Annual Parade Gives Laguna Something to Cheer About

Thousands of children marched through downtown Saturday wearing sequined outfits, twirling batons and playing clarinets in the city’s annual Patriots Day parade.

Hundreds of residents crammed the sidewalks, waving mini U.S. flags and cheering on the tiny troops.

“Half of the town is in the parade, the other half is watching it,” said Ann Quilter, who applauded just about everyone who passed by.

“Laguna had a lot of things go wrong, like the fires and the floods,” said Allen Smith of Emerald Bay. “Today the parade has brought us together again.”

Like many who watched the Laguna Patriots Day parade, Smith and his wife, Wini, turned out with their children Lindsey, 9, and Shelley, 8.

Nearby, Ron Hanson stood watching with his grandson, Eric.

“We come every year. I have my granddaughter in the parade this year. All of our children have gone to school here, marched in the parade and now have their own children in it,” Hanson said.

City officials estimated that 3,000 people turned out for the 29th annual Patriots Day parade, which began at Laguna Beach High School and ended at Forest and Ocean avenues.

Several people got their view of the parade away from the boisterous crowd. Dorice McGregor of Laguna Hills and Carolyn Murphy of New York City said they enjoyed sitting indoors having lunch at a restaurant while the parade passed by.

“We came for lunch and we have this marvelous show outside. It’s an extra added bonus,” McGregor said.

Murphy, agreed. “We both enjoyed watching the kids so much. They were so excited. It’s a nice small-town thing.”

For the thousands of people taking time out to enjoy the parade, last week’s shooting of the co-owner of the Baskin-Robbins downtown also raised safety concerns in their quiet community.

“It’s really sad that crime is starting to invade Laguna. It makes you want to move,” said Linda Johnson, holding her toddler son, Jordan.

Johnson said she felt better when she saw volunteers pitching in to help the ice cream shop reopen in the town where she was born and raised.

“It brings back the feeling of what a great community this really is,” Johnson said.

Patriots Day commemorates the battles of Lexington and Concord, which began the American Revolution. In Massachusetts, it’s a legal holiday because it was the place where eight American revolutionaries died on April 19, 1775. The holiday there is celebrated on the third Monday in April.

Some residents complained of the choice of this year’s grand marshal, Carl N. Karcher, founder of the Carl’s Jr. hamburger chain. The hamburger magnate has been criticized by local gay and abortion-rights activists who objected to what they described as his anti-gay and anti-abortion views.

“I thought it was in poor taste and an improper choice,” said Greg McGrath. “Laguna is an art colony, a liberal atmosphere. Open and accepting of a lot of cultures. The choice of (Karcher) sends across the message that there’s a feeling of an anti-gay, anti-pro choice in the atmosphere,” McGrath said.

Karcher said the criticisms didn’t rain on his parade.

“I think we’re all children of God. We all have a right to an opinion,” Karcher said.

But for many who came to watch, the parade was for the children.

“I love seeing more kids this year,” said Wayne L. Peterson, a Laguna Beach Council member. “We had that elementary school band that came by. I’m not sure they knew what they were playing, but they loved it.”

“The kids had fun. That’s what it was all about.”