For a very long time the Orange Bowl Parade was a staple in south Florida ... but not any more. What began as a New Year's tradition down the streets of Miami in 1936 is no longer ... apparently a victim of the downturn in the economy.

No corporate sponsor could be found for the event this year. The Miami Herald says that prospects of a 63rd anniversary edition of the parade looked bleak from the word "go."

Just as the annual Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena showed the rest of a "freezing nation" how southern California basks in sunshine in the winter, so the Orange Bowl Parade became a wonderful "cheerleading" event for local chambers of commerce in south Florida, which revels in similar glory.

Football fans miss the parade, as well as many locals who grew up with it, thinking it was always there. At least one commercial interest winced when the cancellation was announced. Carlson Fence was the local company that provided barricades to hold back crowds that lined up along the parade route each year.

FORECLOSURES UP IN SOME AREAS

For many in the economically depressed suburbs of the Twin Cities, foreclosures are up ... hopes are down. The Minneapolis Star-Tribune, in a major article on the subject, notes that there is a "quiet financial desperation" growing in many suburban areas.

One mortgage expert who runs a "foreclosure prevention" clinic tells that publication that the number of people coming in to ask for help has increased by 50 percent in recent months.

Additionally, many homeowners -- taking advantage of low interest rates and a better market in some areas -- have used mortgages to eliminate credit card debt. In recent years the ads on TV and radio to do just that have been everywhere.

But, as one Midwest banker always said: "Instant credit is instant dead."

For many, the day of reckoning has arrived and many are seeking expert advice to avoid being thrown out onto the street.

LIGHT RAIL SOUGHT ACROSS BISCAYNE BAY

The gap between Miami and Miami Beach might some day be bridged with a light rail link, taking the load off the MacArthur Causeway. The idea of the link has been in the hopper for years, but it might take space-age planning to bring it to fruition.

Published reports suggest that the recent passage of a half-cent sales tax has given a new push to the ambitious plan to bridge the bay with a rail link.

For years, a second means of transportation from downtown Miami to the barrier island has been a subject of discussion. Most of the proponents of such a crossing have been residents of Miami.

Many on the beach side, technically posh South Beach, have not been as enthusiastic about the concept.

But advocates say that both sides would benefit. After all, such a rail line would be "a two-way street."

'BIGGER IS BETTER' NOT PANACEA FOR SCHOOLS

Since the 1950s there has been a huge reduction in the number of high schools nationwide. The rallying cry of many districts has been: "Let's consolidate."

In many rural areas, this has meant long bus rides or car commutes when the local high school was shut down and a new mega-school built far away.

In many cities, consolidation has also meant bigger class size and an increased anonymity among students.

Additionally, many new mega-schools had a tough time initially getting students to work together who once were rivals when they attended separate schools.

Now, at least one new report says that consolidation has passed the point of effectiveness in some cities and a new trend is de-consolidation and school specialization.

For example, in the Atlanta area, the question of "how big should a school get?" is being asked again. One suburban school has more than 4,200 students ... larger than many small colleges.

One suburban school district, for example, tells the Atlanta Journal and Constitution that is now adding about 6,500 students a year.

But, to the defense of larger schools, many have sterling academic records and increased budgets allow them to offer courses and extra-curricular activities not always available in smaller or more rural school districts.