FRONT PAGE

The stars come out for the 4th of July

“I know we did it in 2003 but everybody loves it and want to build floats,” said chamber of commerce president Pam Oakley, announcing a little sheepishly that the theme for the 2007 Fourth of July parade would be a repeat of the wildly successful Hurray for Hollywood.

“Everybody can really wrap their heads around it and they all have great ideas,” Oakley said, adding that there are already 25 floats signed up for the annual parade. “We’ve got a lot of floats. This is going to be a long parade.”

Oakley said the chamber’s own float would bring back the Elvis impersonators that made the spring social so much fun. “We’re doing Viva Las Vegas and we’ll be doing a really glitzy glittery float with three Elvises singing and a dancing Ann Margaret too!” she said.

The parade marshals this year are Noah Meyer and Katherine Yorke, two young local Marines, one of whom will be leaving for Iraq soon after.

The schedule for the Fourth follows a similar pattern to previous years. The day starts with the Tsawwassen/Point Roberts Rotary Club pancake breakfast at T.J.’s from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Parade participants will start lining up at the Reef Tavern at 11 a.m. and the parade will start down Gulf Road at noon. Members of the garden club will be judging the floats from a pavilion outside Captain Bob’s Emporium. The parade will turn down Tyee Drive and finish in the marina overflow parking lot.

The chamber is organizing the post-parade picnic and awards ceremony in the marina picnic area adjacent to Dockside Café. “Elvis, Elvis and Elvis will be performing,” she said. “It’ll be a big show. They did the whole life of Elvis at the chamber social.”

The picnic starts at 1 p.m., with vendors, info booths for local organizations, and food. “I already have 15 vendors signed up and I think we’ll have more,” Oakley said, selling clothing, jewelry, novelty soaps, lampshades and other craft items. Local chef Steve O’Neill will be selling handmade pizzas and gourmet hot dogs, and there will be shaved ice for dessert. Awards for the best parade entries will be at 2 p.m. followed by the Elvises.