Seal Beach Christmas Parade was a winner
Seal Beach was alive with the Holiday Spirit on Friday night during the 33rd annual Seal Beach Christmas Parade.
An estimated 15,000 spectators watched 110 entries with over 3,300 participants entertain down Main Street.
This parade was the biggest but also the fastest in many years. The parade was also brighter thanks to a grant for additional lighting from Run Seal Beach.
Thank you to the more than 100 Seal Beach Lions, Seal Beach Leos and Seal Beach Chamber Members who ran the parade from check-in to the finish line.
Huge thanks goes to the city of Seal Beach for their great partnership in managing the street closures and traffic diversions that made for a safe parade experience for both the participants and spectators.
The following is a quote from a new Seal Beach resident that I feel really sums up how the spectators saw the parade:
“This was my first time attending the parade and coming from New York where parades are pretty infamous I was a little skeptical about what I was going to see. Once the countdown began Seal Beach transformed into this magical wonderland.
“Float after float and band after band—I couldn’t stop grinning. You and the Lions did such a phenomenal job of bringing the Spirit of Christmas to all of us. Thank you for starting off my Christmas with a Bang!” – Dora Syrengelas
Please mark your calendars for the 34th Annual Seal Beach Christmas Parade, which will be held on Friday, Dec. 7, 2012. Until then, I wish all of Seal Beach a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Scott Newton, chairman
Seal Beach Christmas Parade
Belmont Shore season’s greeting
With the season upon us, it’s my holiday ritual to watch one of my favorite movies, Frank Capra’s classic “It’s a Wonderful Life.” It’s the story of a man named George Bailey (played by Jimmy Stewart) given the chance to see what his small town of Bedford Falls would be like had he never been born. On the off chance you haven’t seen it, no spoilers here, but strong themes from the film include the power of kind gestures, selfless acts, and the impact a single person can unknowingly have on many others and their community.
The cynic would say there are no such people and no such places, but I’d say they’re wrong. Right here I’ve seen first hand many “George Bailey” types doing right by their community—likely not knowing the impact they are having on those around them.
Just this morning, while driving to work, I saw an old high school friend, she runs a hair salon just off Second Street and when I saw her, she was wrapping Second Street sign poles and parking meters with aluminum foil and red ribbon in advance of the Shore’s Christmas Parade.
A few days before, it was my neighbor, taking a minute to remind me to move my car prior to street sweeping, helping me avoid a ticket under my windshield. The families at the parade are going to love the candy cane striped poles my friend created, and my wife and I are grateful we’ll have an extra present under the tree for our kids thanks to the kind reminder of my neighbor helping me avoid the cost of that parking ticket.
There are such people, and there are such places. One of them is called Belmont Shore.
Wishing you all a very happy holiday.
Kurt Borsting, president
Belmont Shore Residents Association
