Mindy Pellessier and Jane Donley, co-owners of the OB Dog Beach Dog Wash, before some of the many signs made for the OB Holiday Parade Grand Marshall contingent. (photo by Patty Jones)
Have you never walked or participated in the annual OB Holiday Parade? Well, tonight is the time for you.
OB planners are calling on all OBceans to join the Grand Marshall contingent of the Parade – it’s the OB Community Plan entry at the very beginning of the Parade down Newport Ave today, Sat., Dec 6th. The parade begins sharply at 5:05 pm – OB Time.
It is such an honor to be titled the Grand Marshall of the Parade – and the Town Council this year decided to bestow the title on the OB Community Plan. This is the first time in the Parade’s history, that an entity and non-human has been named the Grand Marshall.
Mindy Pellissier will be riding in a coup just in front of the contingent as the “OB Citizen of the Year“. She earned this title for her 12 years of participating on working on the Update to the Community Plan.
Several local organizations are also joining the Community Plan contingent, such as the Friends of the OB Library, instead of having their own entry. Others are joining the contingent and because it’s at the front of the Parade, they can return to their respective entries further up the float and entry line.
People are asked to wear blue shirts and to carry signs with the one-word that describes OB to them. All week volunteers have been painting up signs and will have them on hand to share with whomever shows up to join the contingent. Organizers will have the now iconic blue T-shirt on hand, emblazoned with the slogan, “Keep the OBcean attitude”. (Since it’s a family-oriented parade, it’s requested that the words be supportive of that fact.)
People who wish to join the contingent, it will be lining up near the Chase Bank on Newport Avenue.
Drew of the OB Planning Board works on his one-word sign.
It was the battle in favor of the OB Community Plan Update that united so many OBceans this past spring and summer – where all the groups joined together in support of the Plan when it went before the San Diego City Council in late July. The Council unanimously approved the Plan – and now it has to go before the California Coastal Commission, sometime it is thought in January 2015. City staff have been working with Coastal staff for months and it is anticipated that there will not be any unforeseen problems.
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My kids, Catherine James and Jack James will be marching with the Grand Marshall contingent. Teaching them O.B. pride.