Artesia Celebrates 50th Anniversary With a Parade Down Pioneer Boulevard

By Jerry Bernstein

They gathered along the sidewalks abutting Pioneer Boulevard. Some with chairs, others sitting on the curb, and still others were standing. It was 8:30 a.m. The sky was overcast.
This writer was standing on the corner of 183rd Street and Pioneer Boulevard. Suddenly there was a roar and the Artesia P.M. Riders on their motorcycles appeared, headed by Councilman John Martins. The parade had started.
A welcome banner and the Long Beach Mountain Police followed the Riders. The Artesia DES Band was the first of 11 bands in the parade. They included the Artesia High School Band, Valley High School, Norwalk High, Dana Middle School, Mayfair High School, Villa Park High School, Centennial High School, Gahr High School and Ross Middle School, Rancho La Laguna, and Colegio De Bachilleres.
There were three Grand Marshals presiding over the parade.. They were former Artesia Mayor Gretchen Whitney, Artesia’s Oldest Resident Bill Walker, and Education Grand Marshall former ABC Principal George Dominguez.##m:[more]##
The parade lasted approximately 90 minutes, ending shortly after the overcast disappeared and the sun came out to see what was going on. Miss Artesia and her Court rode by, waving to the crowd, followed by former City Councilmember and current State Assemblyman Tony Mendoza, Mayor Tony Lima, Mayor Pro Tem Victor Manalo, Councilmembers Sally Flowers and Larry Nelson. The latter was riding on top of a Wells Fargo stagecoach reminiscent of the “Old West.”
Others in the parade included Equestrians from Rancho La Laguna, NORTH High School Jr. ROTC, Ride Your Horse Therapeutic Riding Club, Johnny High Steppers Drille & Drum Squad, Prescott Hardware and Sheet Metal Works, California Twirling Institute, Coast Guard Station/Long Beach,
California Wave Hockey Club, Ganesha High School Jr. ROTC, Artesia Park Pre-School, Charros De La Puente, and Reflections Car Club Southern California and a float by the Artesia Portuguese Community. All together there was more than 200 entrants in the parade.
It was a long parade, but this writer did not see or hear one complaint from those lining Pioneer Boulevard. Everyone was smiling and appeared to have had a good time. A few commenting, “We should do this more often.”