Judges, Grab Your Clipboards

More than 40 floats are in this year's Tournament of Roses Parade

The judging is about to begin for entries in the 122nd Tournament of Roses Parade.

Decorators have just a few hours left to finish their floats. Themed "Building Dreams, Friendships and Memories," the annual  procession will include 46 floats, 22 marching bands and 22 equestrian units  from around the world.

Official judging begins at 10:30 a.m. There's also an award for viewer's choice.

This year's parade will feature a wide variety of floats, honoring  everything from Ronald Reagan's birthday to the victims of the 2001 terrorist  attacks to the Rose Bowl Stadium.

A 55-foot-long float dedicated to the 40th president features a 26-foot- high bald eagle and 11 black-and-white photographs of Reagan, which will be  decorated with onion seeds, poppy seeds and crushed sweet rice.

The front of the 9/11 float honors victims of the hijacked United 93  flight, the middle remembers the Pentagon and the rear depicts New York City.  The float will be lined with roses, each with a different 9/11 victim's name on  it. A fire hydrant found in the Ground Zero rubble will also be included on the  float.

Another float honors the 88-year history of the Rose Bowl Stadium, which  is set to undergo renovations next year. The 55-foot-long float is a flower- decorated reproduction of the world-famous stadium and includes sculptural  representations of a soaring blimp, stealth B2 bomber, jet plane fly-by and  descending skydiver.

Copyright CNS - City News Service
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