At Festival Artists in Azusa, workers are doing final painting and prep work on a float from China, which celebrates the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.
One of about 46 float entries to be featured in the Rose Parade on New Year's Day, it's received the most publicity, acting as a lightning rod for critics of China's human-rights record.
The float, jointly sponsored by Pasadena-based label maker Avery Dennison Corp. and the Roundtable of Southern California Chinese-American Organizations, is the first entry from China in the 119-year history of the Rose Parade. It's about 85 percent completed, said Festival Artists officials.
Next, volunteers will add flowers and other organic materials to all of the floats at Festival Artists, a tradition that begins the week after Christmas Day to ensure that the flowers are still fresh on parade day, officials said.
Festival Artists is building the controversial Beijing 2008 Rose Parade Float in Azusa Saturday, December 15, 2007 in Azusa. (SGVN/Staff Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz/SXCITY)
Catherine Nwosu, of Riverside, paints pieces of the fireworks display for the Beijing 2008 Rose Parade Float in Azusa Saturday, December 15, 2007 at Festival Artists in Azusa. Nwosu was volunteering on behalf of the San Bernadino County Probation Department. (SGVN/Staff Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz/SXCITY)
Maria Jimenez, of Festival Artists, builds one of the characters for the controversial Beijing 2008 Rose Parade Float at Festival Artists in Azusa Saturday, December 15, 2007. (SGVN/Staff Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz/SXCITY)
(Whittier Daily News, December 16, 2007)
Original text form: http://www.whittierdailynews.comews/ci_7739766
