roller coaster technician at Knott’s Berry Farm and is currently an inspector with Cal OSHA for amusement parks. Kelly provided us a wealth of knowledge regarding roller coasters and suggestions for our proposed design. As a result of Kelly’s comments, we have modified our concept and are getting the parts for a prototype carriage that Grant designed to support the dogs in the skateboard park. As you can see, the critical pieces are moving forward, and we expect to have the three sections of the back end ready for assembly in March. SITE: We continue to work in smaller shifts, spacing ourselves so we can keep moving forward. Ernest Koeppen, John Wolhaupter, Dwight Crumb Construction Co-Chairs [email protected]

ADMINISTRATION We build oats. We build community. We build friendships. The La Cañada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Association (LCFTRA) holds a very unique place in the foothills community. What other organization or activity can claim all of the following:... -Tells 70 million people around the world about our great community? -Brings a new year’s smile and celebration to those same 70 million people? -Teaches hands-on skills to our youth and families? -Brings together more than 1,000 volunteers over a ten day period to work side-by-side on a fun project? -Teaches amateurs of all experience levels to learn new building skills? -Surrounds community members with tens of thousands of roses, carnations and other beautiful flowers? -Allows our families and kids to work on a project and then see it on national TV within a few days and be able to say: See those flowers on the front I put those there? -Attracts visitors from across the country to come help or watch the process unfold? -Combines creativity, design, woodwork, metal work, welding, sculpture, painting, flower preparation, computer programming, horticulture, engine repair and maintenance, food preparation and service, fundraising, team work, other skills, laughter and fun? -Results in volunteers meeting and marrying? -Boasts of volunteers who have continued to give their time and talents over the entir 40+ year history (or most of it) of LCFTRA? Join in the fun. Become a member. If you are a member, raise your donation level. Make an additional donation. Volunteer your time. Visit www.LCFTRA.org for more details. Greg Brown VP - Administration [email protected]

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE Over the past months, as I have shared, LCFTRA is making great strides improving our organization. Since this past year was an off year, it has given us some additional time to make long-term goals a priority for the organization. We are developing a new strategic plan. We are working with a new technology platform, which allows us to consolidate efforts and help the organization meet the challenges of the years to come. We have also been able to make ne...eded improvements to the float itself. This will help ensure a long life for many parades to come for LCFTRA. Another of our efforts is safety at the site. Entering the new normal we want to make the site a safe place to come and work. As the pandemic started, it was safer at home. Now that things are starting to open again, we are hopeful to have safer at the site. Board Members have purchased and stockpiled safety supplies. These include gloves, face shields, masks, hand sanitizers and dispensers. We have created new policies and practices which will improve safety measures and create a comfortable environment for all our volunteers. As we continue to use best practices to ensure our safety, and as the vaccine is becoming more available, LCFTRA is preparing to return to site, in a safe way. Building our float is truly a team effort. Everyone’s hard work will pay off and our float for the 2022 Parade will be a great tribute to the efforts and sacrifices which everyone has made. I encourage everyone to stay involved and remain excited as we enter the following months. More great things to come. Thanks for everyone’s efforts and look forward to a better 2021. Michael Davitt, President [email protected]

Continuing the back end upgrade and the rehosing project (really, this isn’t the plot of a reality TV show...)

FLOATIQUE Thank goodness 2021 has arrived and we are keeping our fingers crossed 2021 will provide us the opportunity to enjoy the regularly scheduled in-person events throughout this year leading up to Deco Week in December. The Floatique and entire LCFTRA team look forward to seeing you in 2021 and coming together to create another outstanding and beautiful float.... Take care and wishing everyone a bright and healthy 2021! Michele Bottrell and Chuck Hughes Floatique Staff

Have you ever wanted to be in the Parade?

Nice job on the front end and patio!

Just in case you wondered what a draft design of a 30,000lb tow rated front end looks like.

Building some new cabinets, laying some new flooring and rust proofing the new front end. The maintenance goes on!

The air has cleared and the work continues - new front end that can support a 30,000lb tow at a 45 degree angle. No guessing why the new requirement!

Dining Out MONDAY, OCTOBER 12: TAYLOR’S STEAK HOUSE Foothill Blvd., La Canada... The Dining Out fundraiser at Town Kitchen and Grill scheduled for Monday, September 14, has been cancelled due to financial, space and safety challenges caused by Covid-19 restrictions. However, Town is open for limited outdoor seating and for takeout, and we encourage your individual patronage in their support during these difficult times. Our next scheduled Dining fundraiser is Taylor's Steakhouse on Monday, October 12, and we certainly hope that by then "dining-in" restrictions will be lifted and we can proceed as scheduled. Thanks for your patience, and please check the September newsletter for updates. In the meantime, wear your mask, stay healthy, and fingers crossed that we'll meet at Taylor's on Monday, October 12th! Peggy Hotaling Dining Out Chair

