| By Samson Reiny WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Millions of Americans headed for parades and fireworks shows on Wednesday to mark a sweltering Fourth of July holiday, some even celebrating as the nation's founders did - without electricity. One of the nation's biggest fireworks parties went off without a hitch Wednesday night on Washington's National Mall, while many communities canceled annual displays due to dry conditions or a weak economy. Storm-ravaged states from Indiana to Virginia carried on Independence Day celebrations on Day 5 of a power outage caused by deadly winds ripping through the region. More than 1 million homes and businesses remained affected and thousands of utility workers stayed on the job in a scramble to restore electricity. "We still have a tree on the garage. It's been one of those weeks," said Gary Belniak, 57, of Wheaton, Illinois, who has been without power since Sunday when another destructive storm struck, forcing his town to cancel its parade and fireworks display. Exhausted by three sleepless nights in a house where temperatures hover at about 90 Fahrenheit (32.2 Celsius), Belniak said he had all but given up on the holiday. Sizzling heat gripped much of the nation, with the National Weather Service reporting temperatures from 90 F to more than 100 F (37.7 C)from the Midwest to the Atlantic Coast. "I'm going to go look for ice, cold gold is what it is. It's very scarce," Karen Allen, 43, of Charleston, West Virginia, said when asked how she planned to spend her holiday. Even sweltering temperatures couldn't wilt the patriotic spirit that drew crowds to hometown parades of marching bands, shiny fire trucks and children riding red, white and blue bedecked bicycles. "America to me is small towns, kids, lollipops thrown from fire engines, balloons, dogs in the parade and hot dogs," said E.B. Kelly, 73, as she watched the 10-minute long procession in tiny Jenkintown, Pennsylvania. In Washington, President Barack Obama addressed two dozen foreign-born U.S. military personnel who were sworn in as citizens at the White House under a program that offers citizenship in return for service. "What a perfect way to celebrate America's birthday - the world's oldest democracy - with some of our newest citizens," he told the members, who came from countries including Mexico, Ghana, the Philippines, Bolivia, Guatemala and Russia. Out West, extreme warmth coupled with dry conditions snuffed out annual fireworks displays in scores of towns and cities, which are reeling from deadly wildfires that charred hundreds of homes and displaced tens of thousands of people. Along the East Coast, tragedy struck when a cache of fireworks apparently accidentally exploded on the back porch of a house in Pelham, New Hampshire, on Tuesday night, injuring more than 11 people, including two young children whose wounds were life threatening, fire and police officials said. In Boston, rain disrupted the city's nationally televised concert by the Boston Pops Orchestra. Thunderstorms and lightning forced hundreds of thousands of concertgoers to seek shelter, local media reported. BALD EAGLES Elsewhere in the country, the traditional Fourth of July razzle dazzle fell victim to a tepid economy with communities either scaling back fireworks shows or canceling them altogether. But it was the very symbol of American independence - the bald eagle - that halted the show in the small New York hamlet of Narrowsburg on the Pennsylvania border. The local fire department canceled its fireworks display after being warned by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that it could face enormous fines and even prison if any nearby bald eagles were harmed. "We decided we're not going to take the gamble," said Fire Chief George Strumpfler, cancelling the show that began more than 100 years ago. "It doesn't look like it's ever going to happen again." Continued... |