Re: your June 25 article, “Traditions fade�:
I can understand why parades are fading.
Several years ago, my sister and husband came for a visit during the Fourth of July and hoped that we had a parade here in Ventura. I called several city offices and finally found one that knew about the parade. Yes, Ventura had a parade. Yes, they had a band. OK, this all sounded great.
We went to the parade area, but there weren’t many people. We finally saw some really cute children all dressed and decorated for the parade being pulled in wagons by their parents. Then one parent played “Yankee Doodle Dandy� on a kazoo. We thought that was a cute preface to the parade. Then everyone started to leave. That was the end of the parade!
In a city this size, why can't the schools that have bands put out a notice to the students who want to participate and form a mixed band for the Fourth of July? Needless to say, a real band would certainly liven up the "parade.� There is nothing like a good rousing band to make you proud to be an American. I look forward to an inspiring parade in the future.
— Martha Lee, Ventura
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