New Year’s Day is Just the Beginning s Day is Just the Beginning The moment the parade ends, the LCTRA is gearing up for next one that is nearly a year away. There is a new theme, a design contest, construction, floral orders, decorators, etc. The list goes on and on. There is a lot that goes into any float but especially one that is self-funded and self-decorated. La Canada Flintridge does not have the benefit of the big budgets of those big brands. So it comes as no surpris...e that our members are an integral and important part of the association. Without them, the LCTRA could not exist. Without them, the float does not make its way down Colorado Boulevard. Their contributions fund all aspects of the association and give the team the needed money to produce those award-winning floats each and every year. So even though the next parade is not until 2022, membership support is still needed. Please renew or start your membership today. Sarah Marshall Membership

We are building the future . ..rather than a float . . . this year! And we need you to do it!! As with so many areas of our lives, the pandemic has shut down our normal fundraising activities. No dining out together; no Happy Hour socializing; no Floatique sales during Deco Week; no bingo night; no Wine and Roses dinner and auction; etc. etc. etc....Continue reading

DECO One of the places that only a few decorators ever see is the Deco Trailer- it houses all of the seeds and weeds that we use every year to decorate the float. It is jam-packed with many different types and colors of dry materials, and is a treasure trove of ideas for ways to make the float come to life. This fall your deco-chairs will be taking an inventory and reorganizing the trailer. As we go through this process, we sometimes find notes from those who came before us- ...you can see in this picture an example of that advice. Why not use nutmeg? Because powders are one of the most challenging materials to apply well- if the glue and distribution isn't perfect, the surface can look bumpy. Why not nutmeg in particular? Because on one float several years back, we used a ton of nutmeg on the base- so much so, that we lost any ability to smell it for weeks! So, safe to say that next year's float won't have much nutmeg, but it will have lots of other creative materials. We look forward to decorating it with all of you! Jennifer Lazo & Sara Wickersham Co-Deco Chairs [email protected]

Floatique During this time, your continued support of the organization is critical. Providing a donation either online or by mail is the perfect way to help the La Canada Flintridge Tournament of Roses organization continue to meet it’s mission and prepare us to be ready when we are 100% full steam ahead. Don’t forget about signing up new members and sharing the LCFTRA Float Fun with friends, family and neighbors. Being a member is the ultimate in supporting two great causes ...~ 1) Being a LCFTRA Supporter and 2) Following social distancing while still being involved! Signing up is as easy as visiting our website www.lcftra.org. Keep an eye on the website to find out when onsite volunteer opportunities are available. Take care, be safe and we will see you very soon! Michele Bottrell and Chuck Hughes Floatique Staff

How We Miss You... Our family and community is mourning the great loss of one of its most active and loyal members. Harriet Hammons passed away earlier this month. Our dear Harriet was always present during deco week under the bridge. She was an every-year salesperson at the Floatique Table. Decorators, neighbors, passersby expected to see Harriet at the table... and she did not disappoint--she was always there. During the year, Harriet enjoyed the monthly "Happy Hours", ofte...n volunteering again to sell whatever new memorabilia item had just been delivered. She will be missed by the "under the bridge" crew and all her friends in TOR. God bless you, Harriet Harriet’s Facebook page can be seen at: https://www.facebook.com/harriet.hammons

Past President Remembers: Past President Remembers: From ‘Under the Clouds’ - January 2012 Just Imagine watching more than 20 Rose Parades on TV in the midst of cold, snowy Michigan winters when Bert Parks hawked Minute Maid Orange Juice.... viewing 3 parades from the 3rd row of spectators on the south side of Colorado Blvd across from Gertmenian's grocery store. sitting in the Hill viewing stands for 3 more parades as part of the Caltech community. pining for live parade viewing for the next 10 years from Concord, CA and Olympia Fields, IL. rejoicing in the return to the PCC stands near Allen in the warm, California sun, for 11 more parades. helping the parade come into Post Parade for the next 2 parades. shepherding "The Great Howldini' and "Self Built Float" along the parade route on a scooter in a ‘white suit’ in both rain and shine. freezing in Formation Area for two more parades. certifying and checking in floats as part of Float Construction and as LCF President for the next two parades. driving "if pigs could fly" in the 2012 parade seeing only one float, one band, 6 scouts and the back of the Bob Hope Humor Trophy banner. 56 Tournament of Roses parades, 10 different views, more than one fantastic experience with the LCF family yes, the impossible happens and "pigs really can fly". I have to confess "if pigs could fly" is my favorite float Ann Neilson and I shared the prize for the concept contest. Dustin and Jacob took our nascent ideas and created a masterpiece. I think I spent about 1,200 hours building that year, most of it going into clouds and even more clouds. However, even 8 floats later, nothing can top the thrill of piloting that float with Arlene Buchmann and Randy Bartos through one picture-perfect parade. Pam Wiedenbeck, Past President

A Message from Deco Your Deco Leadership team is slowly coming to the (very strange) realization that we won’t be spending the last week of December with our float family this year. But that doesn’t mean that the float work won’t continue. We are going to take this as an opportunity to get our float ready for the next decade of parades. What will that look like? Much easier ways to sign up for shifts as a decorator! A more vibrant social media presence! Trips to the flower ma...rket in December, so we know what is most perfectly in bloom at that time of year (usually we are way too busy to get down there)! We will need your support- financial, creative, and physical, over the next year as we keep the Rose Parade dream alive. Please consider donating today to help keep us up and running over the next year. If you aren’t a member, we really need you to join LCFTRA now. We are also going to look for some fun, creative ways to bring the parade into your homes- check the newsletter in the next few months to see what we come up with. Jennifer Lazo & Sara Wickersham Co-Deco Chairs

Front end off and ready to chop. New pieces cut. Looking at hoses - a big replacement job. Glad for the cool weather.

