It rained on Temecula's parade; event postponed until Dec. 14

By: NICOLE SACK - Staff Writer | Friday, November 30, 2007 10:15 PM PST ∞

TEMECULA -- Even as he stood indoors Friday afternoon, rain dripped from Hank Hansen's drenched hat.

Hansen, a volunteer with the Community Action Patrol, had spent much of the morning setting up for the annual holiday parade set to take place that evening.

But by the afternoon, Temecula officials had announced they would postpone Santa's Electric Light Parade until Dec. 14 due to the rainy weather soaking the region.

It was the first time in the parade's 15-year history, city officials said, that the plug had been pulled on the holiday event that draws roughly 20,000 spectators.

Hansen, who was dressed head to toe in a yellow rain suit, didn't let the wet weather dampen his spirits. Inside the large RV that is used as a mobile command unit for the Temecula Police Department, Hansen chuckled a little as he watched the spray created by cars passing through flooded portions of Jefferson Avenue where it had been anticipated the caravans of light-covered floats, marching bands and prancing animals would travel.

"I told my wife to expect me home a little bit earlier tonight," he said referring to the postponement of the parade, which had been scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. "For the rest of the day, (Community Action Patrol volunteers) are going to be shifting gears from parade preparations to traffic patrols -- we do both."

Assistant City Manager Aaron Adams said the city didn't have much choice about rescheduling the event.

"Obviously, we were hoping that the rain would let up, but everything we've seen as far as forecasts indicates that the weather will get worse, not better, this evening," he said.

The city's Community Services Department, which organizes the parade with the help of numerous city agencies, shifted duties after the afternoon announcement of the parade's postponement and staff members scrambled to call representatives of the 95 parade entries to break the news.

"Once the official word came down, then it was all hands on deck," said Dawn Adamiak, senior recreation coordinator for the city. "We began notifying participants and rescheduling vendors. We're still going to have the parade, it will still be in town and it will take place closer to Christmas. Hopefully, everyone will be able to participate and enjoy it."

The rescheduled parade, which will start 7 p.m. on Dec. 14, will follow the same route along Jefferson Avenue from Del Rio Road to Overland Drive.

For more information, visit www.cityoftemecula.org.

Contact staff writer Nicole Sack at (951) 676-4315, Ext. 2616, or nsack@californian.com.