Main Street: City Council approves September 3rd Labor Day Parade

April 13, 2005
Santa Paula City Council

An event to honor workers will be held on September 3, after the City Council gave their support for a Main Street Labor Day Parade.

By Peggy KellySanta Paula TimesAn event to honor workers will be held on September 3, after the City Council gave their support for a Main Street Labor Day Parade. The council approved the request at the April 4 meeting held at the Santa Paula High School Auditorium.In February the council heard the request of Joanne Wright for such a parade, and directed a meeting with staff to discuss the possibility of the event. City Manager Wally Bobkiewicz and staff met with Wright and members of the newly formed Labor Day Parade Committee to hear more about the event.“The committee is planning a parade to salute laborers of all kinds in our community,” noted Bobkiewicz. “They are looking to have a parade very similar” to the annual Optimist Christmas and Kiwanis Citrus parades, but the Labor Day Parade would “conclude with the beginnings of the Fandango,” at the Railroad Plaza Gazebo. It would be proper for the city to be a co-sponsor of the parade, Bobkiewicz said.Councilman Ray Luna asked Wright to identify parade specifics.Wright noted the committee would like to have barriers and city personnel common to other parades. “As far as I know, we get the sponsorship for the insurance” liability policy in the required amount of $1 million from the Santa Paula Rotary Club, she added. “We could not do that until we felt that the city was supportive of the concept of doing this.”
“Basically you’re not asking for financial assistance?” asked Luna.“It would be helpful if the fees were waived,” said Wright.The cost of parades has decreased dramatically under the leadership of Community Services Director Brian Yanez, said Bobkiewicz. In addition, the Labor Day Parade would not cross 10th Street, which eliminates the need for traffic officers and further shrinks the cost. “I think we’ve got it down to where the in-kind costs would be very small,” noted Bobkiewicz.“In terms of this particular event and in light of a lot of things going on in our community today, we really see this parade as being a completely inclusive event,” said Wright. “Everybody works” and would be invited to participate.Councilman Gabino Aguirre agreed. “It would really be a celebration of labor and their contributions to society today, especially in Santa Paula…we celebrate those who” work, “pay the taxes that, in turn, go to city government.”



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