Cover story: Woodside May Day parade: It just keeps rolling along Cover story: Woodside May Day parade: It just keeps rolling along (May 11, 2005)

For the 83rd time, Woodside staged its annual May Day parade and celebration Saturday, rolling out another generation of kids on wagons, bikes, horsebacks and vintage vehicles.

Buck's restaurant proprietor Jamis MacNiven woke up an old observer with the remark: "Just think. In 50 years these kids will still be younger than you are today."

For Anne Dickey Schoebel, who provided entertaining parade commentary over the PA system, it was her 42nd parade, her first one dating back to when she was in kindergarten at Woodside School.

A Fun Run and pancake breakfast preceded the parade, and the May Pole dance and carnival followed it.

In the parade, grand marshal Karen Arimoto-Peterson, a 35-year teacher at Woodside School, sat in the back of a bright orange 1953 Chevy pickup, wearing an orange outfit to match. The vehicle was restored by Stravos Paradini, a Woodside School graduate in the class of 2000, she said.

As usual, the parade was filled with horses, including those with the Woodside Mounted Patrol, the San Mateo County Horseman's Association color guard, the Woodside Junior Riders and Pony Club, and the National Center for Equine Facilitated Therapy.

Kids handling the pooper scoopers got credit toward their community service requirement at Woodside School.

Many vintage vehicles were on parade, including a 1951 Chevy truck carrying people seeking to restore the historic Folger Estate Stable at Wunderlich Park.

Among the more modern vehicles were three Segways -- one driven by Intuit's Scott Cook -- and a Hummer carrying the Woodside PTA folks.

Kids along the parade route -- from Woodside School to Roberts market and back -- scooted to gather candy thrown by parade participants.

Many participants reflected at least half of the "Surfin' Safari" parade theme, including five kids on one giant wheeled surfboard and kids on bikes with shark fins growing out of their helmets.

The Woodside School Foundation paraded a beach house float that will be auctioned off at the foundation's big fundraiser.

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