Parade organizers

stress that registering soon pays off. "We normally fill the parade

to capacity by the second or third day," said Susan Taylor, parade

coordinator. "People need to be persistent and keep calling until

they get us. We will have extra people answering phones that morning."

The number

of entries will be limited, so early registration is encouraged. Participants

will be assigned a parade number that will be mailed soon after registration

ends, along with all the parade rules, to the contact person.

To register,

you must know the approximate length of the vehicle to be used or the

number of walkers in the group. Each family, organization, political candidate,

business or other group will be allowed one entry. An entry is one car,

one truck or a car pulling a float, or two golf carts traveling in tandem.

No undecorated

cars, trucks, or vans will be allowed as an entry unless they are pulling

a decorated float. Trucks and floats carrying people are required to have

side rails at least 36 inside high surrounding the area of riders and

have handholds for all standing participants.

Parade organizers

strongly urge that large vehicles or floats have "spotters"

(people on both sides of the vehicles) to keep the crowd a safe distance

from the vehicles. Bright orange safety vests are available free of charge

at the Recreation Administration building on McIntosh Trail to help identify

spotters.

"People

are urged to pick up their vests at our office before parade day,"

said Sherry McHugh, the city's recreation administrator. "We really

want the spotters to stand out in the crowd to keep the route safe."

McHugh added that vests will also be available on parade day.

Awards will

be presented in the categories of Most Patriotic, Most Creative, Most

Original, a Mayor's Trophy, a Grand Marshal's trophy as well as a first,second

and third place awards for golf cart winners. Winners will be recognized

and receive their trophy at the next City Council meeting following the

parade.

Those who have

viewed the July 4th parade for years from the same spot on the familiar

route that started at Booth Middle School might want to check out new

vantage points on the south side.

This year's

parade route will be changed due to restrictions placed by the Department

of Transportation on parade traffic crossing Ga. Highway 54.

"The parade

has gotten more extensive over the years, and the intersection of 54 and

Peachtree Parkway was always a precarious bottleneck mixing pedestrians

and moving vehicles," said Randy Gaddo, Leisure Services Director.

"Last year was the last time the DOT would approve that route, and

then only after we ended the parade short of crossing 54 a second time

at Willowbend."

This year,

parade entries will be lined up on Peachtree Parkway South near the Braelinn

Golf Course. The parade will proceed north on the parkway, turn left on

McIntosh Trail and disburse at the McIntosh Trail Recreation Complex and

Huddleston Elementary parking lots.

The new route,

approximately the same length as past years, was chosen because of its

centralized location, having plentiful viewing spaces, and because it

allows police to best control access and traffic.

Residents can

access Braelinn Shopping Center from entrances on Crosstown Road and from

Ga. Highway 74. The Braelinn Golf course has also worked out a modified

entrance plan for its patrons.