Ease Your Pets' Fireworks Fears

Free Fishing

Closures

Safety Tips

Be Green on July 4

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What is Fourth of July?
Independence Day celebrates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776, which declared that the Thirteen Colonies were independent from Great Britain.  The anniversary of this date was celebrated starting the following year, with dinners, parades, speeches, music, and fireworks, though the first use of the term "Independence Day" was not recorded until 1791.  In 1870, the Fourth of July was first declared as an unpaid federal holiday, and in 1941, Independence Day was changed to a paid federal holiday. 


Where To Celebrate
    Know of somewhere else? Send us an e-mail at wncnwebcontacts@wncn.com.  

Going somewhere? RDU Holiday Travel Tips

Apex
The old-fashioned 4th of July celebration is from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Free games, climbing wall, giant slide and inflatables. Musical entertainment, karaoke, and more. At noon, kids are invited to join Uncle Sam for the 4th of July Parade of Wheels. No registration required to participate in parade, just line up at the corner of Chatham St. and Salem St. by 11:50 a.m. Kids are encouraged to show their colors and decorate their bikes and wagons with red, white and blue! Helmets are required for bikers, so plan accordingly. 

Chapel Hill
Parade at 11 a.m. starting at Weaver Street Market lawn and ending at the Town Commons. Picnic on the lawn of the Horace Williams House and enjoy patriotic music by the Village Band, free ice cream, lemonade and children's games from 1 to 3 p.m. For more information, call the Preservation Society of Chapel Hill at (919) 942-7818 or visit www.chapelhillpreservation.com.

End the day with the Town of Chapel Hill’s fireworks celebration at Kenan Memorial Stadium on the UNC campus. The event features live music by Mark Roberts and the Breeze from Charlotte. Gates 5 and 6 open at 7 p.m. on the stadium's south side. Live music begins at 8 p.m. with local dignitaries providing an official welcome. The fireworks are scheduled to begin at 9:30 p.m. Parking for the event is available on the University's South Campus at Craig, Dogwood and Cardinal parking decks off Manning Drive. Alcohol is prohibited, and no coolers, outside containers or food items will be allowed in the stadium. However, concession stands will be open to sell food, soft drinks, water and other treats. For more information, visit http://townhall.townofchapelhill.org/parks_&_rec/community_events.


Clayton 
The Clayton Parks & Recreation will be hosting their annual July 4th Celebration on Friday, July 4 at the Municipal Park on Stallings Street in Clayton.  Activities begin at 4 p.m. and include family field events, basketball and horseshoe tournaments, karaoke and children’s games, bingo, a Kung Fu demonstration, live music and a raffle drawing. Fireworks begin at 9:15 p.m.

Durham
Festival for the Eno
Exhibits, displays, arts, crafts and live entertainment on the banks of the Eno River to benefit efforts to preserve this beautiful natural area. Tickets $13 per day, $10 in advance.
July 4 - 6, 2008
10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
West Point on the Eno City Park, 5101 Roxboro Rd.
(919) 477-4549
http://www.enoriver.org/Festival/


Kevin Costner Concert (Live Music)
Costner and his band, Modern West, will perform leading up to the big, on-field fireworks celebration. Tickets $7-$15; $50 for field seating. 6 p.m.
Durham Bulls Athletic Park, 409 Blackwell St.
(919) 687-6500

Fuquay-Varina
Festival: 6 p.m.  Fireworks: 9:15pm
Music, food, lots of activities and entertainment for children and of course fireworks.
Read More

Garner
Thursday: Lake Benson Park, 921 Buffaloe Road. Fireworks at 9:30 p.m.

Holly Springs  
Holly Springs Cultural Center and Womble Park from 12 to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 5. Games, contests, decorated bike and wagon contest, apple-bobbing, pie-eating contest, crafts and coloring for kids.  Womble Park will offer Fireworks at dark - bring picnic baskets and lawn chairs.  Find out more by calling 919-567-4000.

Old Fashioned 4th of July at the Capital
Visit the State Capitol celebration from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. when families are invited to participate in the Mordecai Historic Park hands-on artifact activity. Ride on the Raleigh Trolley -Tickets are $5 for adults, $1 for youth and children under six ride for free. Events include live bands, "home-cooking" and craft demonstrations in North Carolina's State Capitol Building and Capitol Square. Free admission. For more information call 919-733-4994.

North Hills
Friday - 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. -- Children’s parade with prizes for the best decorated bicycles, tricycles, wagons and costumes (Suggested entry fee: One canned food item to restock Wake Relief’s pantry). Live musical performance by acoustic guitarist Josh Long. Live musical performance by Old Avenue, a jazz/funk/pop rock band comprised of local high school students who recently won the Lincoln Theater’s Battle of the Bands contest. Amusement park games and a moon bounce, juggler, balloon artist, face painter and caricaturist.
Parade registration: 11 – 11:20 a.m.
Parade: 11:30 a.m.


Selma
The Selma All American Festival kicks off at 5 p.m and ends at 9:45 p.m.  The festival takes place at N. Raiford Street in Selma.  There will be food vendors, rides, games, entertainment and fireworks.


Free Fishing in North Carolina
No fishing license is needed to fish in any North Carolina public water on July 4 from midnight to 11:59 p.m. Residents or non-residents can fish in any public water, including mountain trout waters and coastal waters for the day in celebration of the holiday.  The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission stocks a variety of fish in waters across the state, from trout in the mountains to striped bass and channel catfish in the Piedmont and coastal regions. 

To make finding a spot to cast a line easier, the agency has listed on its Web site, www.ncwildlife.org, nearly 500 areas that are accessible to the public for fishing. Click on the Fishing link on the left side of the page; then click the Go Fishing! icon on the fishing page. While the fishing is free on July 4, fishing regulations, such as size and creel limits, bait and tackle restrictions, and park use fees apply.

