Editor:
My family and I have been attending the Parade of Lights every since it started here in Cortez. This is absolutely the worse year I have ever seen for the parade as a whole. If there is a person or group that coordinates the parade, they need to re-evaluate their skills at putting the parade in order. The police, fire and ambulance vehicles always start the parade, but did Pleasant View Fire Department really need to hold the parade up by one and a half blocks? Why was the Montezuma-Cortez High School Marching Band placed so close in line to the emergency vehicles that blare their sirens and horns? Then why was there only one float between the band and a large group of motorcycles that were racing their engines? There were numerous gaps in the parade where there was no activity for over a block at a time, which resulted in people getting way out in the street trying to see what was coming next and when.
I was also very disappointed in the Montezuma-Cortez High School band for not wearing their band uniforms in the parade. Do not area residents and businesses do their best to support the band in purchasing uniforms? I would think that they would take more pride in themselves and dress the part; after all, they wear their uniforms in big, fancy parades they are invited to in cities. Do Montezuma County residents deserve the lack of class our band displayed? Also, don't they know Christmas carols? 'Tis the season for playing those jingles, not the school song.
By far, Cortez FFA was the classiest float and I appreciated Kemper and Mesa schools for having nice-looking floats. With the exception of Holgate's Express and the Elvis Blue Christmas, I didn't see too many business floats that were worth watching. I was very sad that hardly any of the area churches put together Christmas floats. Christians complain that Christ is being taken out of Christmas, but where were you all Saturday night when you had a chance to demonstrate the reason for Christmas?
Hope to see a better parade next year. Come on folks, where is our community pride? I for one plan on contacting the powers that be so I can volunteer to help next year. I challenge all you parade watchers and participants to make the 2013 Parade of Lights spectacular.
Joan Russell
Cortez
Via CortezJournal.com