4th July Will Be A Safe And Happiest Celebration

The day certainly has special meaning for Smits, a second generation American born in Brooklyn — his mother was from Puerto Rico and his father from Dutch Guiana (now Surinam). His parents "wouldn't let us take anything American for granted," he said. "Holidays were very special."He has lots of memories of the Fourth of July."When I grew up, we went to Coney Island and Central Park. We'd find our way to the water and watch the fireworks," he said.However, nothing he'd experienced compares to this huge party on the West Lawn of the Capitol."It takes your breath away!" Smits said. "Hearing the 1812 Overture and our national anthem, 'The rockets' red glare,' makes me remember those in uniform who make it possible for us to eat hot dogs on this day."The event has been "a whole family thing for us," he added, and his kids, grandchild, dad and others plan to join him Sunday in Washington.



Don't be surprised to see Jimmy Smits tear up a bit Sunday night, when he serves as host of the live broadcast of PBS' annual Fourth of July celebration.The automotive group said that about 410,000 drivers in South Carolina are expected to pack up the family and hit the road during the July 4th weekend. In North Carolina, that number increases to 844,000.Carolinas said those numbers represent a 12 percent increase over travel during the Independence Day period last year.An improving economy is prompting more drivers to hit the road this year,Carolinas said.The group said that gas prices are about the same as a year ago.

Additionally, the thunder and lightning associated with our Monsoon can be terrifying for our pets. A dog's hearing is very acute; they can hear loud noises from miles away. Their immediate reaction is to bolt blindly to get away from the noise.To keep your pets safe the following is advised: Do not take pets with you to fireworks displays; leave them at home where they are safe. If possible, have a family member stay home with the animals, but if this is not possible, leave them indoors.Close blinds or curtains and leave the TV or radio on to help reduce the bangs. Make sure gates are securely closed and locked. If your dog lives outside, make sure it's wearing some form of identification in case it should run away. While microchips are a great way to reunite animals with their owners, a name tag is also a good idea so that if a member of the public finds your animal they can return it home.Remember that fireworks can be set off at any time before and after July 4th and summer storms can move in very quickly. If possible do not leave animals unattended and monitor them closely after dark.If you do lose your animal, make sure that you check in person with the Pima Animal Care Center at least every three days.If an animal is found wearing identification, it is held for seven days and every effort is made to contact the owner, but strays (animals without identification) are held for only three daysOur first priority is to reunite pets with their owners, but when this is not possible we do everything to ensure that animals are adopted into loving new homes.

Each year as we celebrate our freedoms with picnics and family outings, the emergency rooms at our local hospitals treat citizens for severe burns, eye injuries, and many other avoidable injuries. Some people are literally scarred for life. Fireworks can be dangerous in the wrong hands, especially of children. If you do permit fireworks at your celebration, please supervise them very closely, and never allow young children to ignite, handle or even be near them. There are several areas where firework displays are scheduled, and are a safe place to watch our skies light up! If you are really a fireworks fanatic, there are public firework displays, July 2nd through the 5th! Some of them include:

*Rod-N-Reel in Chesapeake Beach, July 3rd - Largest fireworks display on the bay!

*Solomons Island, on June 4th (rain date June 5th) at dusk. Calvert Marine Museum is offering a limited number of seats on the Tennison for $35, which includes light fare.

*Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department, on July 3rd is offering a fun filled family event, starting at 11am with a car, truck and bike show, and live music. Fireworks start at dusk, and music will continue through 11pm.

*St. Mary's College River Concert will be held July 2nd. Enjoy patriotic music and enjoy the fireworks after the concert.

*On July 5th, the Charles County Fairgrounds will be providing fun activities for the entire family, and fireworks at dusk.


Injuries due to fireworks sent approximately 5,000 Americans to the emergency room during the one-month period surrounding the Fourth of July (June 20-July 20) in 2008, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). About 1,000 of those injuries were to the eyes, including contusions, lacerations, debris in the eyes and burns.Unfortunately, children under the age of 15 accounted for 40 percent of the total injuries (7,000). And, fireworks injure bystanders more often than they injure the people who set off the fireworks. Parents need to understand that even fireworks that are approved for consumer use are still dangerous. In fact, nine out of ten fireworks injuries that required emergency medical attention were approved by Federal regulations."We want families to be aware of the dangers posed by fireworks," said Sherry Williams, President and CEO of Prevent Blindness Ohio. "Novelty items such as sparklers and bottle rockets are the greatest cause of eye injuries requiring hospitalization. Sparklers burn at 1800 degrees Fahrenheit and account for more than half of the fireworks injuries in young children under age five."

The upcoming holiday weekend is the one of the busiest for law enforcement. They'll be out in full force to keep us safe and save lives. But they want us to do our part as well.Use caution and common sense this 4th of July weekend. From roadways to waterways troopers and local officers will enforce the safety laws in place. And there are new tools in their arsenal. E-tickets can now be generated from computers in cruisers."This technology enables troopers to be more efficient in issuance of tickets,” explained State Police Lieutenant J. Paul Vance. “Roadside safety is enhanced as e-tickets minimize the amount of time the troopers and violators must spend on the roadside at the scene of a violation."There is also a new breathalyzer test with the latest technology to get impaired drivers off the road."Impaired driving, a preventable offense, continues to make up for nearly 40-percent of annual fatalities in our state,” said Joe Cristalli with the Connecticut Department of Public Transportation.