Corona Shows Its True Colors : Support: The Civic Center is awash in yellow ribbons as employees pay tribute to troops.

More than 1,000 yards of yellow ribbon were tied to the trees in front of the Corona Civic Center on Wednesday to show the city employees’ support for troops in the Persian Gulf.

The ribbons were hung on about 50 ash, tamarack and olive trees after an afternoon ceremony that included speeches, prayers and the singing of “America the Beautiful.” The 200 employees who attended also hung the ribbons inside department offices and on all of the city’s fire engines.

“Our Civic Center is covered with yellow ribbons,” said Marsha Whalen, an assistant to the city clerk who helped organize the ceremony. “Everywhere I look, it’s yellow. It’s great.”

A videotape of the ceremony was made to be sent to employees’ family members and friends in the Gulf.

“This is so they can see that there are a lot of people in the United States who are in support,” said Val Coxon, administrative supervisor for the city’s Planning Department and another event organizer. “We’re showing them it’s not just the protesters.”

Coxon said employees in her department plan to send the videotape and newspaper clippings to Steve Pasarow, an assistant planner who was sent to Saudi Arabia earlier this month. Several other city employees are in the reserves and have been told that they should be ready to go, said William Workman, Corona’s assistant city manager.

Whalen said Wednesday’s ceremony also was a way to challenge all employees to show their support for the troops. The employees contributed about $160 to buy the ribbon, she said.

During the noon presentation, 45 names of friends and family members in the gulf were read aloud, and employees then tied the ribbons to the trees. Some inscribed the names of their loved ones on the ribbons.