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Pear Blossom parade will be the biggest yet Mail Tribune / Drew Fleming Catherine Batz, 10, works on a giant skate Thursday at The Rrrink in Medford. The 12-foot boot is part of a float for the Southern Oregon Figure Skating Club�s entry in the Pear Blossom Parade. By Jonel Aleccia Walking, rolling, marching and strolling, more entrants than ever will parade through downtown Medford Saturday as part of the 48th annual Pear Blossom Festival. This year�s parade features 165 entries, up from 150 last year, says veteran organizer Darcey Mann-Self. That amounts to more than 5,000 parade participants. "We�ve got a lot of floats, we�ve got some really good things. I�m really, really pleased with the community and their response," Mann-Self said. The 20,000 viewers expected to line the streets for the 11 a.m. event can look forward to everything from miniature horses and regular-sized llamas to 15 school bands, Lashes the Clown and dozens of floats. One entry will be a 12-foot-tall ice skate fashioned from chicken wire and paper napkins by the Southern Oregon Figure Skating Club. Perched on a flatbed trailer, it will feature several of the more than 50 members of the club based at The Rrrink in Medford. Charlie Brotherton, uncle to 8-year-old ice skater Hannah Brotherton, estimated he has spent 40 hours crafting the skate from the tip of its plywood blade to the trailing "ice" billowing behind. "It has to be weatherproof for the Pear Blossom because you never know," he said. Weather-watchers are calling for clouds but little rain, a fine forecast for the traditional Pear Blossom Run and the parade, Mann-Self says. So far, preparations have gone smoothly, thanks in large part to the 25-member Pear Blossom Festival board, parade chairman Cindy Wion and about 75 community volunteers, Mann-Self said. Weather is about the only uncertainty left; organizers still shudder at the year 25 entries dropped out at the last minute because of snow. "Nothing ugly has come up at the end this year," Mann-Self said. "It�s amazing how many people you can get down that route safely." Those hoping to watch the parade from home will have to wait for a delayed viewing this year. KTVL Channel 10 decided not to broadcast the event live, but it will be shown on a delay � three times. "Producing a live telecast got to be too much of a burden on the staff," said general sales manager Brian May, "especially on Easter weekend. And there were economic considerations." KTVL has decided to concentrate on its other community service projects, like Kids Day, May added. The parade is scheduled to air on Charter Cable TV Channel 9 at 5 p.m. Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.