FRESH STUFF DAILY
Seacoast New Hampshire
& South Coast Maine
Subscribe To Our Newsletter
|
|
| |
|
|
|
f0e
tadalafil cialis or viagra levitra online cialis canada buy zoloft generic vicodine buy viagra online online viagra viagra canada prescription drugs on line levitra 10 propecia without prescription where to buy fenfluramine propecia with out a prescription no prescription online pharmacy viagra sale vicodine viagra onlinge viagra on 25mg viagra canada viagra on line where can i buy propecia without a prescription cialis mg cialis 5 mg Male Enhancement Cialis 100mg cialis where to buy fenfluramine Viagra Canada Pharmacy viagra canada buy canadian drugs online prescription pharmacy
0
|
Freedom, Fireworks and Little Kids
|
 |
 |
|
Written by J. Dennis Robinson
|
|
Page 1 of 5 
PORTSMOUTH'S BAD BOYS
Why do we celebrate democracy with violent, noisy explosions in the night sky? Why not celebrate with musical instruments or voting booths or dancing? Because this is American dammit, and if you think fireworks are dangerous, you must be some sort of terrorist.
JUMP: directly to fireworks postcards
READ: Aldrich Fourth of July
A reader e-mailed me a few years ago asking when the Portsmouth Fourth of July parade would be held. I called City Hall to find out, but the mayor was out and nobody seemed to know. The receptionist instructed me to call the Chamber of Commerce, which I did. They told me to call the City Hall. Eventually we confirmed that the fireworks over Leary Field by South Mill Pond were scheduled as usual -- but no parade.
 Have to have those fireworks, but parades we can live without. American citizens have been known to turn into angry mobs when not allowed to explode their bottle rockets and roman candles on the Fourth of July. We live for the rocket’s red glare and the bombs bursting in air. Violent explosions illuminate American history in a tradition as old as the Declaration of Independence.
But what about the parade -- the marching bands, the floats and the flags? I found Fourth of July road races, tag sales, outdoor concerts and open houses, but only one parade that season by the stout-hearted fireman of York, Maine. Strawbery Banke offers a patriotic sing along. Exeter saves up all its Revolutionary gusto for a giant militia encampment and festival later in the month.
Fourth of July, our oldest and most intensely American holiday is changing. It's easy to read too much into the passing of the parade. Maybe Portsmouth volunteers were just too pooped to party that year after their Market Square Day and the opening of Prescott Park. Maybe everyone was out of town, abandoning the Seacoast to the growing tourist hoard.
Ironically Portsmouth ranks high in the history of this holiday. Three New Hampshire men signed the Declaration of Independence, two from the Seacoast. Yet one of them, Dr. Matthew Thornton is better remembered as the name of a healthcare company. Josiah Bartlett, a Kingston doctor, was also an early New Hampshire "president" or governor, yet his name rings more bells as the liberal president played by Martin Sheen in the West Wing series. William Whipple of Portsmouth, whose grave in the North Cemetery was often littered with beer cans, has lately been eclipsed by the new fame of his slave Prince Whipple who gets more Web coverage these days than his former slavemaster.
One of the first public readings of the Declaration, still unsigned at the time, was from the balcony of the Old State House in Market Square on July 18, 1776, just two weeks after its adoption. A year later on July 4, 1777 Captain Thomas Thomson, whose house still stands on Pleasant Street, invited guests to celebrate with dinner aboard a Continental frigate. Ten days afterwards the first Stars and Stripes was adopted on July 14, in the same Congressional decree that sent John Paul Jones to Portsmouth to captain the Ranger. Back in Portsmouth in 1782, Jones threw a July 4th party for the entire city at his own expense with toasts, salutes and dancing aboard the USS AMERICA then being built at Kittery. There were plenty of fireworks, of course.
CONTINUE with FOURTH OF JULY Stories
<< Start < Prev 1 2 3 4 5 Next > End >>
|
Please visit these SeacoastNH.com ad partners.
