(Editor’s note: With the approaching Fourth of July Parade, it seems appropriate to learn about a prior PAPA President, the late Hank Ullerich, in a 1994 story written by Bill Bruns. Kimi Petrick, the daughter of Bud Petrick, who is mentioned below will serve as a parade announcer in this year’s parade.)
Hank Ullerich was the PAPA President in 1990.
The community venerable Fourth of July Parade and Fireworks Show proved last year they could yield a small profit on a $40,000 budget.
Now the question is: Can the organizers attract more homegrown entries to improve upon the parade’s small-town flavor and popularity?
That’s Hank Ullerich’s goal as this year’s president of the Palisades Americanism Parade Association, and he’s urging interested citizens to bring their ideas to the group’s next meeting – Monday, February 26, starting at 7:15 p.m. in Mort’s Oak Room.
“Bud Petrick (last year’s president) got us back on track, financially,” said Ullerich, “ and now I hope I can spend a little more time encouraging the churches, schools, service clubs and other organizations to really get involved in this year’s parade.
“I know we have a problem with summer vacation, but I’ve felt for some time that the more community involvement we can get, the better the parade. People get a kick out of seeing their friends and neighbors – kids and adults alike – riding or marching along.
“We also need clever new ideas, like last year’s Patriotic Pups,” a brigade of more than 70 neighborhood dogs that marched the entire route with their owners.”
In addition, Ullerich said, “it would be nice if the parade could move along at a smoother pace. A common complaint is that it gets disrupted a lot and has long gaps.”
The PAPA organizer will be tackling these problems and challenges at future monthly meetings leading up to the parade.
Financially, “We had a profit of about $3,000 last year,” Ullerich noted, “but we basically have to start from scratch again and raise over $40,000 in order to maintain a slight surplus.”
Ullerich, who graduated from the University of Iowa and earned his law degree at Bolt Hall, Berkely, spent his career working for the Attorney General’s office in Los Angeles. He has lived in the Palisades with his wife Marianne since 1967 and was a Sparkplug winner in 1982, president of the Optimist Club in 1983 and president of PAPA People (the group that provides all the workers on parade day) in 1990. He is also legal counsel for the Palisades Lutheran church.
Last July, the Ullerichs rode in the parade as Parade Marshals.
Ullerich is pleased that Prudential realtor Gordon Haight has already come forth as PAPA People president, early in the planning stage. Indeed, Haight revealed a remarkable willingness to volunteer for multiple assignments at the first overall organizing meeting in January.
“PAPA People needs a shot in the arm,” Ullerich admitted. “It needs new people like Gordon to bolster the old-timers.”
Hank and Mary Ullerich were the parade marshals in 1992.
MAYBE TRY TO FIND A WAY TO GET ALL THE PALISADES AREAS INVOLVED IN THE PARADE, SUCH AS A FLOAT OR CAR DECORATED FROM THE HIGHLANDS, AND MARQUEZ, ETC. THAT WOULD CERTAINLY INCREASE MORE ATTENDANCE