Mission accomplished: State’s #1 homecoming parade

       Coronado High School Student Body President Nick Kadlec got his wish at the 39th annual Homecoming Parade Oct. 4.
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Whittier Elementary’s spirited Homecoming Parade contingent is led by its Eagle mascot.
Westside Pioneer photo

       With participation from various school sports and clubs, not to mention all of Coronado's feeder schools, it was the biggest homecoming parade in the state this year, he proudly reported.
       Other than having to find two trucks at the last minute, “everything went great,” he said.
       And, if estimates by himself and other observers were on target, this might also have been the best-attended Coronado Cougars parade ever, at 1,200 people.
       They lined Colorado Avenue between the parade start at 29th Street and its end at Bancroft Park, waving, cheering and hollering almost as much as those in the parade. Afterward was the traditional pep rally in the park, with the school band pumping up the students.
       A new touch this year was a rule that candy could not be thrown to the crowd. So Cougar cheerleaders were seen darting from one curb to another, handing out candy to youngsters.
       The theme was masquerade, so colorful masks (covering the eyes only) were on many faces.
       The total of 39 entries was four better than Cherry Creek's parade, Kadlec proudly reported. No reward comes with the honor, just “bragging rights,” he said.
       Helping pad the Cougar parade number (though within the rules) were eight volunteered Corvettes - each one bearing two candidates for Homecoming king and queen and each car countable as a separate entry. Decked out in school colors are Coronado Student Council member Hannah Green and her dog Sid during 
the pep rally in Bancroft Park.
Westside Pioneer photo
       The king and queen, crowned at the football game later that day (which Coronado lost by one point, sadly making it six years in a row of Homecoming losses) were Puwadej Huff (king) and Meredith Green (queen).
       Planning this parade had proven to be more difficult than those of previous years, with city officials announcing the implementation of new safety rules and related expenses of up to $4,000 barely a month before the event. Kadlec said, however, that the city at last decided to waive all the new requirements/costs until next year because they'd been announced so late.

Westside Pioneer article