City of LCF plus LCFTRA City of LCF plus LCFTRA The City of La Cañada Flintridge Again Strongly Supports LCFTRA The City of La Cañada Flintridge continues to be a #1 supporter of the La Cañada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Association. Despite a challenging year for sales tax revenues, the City Council last month unanimously (with our President and Mayor Mike Davitt abstaining to avoid any conflict of interest) approved our full request for financial support. In recognition ...of the difficult budget year for the City, we scaled back our funding request by about 15% to $12,500. In addition to this direct financial support, the City also supports LCFTRA in numerous other ways including providing Sheriff Department escorts, traffic plans, insurance help, and numerous other benefits. In return, the City receives recognition from millions around the world, and local residents and youth have the fun of working together and learning new skills to help build one of the world’s biggest robots each year! This challenging year we made it clear to the CIty that their financial support would be put to good use in infrastructure such as tools, site improvements, COVID-19 safety items, etc. which are needed for the long-term good of the organization regardless of whether or not the January 1, 2021 parade went forward. Now that the parade has been cancelled, we will focus on the back room so that we are stronger and ready to build a better-than-ever float for January 1, 2022!! Greg Brown VP Administration

We have the official word of a Parade postponed. Sad news, but also expected. We will take this situation and turn it into a positive! We have had plans for delayed chassis maintenance to occur over the next three seasons... this work will now instead all be done this year. This will ensure we have a fully compliant chassis, and fresh for years to come. In addition to getting all this major work completed, we will still be building the float as planned (although we won’t be d...ecorating it of course); and with the added time we will be sure to have a rockin’ product for the 2022 parade with the full float, and the satellite, as well as the mini-satellite. Something we have never done before. So the reality is we have more work than usual, and more time to create the unusual! Float: Work is now ongoing as mentioned above. We have generously been funded by the City of LCF to help with some much needed tool and equipment replacements, This goes a long way to handle the new workload which involves much heavier materials and engineering this year. Everyone is pitching in and upping their skillsets. Thanks to Randy Bartos, James Herrington, Jeff Helgager, Michele Bottrell, Denise Koeppen, Pam Wiedenbeck and Chuck Hughes for helping our consruction crew navigate this fluid environment. Site: Site is now set up for concurrent Chassis Maintenance. work, as well float design and build work. This setup is to allow for build work, design work and maintenance work all to coexist and still allow for safe distancing protocols.to be adhered to. So don’t be shy, if you want to ‘get out’, we are here and eager to have the help to make this turn into yet another award-winning float for our Community! Because, Who Says We Can’t! Ernest Koeppen, John Wolhaupter, Dwight Crumb Construction Co-Chairs

President's Message August 2020 Since last month, there has been quite a bit of change regarding the Tournament of Roses Parade. As you probably know, the Tournament officially canceled the 2021 parade. It should be noted that the Tournament is committed to doing some type of New Year's celebration, with specific details to follow. However, what we do know is that the 2021 parade will not have bands, floats, equestrian units, and the pageantry marching down Colorado Boulevard... that we have all come to love about New Year's Day. Prior to 2020, I never gave much thought to a concept or a reason that a Pasadena Rose parade would not occur. Not since the time of World War II has the parade been cancelled. LCFTRA has been building our own original floats since 1977. This will be the first year since our inception that we will not have a float. I, along with most of you, am disappointed that the parade was cancelled and that we cannot take on that monumental task of building a great and whimsical float. So, where do we go from here? The cancellation of the parade does allow us time to take some necessary steps to retool our organization to meet the challenges for 2022 and beyond. We can make some needed upgrades and improvements to the float chassis and base structure. We can also start to modernize our administration functions which will allow greater ease of use and a more welcoming and friendly environment for our members and volunteers. We are also setting up a Membership Task Force to make improvements and enhance benefits for our members. We continue to need a greater membership base and expansion. So, the future is bright for us, and with your help and support, we will be ready for the 2022 Rose Parade. The year 2020 has been tragic for many people. Lives have been altered and changed in so many different ways. I think we need to keep everything in perspective and try to value what is most important to all of us: our family, friends and health. Wishing everyone a great remainder of the summer and we will continue to keep you updated on our progress. Michael Davitt, President [email protected]

Thanks to everyone who came out on a hot Saturday to keep cleaning off the chassis! We even found a jacket from a great group of volunteers back in cooler times (it has gone home!)