Cleveland Independence Day weekend 2010

Though there were a handful of communities who had to cancel their fireworks displays due to the lagging economy, you did not have to look far to see skyrockets in flight.

Independence Day weekend is always a huge weekend in Cleveland.

Friday night and Saturday night at Progressive Field entertained baseball fans and anyone visiting downtown and the immediate area as the city skyline boomed at dusk...

The Cleveland Indians put on one of 'the' best fireworks shows ever, bar none! They always have and they continue their streak.

Sunday, thousands converged all over Northeast Ohio for dozens of fireworks shows commemorating Independence Day --which makes this country great and sets it apart from so many other nations.

My sister, as she made her way to the Cleveland Fireworks show, ran into gridlock in the Shaker Heights area as residents converged on that community.

We made our way down to the wkyc digital broadcast center for one of the best vantage points in town to view not only the 4th fireworks but the air show and the grand prix.

What a night! Just jog your head to the left and see the Lakewood Fireworks show......look straight ahead and see the Cleveland Fireworks which lasted about 30 minutes and you look to the right and off in the distance could have been Euclid or some other 'lakeside' municipality...

The whole way home, the Cleveland sky painted in red, green, purples, and whites....

It must be Independence Day in Cleveland!

Weekly Feature: Hidden Gems

Today's Hidden Gem: Northeast Ohio Fireworks Displays

Even in today's tough economic times, most Northeast Ohio cities are trying to make an effort to have fireworks for their community or neighboring communities are banding together to celebrate Independence Day with parades, picnics, and fun festivities!

I just read a stat that places Ohio high up the ladder as a place having the most communities holding fireworks displays within a close, saturated, geographic area.

Of course, I deleted the top ten list, but I know I read it!

Let's think about this.

The Annual Cleveland Orchestra Concert & accompanying fireworks on Public Square just wrapped up a little while ago.

The Cleveland Indians will be having an extended fireworks show Friday night (15 extra minutes in honor of Michael Jackson) and then their 4th of July show Saturday night.

I always love watching the Cleveland Fireworks extravaganza (which is 7/4/09) because right down the road, you also view the Lakewood presentation.

One year my family spent the fourth of July in Vermilion with friends and during the drive home, we saw fireworks dancing in the sky the entire route home!

The 4th of July mimics Christmas or Thanksgiving in many ways. The original, underlying meaning of the holiday oftentimes gets lost in the shuffle of customs, rituals, or folklore handed down through the ages.

Fireworks, when handled properly and safely, are enjoyable and beautiful (a bit noisy!!).

However, I'm pretty certain Francis Scott Key, author of the Star Spangled Banner back in 1814, penned his words for deeper meanings and life experiences than depicted during current familial celebrations.

Prisoner Francis Scott Key witnessed battles with lives lost. He heard continuous 'gunfire,' what sounded rockets exploding all around during the midst of battle.

And when the dust cleared and he saw the American Flag still raised and waving in victory, his inspirational words told the rest of his story and STILL DO today!

"And the rockets' red glare,

the bombs bursting in air,

gave proof through the night

that our flag was still there."

So the next time you have the great privilege to witness an amazing fireworks show with your family and friends, and celebrate Independence Day, think about the 'real' meaning behind this holiday and, you too, will see why Northeast Ohio Fireworks Displays are this week's Hidden Gem!

Holidays are usually hoppin' news days!

The news does not stop just because it is a holiday and folks want to relax, grill some dogs, and watch the fireworks paint the night sky!

These are the kind of days which bring about mischief, trouble, and unfortunately, oftentimes, tragedy.

I worked Independence Day! The Indians were out of town so I never requested the day off.

But holidays usually buzz by because they are so busy! I love them!

Today we were at the very bare minimum staff wise. All Managers were off. And the only portion of the building occupied was the newsroom and engineering.

It was actually great. No chance for major miscommunication or stuff left to fall through the cracks because there was hardly anyone to communicate with and a handful of folks doing all the work. However, we kicked a little booty!

The work never let up. It felt great to make good tv!

For me, my day consisted of wearing multiple hats (which is not really anything new for an assignment editor). Obviously my main job is to run the desk and everything that entails. However, today, at least while I was in, there were no web folks either so it was my duty to not only update the web with the latest copy stories and pictures but to put on the main video and weather segments from our local news shows. It was great! I have to be honest, that is the bulk of what I did. When you focus on one major task, the others are bound to suffer, but fortunately, I was able to juggle the breaking news, the desk, the information gathering, and the web stuff! It's very gratifying at the end of the day, especially a day such as this, to look back and see what a huge contribution was made!

The Channel 3 Complex is a great place to view the fireworks. However, being alone on the desk, I could not even sneak out to catch any of the show. And we have plenty of visitors on these nights. Employees bring their families down to view the fireworks and usually give the nickel tour before or after the fireworks mania! We had a huge tour in studio actually DURING the 11pm news show. Quite the wild night!

The day was sprinkled with good news such as all of the great parades and memorials and remembrances to honor America.....as well as the annual hot dog eating contests!

And though most of the fireworks shows, at least to our knowledge up til now, went off without a hitch, there was some tragedy that painted the day. Akron was a hotbed for news this Independence Day. They had an overnight fireworks accident injuring a young man. Then they had an awful gas station murder. And back here, we had an early morning fatal fire which appears to be a homicide and a small child struck by a vehicle with the vehicle fleeing the scene...

As you can see, the news does not stop for anyone or anything, even our founding fathers and Uncle Sam...

I hope you and yours had a fun-filled and very safe Independence Day 2008!