Lots of hard work went into float

In response to Gary Huerta’s column regarding the Glendale Rose Parade float (“Unclassified Info: Improving traffic safety, Rose floats,” Jan. 11), it is true this was not our best float ever.

In concept, it was a very attractive float, representing the many years of Glendale residents taking photographic memories of events in our lives. This float was selected by the Glendale Rose Float Assn. Board of Directors, along with some visiting members of the Parks, Recreation & Community Services Commission. It was designed by a company that builds almost half of the floats in the parade, and this company has won many awards this and other years in the past.

The board of the Glendale Rose Float Assn. is a group of hard-working members of the community who work hard all year long to raise money to help pay for half the cost of the city’s float in the parade. We do this by holding fundraising events, auctioning off rides on the float and mostly through membership, of which, I must mention, that Huerta, City Council members and others in the city who should join and support our efforts fall short.

Criticism is always welcome, but I would appreciate those who would do so to look into the process that it takes to present this and any other float to the community, and not to tear down the efforts of this hard-working group of people who struggle to raise funds just so Huerta can type “I don’t like it” along with the other naysayers.

We will continue to meet and try to come up with an attractive float for the 2012 entry that will be met with the approval of the whole community.

Those who are interested in joining our efforts can reach us on our website, glendalerosefloat.org, or by mailing us at Glendale Rose Float Assn., PO Box 564, Glendale, CA 91209-0564.

Garry E. Ackerman

Glendale

Editor’s note: Ackerman is president of the Glendale Rose Float Assn.

Najarian shows cool hand under pressure

Great class was shown last Tuesday by Mayor Ara Najarian at the City Council meeting when he stopped the oral communications portion to give his accuser a bottle of water and a moment’s rest when the accuser became overheated during his diatribe.

Bravo, Najarian!

Michael Morgan

Glendale