Local towns plan July 4 celebrations
McLouth and Basehor will be booming Tuesday night.
McLouth will have an Independence Day fireworks display starting about 9:50 p.m. at the McLouth Sports Complex.
Residents are encouraged to park and view the display along Bulldog Lane.
The event is sponsored by the city of McLouth, McLouth Kiwanis Club, the McLouth Fire Department and the McLouth Recreation Commission.
In Basehor, residents there will be “Celebrating America’s Youth” for the annual Fourth of July parade and celebration.
Organized by Basehor Pride, this year’s celebration will include the usual lineup of a parade, live music, food, games, activities and a fireworks display.
Pride members ask that citizens start assembling around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, at Holy Angels Catholic Church to participate in the parade, which will begin at 6 p.m. Pride members also want as many young people as possible to participate in the parade.
“This year’s theme is Celebrating America’s Youth,” Chuck Wilderson, Pride member, said. “We usually have a patriotic theme, but the committee thought we needed to honor our young people. We want as many kids as possible riding bikes or walking with their parents in the parade.”
As area residents celebrate the July 4 holiday, here are some reminders that should help prevent injuries:
¢ Purchase fireworks from a reputable dealer.
¢ Purchase only those fireworks that are approved for discharge in your area.
¢ Wear eye protection.
¢ Have a water source handy.
¢ Only ignite fireworks outdoors in an area that is safe for discharge.
¢ Light only one at a time and never attempt to re-light a dud.
¢ Do not give fireworks to young children and supervise older children.
¢ Do not point or throw them at other people or animals.
¢ Do not shoot fireworks in metal or glass containers.
¢ Do not carry fireworks or ignition sources in your pocket.
— Source: State Fire Marshal’s Office
No dirt bikes will be allowed in the parade for safety reasons, but four-wheelers are permitted.
This year’s grand marshal will be Tammy Potts, coordinator for YouthFriends, to recognize her involvement with students in the Basehor-Linwood district. She will be riding in a 1967 Mustang convertible in the parade.
Floats will also be judged as the parade continues south down 155th Street to Basehor-Linwood High School.
After the parade, area residents are welcome to concessions run by the Lions Club and the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and activities such as a dunk tank, a free moonwalk, a cake walk with cakes baked by Basehor Gold Pride and live music. The citizen of the year award, along with prizes for the best parade floats, will be announced at 8:30 p.m.
A recent Basehor-Linwood High School graduate, Hannah Brown, will sing the Star-Spangled Banner at 9 p.m. while the flag is raised by a color guard. A 21-gun salute will follow.
“We want to emphasize the 21-gun salute because it was very impressive last year,” Pride president George Smith said.
A fireworks display will begin about 9:15 p.m. Residents are encouraged to buy fireworks from the fireworks stand. All the proceeds will benefit Project Graduation, Kiwanis and Basehor Pride for student scholarships. The show usually lasts about 45 minutes. Donations for the actual fireworks display also are greatly appreciated, Pride members said.
“It is always a really spectacular fireworks display,” Wilderson said. “Even though it is free, we hope people will give a $1 or $5 or whatever it’s worth to bring the families out.”
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