Pacoima Parade Attracts 4,000
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It was a classic scene: A police chief and an Olympic champion in ’55 Thunderbird convertibles chugging slowly down Van Nuys Boulevard under a bright-blue late autumn sky.
The parade, the 29th consecutive to celebrate Christmas in Pacoima, attracted 4,000 spectators Saturday. Organizers called it the largest ever.
LAPD Chief Willie L. Williams said the festivities in the tiny, proud community reminded him of similar events back home in Philadelphia. Rafer Johnson, the decathlon champ and grand marshal, described the parade in a single word: “Great.”
Los Angeles City Atty. James Hahn and Councilman Richard Alarcon also traveled down the mile-long route--along with children from the social service group El Proyecto del Barrio who performed Mexican dances, the Pacoima Elementary School flag squad, several marching bands, a U.S. Marine Corps unit, a traveling karaoke show, and, of course, Santa Claus.
Ramiro Estrada, a member of the event’s organizing committee, said he hopes the parade improves Pacoima’s reputation. “We want to erase the images of graffiti and gangs,” he said. “We’re trying to show that by bringing the community together.”
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