When I read in the Herald that the White Center community had decided to drop plans for a Jubilee celebration in July this year I was shocked.

Enthusiasm for a parade and scores of booths selling souvenirs and goody bites had waned badly. It was just too much work with too little return and leaders have decided to throw in the towel for the year.

I have attended that event without missing a turn for 56 years, and entering a homemade float was a family ritual for us for lots of those years when the boys in the family were small. It was understood we would build something in our driveway and enter the competition and the whole neighborhood in Fentonwood would pitch in to help.

Building a float is no easy task but we had lots of help and usually won some great plaque for our efforts.

Families didn't have the distractions of today and many pitched in to build a weird contraption like we did.

We built a huge turtle one year, a 50-foot version of the Boeing SST which Congress kyboshed, a mock Kingdome and a spaceship.

I hope the young people can rethink it next year. We have a lot of great memories for our reward. And even some valuable certificates.

Jerry considered going back into the float building business but Elsbeth put her foot down hard. He can be reached at publisher@robinsonnews.com