PASADENA BOUND PALMDALE'S FIRST ROSE PARADE FLOAT TAKING SHAPE.

Byline: Jim Skeen Staff Writer

PALMDALE - Palmdale's first Rose Parade float is beginning to take shape, and scores of volunteers have signed on to help the project along.

Titled ``A Magical Place to Call Home,'' the float is taking shape, with the metal framework now complete. A test drive is planned for Saturday to make sure the float can maneuver properly, including making the sharp turn -from Orange Grove Boulevard onto Colorado Boulevard - that occurs early on in the parade.

The city hired Fiesta Parade Floats, the same Pasadena company that designed and built the independently developed 2005 Antelope Valley float, to build the 2006 entry.

As of Tuesday morning, 452 people had signed up to work on the float, which is being put together at a float-building company in Duarte. The city's goal is to attract 500 volunteers.

The volunteers come from a variety of groups, including youth and senior citizen organizations, as well as families. Often, families bring along friends and relatives from out of town, said Laura Biery, a city administrative analyst and project manager for the Rose Parade project.

``It's been unbelievable,'' Biery said of the volunteer support. ``We had a good feeling that the response to our entry would be favorable, but we had no idea that the support would be this overwhelming, and we are delighted.''

The float features overflowing cornucopias and a giant fairy with animated wings. Designed by Raul Rodriguez, the float incorporates the parade's 2006 theme, ``It's Magical,'' with the city's ``A Place to Call Home'' slogan. The fairy comes from the fairy garden attraction at the city's annual Fall Festival.

Four women portraying fairies - named Lavender Moon, Willow Mist, Buttercup Breeze and Autumn Rose - will ride on the float.

When finished, the float will be 35 feet long and will measure 20 feet tall at the fairy's wingtips. The fairy's wings, arms and her wand will be animated.

The float's first decoration day took place on Nov. 19 and was considered a ``dry'' decoration day. More than 60 volunteers worked on the foundational pieces of the float, preparing dry materials such as straw flowers and glistening lunaria.

A second dry decoration day is planned for Dec. 10. From there, floral decoration days will run Dec. 26-31.

There are still a few volunteer spots available for those wishing to sign up to participate, Biery said. In general, there are more people needed for afternoon shifts. There is no bus transportation available for those shifts.

There are still a couple of slots open for the Dec. 10 decorating session.

Volunteers may sign up online at www.cityofpalmdale.org or call [phone]. Volunteers must be 13 years of age or older. No special skills or talents are required. Volunteers will be provided with a free commemorative T-shirt and meal during their decoration shift.

Bus transportation back and forth from the Palmdale Transportation Center to the decoration site in Duarte is available on certain decoration dates for just $5.

The parade will be held on Monday, Jan. 2, in observance of the Tournament of Roses' ``Never on Sunday'' policy. For more information, please contact administrative analyst Laura Biery at [phone].

Jim Skeen, [phone]

james.skeen(at)dailynews.com

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Photo:

(1 -- color) A worker fashions mushrooms for Palmdale's Rose Parade float at Fiesta Parade Floats in Duarte.

(2 -- 3 -- color) Workers at Fiesta Parade Floats in Duarte craft parts of Palmdale's Rose Parade float, above, themed ``A Magical Place to Call Home.'' The face for a animated fairy, left, is sculpted prior to being placed on the Palmdale float.