Whether riding in the Sunland-Tujunga Fourth of July Parade or being one of the hundreds lined up to watch it, the day promises to be full of fun for all.
For the 2018 parade, (from left) Marlene Hitt, Joe DeCenzo and Sunland-Tujunga poet laureate Pamela Shea are seen ready to board their convertible and head down the parade route.
By Julian MITCHELL
The Sunland-Tujunga-Shadow Hills Rotary Club will once again host the annual Sunland-Tujunga Fourth of July Parade. It will start at 10 a.m. at Summitrose Street and run along Foothill Boulevard until it reaches Sunland Boulevard.
“We’re always excited to have the only big event [in the Sunland-Tujunga area] that everyone participates in, that Foothill is closed down for,” said parade chair Sabrina Godinez.
Although the parade is still scheduled, the Independence Day fireworks display at Verdugo Hills High School has been canceled. According to a representative from the Sunland-Tujunga office of Los Angeles City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez, there were not enough funds allocated for a fireworks show. Rodriguez’s office was not directly involved, although it is already working on securing funds for a 2020 fireworks show.
For the last few years the fireworks show had been put on by the Sunland-Tujunga Chamber of Commerce. Previously, the Sunland-Tujunga Neighborhood Council had put on an event. The Sunland-Tujunga Chamber of Commerce provided CV Weekly with the following statement:
“There will not be a fireworks show organized by the chamber of commerce at the VHHS this year. Monopoly and the rising cost of the fireworks, plus LAUSD fees among other expenses, made it impossible to cover the cost of the show while offering it for free to the public like we did in the past. With [fewer] volunteers, backers and sponsors, we’ve come to the point where the event would drown the chamber in debt; the Chamber’s money raised from donations and membership dues is a responsibility we don’t take lightly. Volunteers are encouraged to email the chamber with their interest to volunteer/assist/donate to the general fund and be part of the Special Events Committee.”
Fireworks aside, Fourth of July will still be celebrated in the foothills. The theme of this year’s parade is “Out of this World!” with entries ideally having a space-theme. Fittingly, the grand marshal is JPL engineer Jennifer Trosper.
Trosper has been working as an engineer for 20 years. She has worked on numerous Mars rover projects and is currently the project system engineering lead for the Mars 2020 project. The project is slated to launch next year and return with samples from the red planet.
“We have a lot of people in our area who work in aerospace and at JPL, and that pulled it all together,” said Godinez.
As usual, the parade will have a long list of entrants. In addition to the LAPD motorcycle drill team and California Rangers equestrian group, congressman Adam Schiff, county supervisor Kathryn Barger and councilmember Rodriguez will be seen making their way down the boulevard.
As for local fireworks show, the Crescenta Valley Fireworks Association will be putting on its 13th annual Fourth of July show. The festivities will be held on the Crescenta Valley High School football field, 4300 block of Ramsdell Avenue. Gates open at 4 p.m. and close at 8:30 p.m. for the 9 p.m. show.
In addition to the show in the sky, there will be plenty of fun on the ground. There will be inflatable attractions, music and several food trucks. Tickets sold at the gate will be $10.
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