BUSY HANDS FLY TO FINISH PARADE FLOATS : WHERE TO SEE FLOAT CONSTRUCTION.

Byline: Yvette Cabrera Daily News Staff Writer

With less than a week left until New Year's Day, the Rose Palace warehouse was in a state of flurry Thursday, as hundreds of hands tacked seeds, beans and bark to floats for the 108th Tournament of Roses Parade.

The hands working on the parade's lead float, however, did more than just glue and fasten. They dispensed directions, expressed approval and gave numerous thumbs up.

They were the hands of 30 deaf students from the National Center on Deafness at Cal State Northridge.

``The hardest part is when everyone wants to stop and talk - because the hands stop working,'' said assistant crew chief Sara Dechance, who helped oversee the students.

Throughout the day Thursday, the Northridge students and hundreds of other volunteers worked on 57 floats that will snake through Pasadena during the Tournament of Roses Parade on New Year's Day.

The university students are working on the Eastman Kodak Co.'s float, called ``Wish Upon a Star,'' in keeping with the parade's theme, ``Life's Shining Moment.''

Using only natural objects, the float depicts the moment when Pinocchio is transformed from a marionette into a living son for Geppetto, the woodcutter. It was an arduous task. Gluing lima beans onto a single edge of a single star took 15 minutes; there are dozens of stars, each with 10 sides.

Communication between the volunteers also took work.

``It's difficult sometimes because you forget that there are some people who can hear and some who can't, as well as some people who can read lips and others who can't,'' said Dechance, who also knows sign language.

The Cal State Northridge group, which numbers from 30 to 150 volunteers an any given day, is working 15-hour shifts each day so the float can be finished on time.

Petals of carnations, chrysanthemums, orchids and roses will be applied to the float during the final 72 hours before the parade.

``After all the dry stuff - all the dirty work - is done, you see all the flowers come alive,'' said Cal State Northridge sophomore Jennifer Ellis.

Ellis, chairwoman of the deaf students parade committee on campus, said she volunteered last year for the first time. She loved it so much that this year, she told her parents that the parade is her priority.

``I plan all my activities around the Rose Parade,'' said 19-year-old Ellis.

With only a third of the float decorated, the students worked at a hummingbird's pace, busily placing palm bark squares on what will be Geppetto's vest, red ti leaves on his chair and pampas grass on his head for hair.

Sophomore Pearl' Yvene Boston, who is majoring in deaf studies, not only helped decorate, but volunteered to sign for the other students.

``I got a chance to communicate with people, learn more signs and interact with more people,'' said Boston, who is not deaf.

Once the laborious task is completed, the students will celebrate their work and the New Year with a festive breakfast and a party afterward.

``We'll feel relieved that it's over, but what we'll want to do is sleep,'' said Ellis. ``Last year, the student committee went out to breakfast and three people fell asleep. What's worse is that the table had a flower arrangement and I said to myself, `If I see one more flower I'm going to die.' ''

Other floats include one sponsored by the Simon Wiesenthal Center's Museum of Tolerance. It is called ``Breaking Barriers,'' to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Jackie Robinson's entry into professional baseball as its first African-American player.

On Tuesday, the El Camino Real High School Interact Club, a community service club, will help decorate this year's Rotary International float, called ``Caring for the World's Children.''

Rose Parade aficionados interested in watching floats built for the 108th Tournament of Roses parade may view them at the following locations from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Tuesday:

Phoenix Decorating's Rose Palace, 835 S. Raymond Ave., Pasadena.

The Rosemont Pavilion, 700 Seco St., Pasadena.

The Brookside Tent, 1001 Rose Bowl Drive.

CAPTION(S):

3 Photos, Box

Photo: (1--Color) CSUN graduate student Sandra Jahn, who is deaf, signs to her sister while working on Jiminy Cricket for the Eastman Kodak 1997 Tournament of Roses float.

(2--Color) Twins Tina and Sophia Duan work to finish the Pinocchio-themed ``Wish Upon a Star'' float for New Year's. The pair are part of a team of 30 deaf college students volunteering to decorate a float for the parade.

(3) Cal State Northridge student Junior Castillo glues beans to a float's star. Tournament of Roses floats must be adorned with natural materials.

Tina Gerson/Daily News

Box: WHERE TO SEE FLOAT CONSTRUCTION (See text)