University Lake and the Cane Creek Reservoir will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. for fishing, boating and other recreation on Friday. University Lake will also be open from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday through Monday. The Cane Creek Reservoir will be open from 6:30 am to 6 p.m. Saturday.

Closures
Most area government offices are closed on July 4 and resume business Monday, July 7.

Durham County libraries will be closed July 4, but open Saturday, July 5.  Durham County's Convenience Centers will be closed for the holiday but open Saturday. Durham County’s curbside recycling collection for the week of June 30 will be collected on Saturday, July 5, instead of Wednesday, July 2. 

In Chapel Hill, residential and commercial garbage will not be collected on July 4. Curbside recycling has no schedule change. The Orange Regional landfill is closed, along with all Orange County solid waste convenience centers. Chapel Hill transit will not operate.  

In Hillsborough, residential garbage collection normally scheduled for Friday will be collected Thursday, July 3. Residents should place rollout carts at the curb between 7 p.m. the night before and 6 a.m. the day of collection.

The Meredith College campus will be closed to the public July 4, because of several major construction projects. This closure includes the evening hours during the annual fireworks celebration at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds. The portion of the greenway located on campus will remain open from dawn until dusk on July 4. Contact Meredith’s Campus Police at (919) 760-8888 with any questions.

OWASA’s offices at 400 Jones Ferry Road will be closed for the holiday, but OWASA personnel will be on call to respond to service interruptions or other emergency needs. Customers are welcome to call 968-4421 at any time to report emergency service needs.

Fireworks Safety Tips

According to the National Fire Protection Association, more U.S. fires are reported July 4 than on any other day, and fireworks account for half of those fires, more than any other cause of fires.

Five states ban the use of fireworks by consumers (DE, MA, NJ, NY, and RI).  
Map and directory of state-by-state fireworks control laws.

• Never allow children to play with or ignite fireworks. Sparklers, considered by many the ideal "safe" firework for the young, burn at very high temperatures and can easily ignite clothing. Children cannot understand the danger involved and cannot act appropriately in case of emergency.
• Read and follow all warnings and instructions.
• Be sure other people are out of range before lighting fireworks.
• Only light fireworks on a smooth, flat surface away from the house, dry leaves, and flammable materials.
• Never try to relight fireworks that have not fully functioned.
• Keep a bucket of water handy in case of a malfunction or fire.
• Never leaving grills or campfires unattended and never using accelerants such as gasoline on campfires.
• Never ignite fireworks in a container, especially a glass or metal container
  Keep unused fireworks away from firing areas
• Store fireworks in a dry, cool place and read instructions for special storage directions
• Never have any portion of your body directly over a firework while lighting
• Don't experiment with homemade fireworks.
•  Never throw fireworks at another person
• Citizens are also reminded not to wear loose-fitting clothing while using fireworks.
  

Online Fireworks Games

Make Your Own Virtual Fireworks

Grilling Safety Tips

• Never put ashes into a paper bag or other flammable container. Instead, ashes should be placed in an outside metal container or buried in mineral soil. If you live in an area with organic soils, but keep in mind that peat can catch fire.
• Never store ashes in your garage, on your deck or in a wooded area.
• Remember to double-check the ashes and coals before throwing them away to make sure they won’t start a fire.
  

Tips to Ease Your Pets' Fireworks Fears
Loud noises, flashing lights, and smell of sulfur can cause excessive fear in pets.  Nervous behaviors such as trembling, whimpering, and panting may be distressful to the pet, but the animal’s natural response to flee from what he interprets as a threatening situation may result in serious injury. 

Some dogs are so frightened by fireworks that they may run through glass windows, or escape from the yard and run the risk of being hit by a car. PETS 911 reports that July 4 is the No. 1 day during the year for lost pet (specifically dogs) reports as they are easily scared by the noise from fireworks celebrations.

1. Leave your pets at home and indoors.  Most pets are afraid of fireworks and may try to run away. 
2. Close all doors and windows and put on background music to muffle the sound.
3. Close curtains and blinds to block the flashing lights.
4. Be sure that your pets are wearing identification tags or have microchips in case they do run away or get lost.
5. Try to distract your pet with chew toys and games, or play with another pet that does not share his fear.
6. If you have time, desensitization techniques with appropriate sound CDs, such as thunder, fireworks, trains, sirens, etc. may help pets get used to the sounds at a lower volume, then as they become more comfortable, gradually increase the volume.
7. If your pet has noise phobias, speak to your veterinarian about a natural homeopathic, non-sedating remedy to keep your pet calm during storm and fireworks seasons.

Other Summer Pet Safety Tips More

1. Don't leave your pet unattended in a hot car, even for a few minutes

Keep your pet supplied with plenty of water, using plastic bowls if they are outside -Use caution when exercising your pet as hot asphalt can burn the pads on your pet's paws.

Stay Cool

If you’re planning to celebrate outside this holiday weekend, be sure to watch for signs of heat-related illness.    Preschoolers and people over 65 are most at risk.

• stomach pain
• vomiting
• vomiting
• flushed face
• weakness, fatigue

• Use recycled utensils. Instead of using plastic or nylon cooking utensils, try bamboo or recycled stainless steel products; replace plastic bowls and bottles with recycled glass.  
• Forget about paper. Use cloth napkins and dishcloths instead of paper. Try ripping up old clothing to make rags, which can be used in place of paper towels. 
• Be creative with your table settings. Being green doesn’t have to come at a cost. Replace plastic flatware and paper plates with flea market silver and mismatched dishes.  
  

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