Educational Articles & Latest News
New Year’s Eve: The Tournament of Roses Parade
The East Coast has their own traditions for New Year’s Eve, notably the dropping of the ball in Times Square to signal the beginning of the New Year. We have our own traditions here on the West Coast, and with 2014 almost upon us, we thought we’d take a closer look at one of the biggest: the Tournament of Roses Parade.
The Parade is held every year on New Year’s Day, save when January 1 falls on a Sunday (in which case it is held on the 2nd). Tradition holds that they don’t host it on a Sunday in exchange for God preventing rain on the parade, though it has actually rained ten times since the first parade. It all began in 1890, when members of the Pasadena Valley Hunt club organized and staged it on Colorado Boulevard. Their parade consisted of horse carts covered with flowers, followed by a series of athletic events (including races and polo matches). Football was first added in 1902, when Michigan beat Stanford by a score of 49-0. The football tradition was dropped for a few years, but came back in 1916 for good. The game has traditionally featured the champions of the Big 10 and Pac 10 Conferences, though teams from different conferences have appeared from time to time.
As for the parade itself, it soon added motorized floats, marching bands and equestrian units to its array of features. A “Rose Queen” is chosen every year from the ranks of Pasadena girls ages 17 through 21, along with six princesses to serve as her court. 2014’s Rose Queen is high school student Ana Marie Acosta. A Grand Marshall is chosen every year as well, and has previously included such varied luminaries as Walt Disney, John Wayne, Dwight Eisenhower, Hank Aaron, George Lucas, Charles M. Schulz, Kermit the Frog, and Fred Rogers. The Grand Marshall for 2014 will be legendary Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully.
Wherever you are and however you choose to celebrate New Year’s Day, we here at Goettl Good Guys Air Conditioning wish you nothing but the very best. May 2014 bring you all good things, and may your New Year’s celebrations – in whatever form they take – be happy, safe and fun for your entire family. Happy New Year!
Related Expert Center Articles
Qualities to Look for in Commercial HVAC Repair Services
During a long, hot summer in Southern Arizona, a powerful air conditioner is essential for the success of any business. With the amount of strain that you will place on your company’s AC during the summer months, you need to have the number of an excellent Tucson, AZ commercial HVAC repair service handy should something go wrong with your cooling. You’ll also need to keep them in mind for the rest of the year, should you also need work for your heater. But what separates a good commercial H...
Don’t Forget to Schedule Heating Maintenance
The temperature around here during the daytime hours is still pretty warm, although, at night, things are getting noticeably cooler. Sure, we’re hanging around the mid-60’s for the most part right now, but it won’t be long before temps in the 50’s, and even the 40’s, are commonplace. Our mild winters do not mean that you can overlook the need for professional heating maintenance in Phoenix, AZ. Before our nights get any colder, you should dial our number and schedule routine heating m...
Thermostat Tips for a Better Cooling Performance
There are a lot of different components in your home cooling system, but not a single one do you interact with more directly than your thermostat. It is your thermostat, after all, through which you communicate with your air conditioning system in order to regulate its performance. Because of this, it is absolutely necessary to ensure that you are using your thermostat in Phoenix, AZ as successfully as possible. While you may not think of a thermostat as being very complex, the fact of the matte...