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Parade of memories for PuenteWednesday, June 4th 2008, 4:00 AM 
Audrey Puente (l.) with Tito and Tito Jr. in 1975. Audrey Puente brings a unique perspective to being part of the broadcast team for Sunday's National Puerto Rican Day Parade. That's because, as a kid, the WWOR/Ch. 9 weathercaster rode on floats with her father, famed Latin jazz and mambo musician Tito Puente, and essentially grew up with the event. "It's been part of my life for a very long time," Puente said. "It's gotten bigger and louder. Every year it seems to get bigger and louder." Puente, along with Ch. 9 anchor Brenda Blackmon and WNYW/Ch. 5's Ernie Anastos, will host the live broadcast of the National Puerto Rican Day Parade, which starts on Ch. 5 at 11 a.m. and switches to Ch. 9 at 1 p.m. "I just always remember the music, of course, [because of] who my father was," Puente said. "There were a couple of times I rode on the float with my father. My earliest memories were riding in the corner of the float." She never imagined then she'd be part of the broadcast team. The telecast moved to Ch. 5 three years ago, after having been broadcast on WNBC. (The Daily News is also the official newspaper partner of the Puerto Rican Day Parade.) "The challenge is to make sure you capture whatever you can get on the air," Anastos said. "We have a plethora of material, floats, people you want to interview, locations you want to go to. Sometimes you think, oh, we've got two hours, but actually it flies by quickly." The two stations will have Lisa Evers, Brett Larson and Giovanna Drpic stationed at points throughout the parade to bring reports from the ground, too. "I have found myself speechless," Blackmon said. "You get caught up in the excitement." Puente said that the parade is all about the people and the culture. An estimated 80,000 people participate in the parade, and it's been said the parade has gathered an average 2 million people along the streets. And the hosts are not against getting up and shimmying to the beat. "When we're anchoring the parade, the key is to be part of it, to participate in it," Anastos said. "We dance when we're on the set. We partake in the food. We speak the language. We really become part of the parade." Puente, who literally grew up in and around the parade, has watched it grow dramatically over the years. "What has not changed," Puente said, "is the age group. There are little ones, 2 years old, all the way up to the elderly. And everyone knows everyone." rhuff@nydailynews.com
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