Local News in Brief : Theme for Rose Parade Float

The Torrance float in the 1989 Tournament of Roses parade will feature an “Auld Lang Syne” theme with a large floral figure of Father Time looking back over 100 years of parade history.

The complex design was unanimously approved Tuesday by the Torrance City Council, which agreed to spend $80,000 to have C. E. Bent & Sons of Pasadena build and operate the city’s entry in the New Year’s classic.

To suggest the span of time since the first Rose Parade in 1889, the float will feature floral depictions of the Rose Bowl and several Torrance floats from previous parades, including the first one in 1914, which featured an oil derrick.

In addition to Father Time, the 35-foot-long float will include a prominent figure of a New Year’s baby and a large clock ticking off the passing decades.

Bill Lofthouse, executive vice president of C. E. Bent & Sons, told council members the design was “very rococo, very ornate.”