BUSINESSES PROTEST SATURDAY PARADE DATE.

Byline: Patricia Farrell Aidem Staff Writer

The last Santa Clarita Fourth of July Parade of the millennium will be held July 3 - a move to satisfy Sunday churchgoers, but one that has riled business owners who thrive on Saturday morning commerce.

News is slowly spreading among downtown Newhall's independent merchants that Lyons Avenue, the only access to some of their parking lots, will be closed for about four hours on the busiest business day of the week.

``Saturday, that is the best day for anybody on Lyons,'' Jose Chavez, owner of Minnie Max Cleaners said Wednesday. ``We are all small businesses. Saturday is our biggest day - in the morning. That's when people have time to run their errands.

``I thought the Fourth of July was on Sunday.''

Nevertheless, the volunteer committee that plans the annual extravaganza expects to finalize parade permit plans today to close a stretch of Lyons. City officials have tentatively agreed, as has the Santa Clarita Valley sheriff's station.

``I know it's an inconvenience, but it is the July 4th parade and it's only a few hours,'' Sheriff's Sgt. Bruce Sonnenblick, a liaison to parade organizers. ``People have always done a pretty good job of adapting their life around the parade.''

Laura Jicha, who owns the Kids Cutz and Waves children's salon on Lyons, said her protests aren't a matter of patriotism. She's upset because her staff works on commission and there will be no business.

On top of that, she learned of the change only when her crew of hairdressers volunteered to man a booth July 4 at the city's Country Fair to raise money for the renovation of the Newhall School Auditorium.

``They've given up their holiday for charity, and then they find out they miss a day of pay?'' Jicha said. ``It's unbelievable.''

Sid's Hair Salon across the street has canceled some 25 appointments for the morning of July 3, the time clients had hoped to be coiffed in time for holiday revelry, owner Sid Molina said.

Because the Fourth falls on a Sunday, however, four churches along the traditional parade route urged a change. In past years, Sunday parades were moved to the afternoon, but organizers said that is difficult to manage.

Furthermore, while the legal Independence Day holiday is Monday, July 5, many people would have to work and miss the parade, said Leon Worden, chairman of the Fourth of July Parade Committee.

To ease the pain, Worden offered to waive the $65 in fees for merchants to participate in the parade and carry banners advertising their businesses.

But store owners are irritated because they will lose business and because nobody has ever officially told them that Lyons will be closed from 8 a.m. to noon that day. They've set employees schedules and appointments, and have only learned through word-of-mouth of the parade plan.

The manager of Ralphs Grocery Co. on Orchard Village Road at Lyons was surprised. The day before the 1998 holiday was extremely busy, she said, referring further questions to the company's corporate office.

``Nobody even bothered to notify us,'' said Molina, who has done business on Lyons for 20 years. ``When I heard it from another merchant, I called the city because I couldn't believe it. They haven't returned my call.''

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Photo

PHOTO (Color) Hairstylist Amanda Glover cuts 2-year-old Brandon Young's hair at Kids Cutz and Waves, one of the businesses that will be affected.

Shaun Dyer/Special to the Daily News