Portsmouth Herald
|
Portsmouth Herald Latest Headlines
|
| Portsmouth Herald News from SeacoastOnline.com |
-
UNH football rallies past Maine to secure playoff spot
DURHAM — Another year, another trip to the Division I playoffs for the University of New Hampshire football team.Another year, another excruciating loss for Maine.
-
UNH hockey powers past Terriers
DURHAM — The play of the University of New Hampshire men's hockey team special teams looked, well, special, Friday night against Boston University.
-
Father-son coaches creating legacy with Winnacunnet football
HAMPTON — If nothing else, Winnacunnet High School has proven that two Steve Magris are better than one when it comes to coaching football.
-
Bergeron wins it for B's in OT
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Patrice Bergeron scored with 47 seconds left in overtime, lifting the Boston Bruins to a 2-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Friday night.
-
NFL's premier corner Revis mans up on Moss again
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Darrelle Revis has heard enough about his last matchup with Randy Moss. The New York Jets cornerback just wants to move on to the next one.
-
Emotional home finale for UNH football
DURHAM — One year ago this week, University of New Hampshire strong safety Terrence Klein intercepted two late passes to preserve a snowy 28-24 win at Maine, more proof that...
-
Carter, Magic drop Celtics
BOSTON — Vince Carter scored 26 points, Rashard Lewis had 16 points and 10 rebounds, and the Orlando Magic beat the Boston Celtics 83-78 on Friday night.
-
Portsmouth says stimulus jobs overstated by White House
PORTSMOUTH — While federal stimulus dollars flowing into the city may help both causes and the economy, at least one local project echoes concerns expressed nationwide about the accuracy of...
-
Joseph Popluhar
TAMPA, Fla. — Mr. Joseph Popluhar, 71, of Tampa, formerly of Portsmouth, N.H., beloved husband of Marjorie (Hunt) Popluhar, died Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2009, in Florida.
-
Turkey Trot 5K in Portsmouth on Thanksgiving morning
PORTSMOUTH — Thanksgiving is one of the most charitable times of the year. If you're in the giving mood, why not get a little exercise, too?
-
Marshwood Middle School parents told 58 of 60 kids accepted unknown Facebook friend
ELIOT, Maine — Marshwood Middle School parents were shocked to learn from Internet expert Jayne Hitchcock Thursday evening that 58 of 60 middle school honors students accepted her as a...
-
Newington tax rate drops, but selectman chides state lawmakers
NEWINGTON — Town taxpayers will pay a lower tax rate for 2009, but the chairman of the Board of Selectmen announced the good news with some concerns for state politicians.
-
Memorial Bridge re-opens
PORTSMOUTH — The Memorial Bridge reopened ahead of schedule on Friday following a month of repairs that forced motorists to seek alternative routes between the city and Kittery, Maine.
-
Bakers bustling for Sunday's pie festival
GREENLAND — Judy Alix laughed excitedly. "Thirty made, only 470 more to go!" she exclaimed.
-
3-car crash on Woodbury Ave.
PORTSMOUTH — A three-car, chain-reaction crash snarled lunch hour traffic Friday on Woodbury Avenue and sent a Maine man to Portsmouth Regional Hospital.
-
Runner's Alley helps racer achieve her goals
I would like to thank Janine and the staff at Runner's Alley for their great work in this community. Their contribution, enthusiasm and encouragement are a shining example of what...
-
John R. Genthner
HAMPTON FALLS — John Richard Genthner, born Jan. 28, 1943, in St. John, New Brunswick, Canada, died peacefully Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009, after a long illness. He was surrounded by...
-
Thumbs up to preservation, determination
Thumbs up to the heirs of Mary McIntire Davis for selling a 239-acre parcel of salt marsh and forest along the York River to the York Land Trust ,and to...
-
New Generation raises $10,000 with golf tourney
The New Generation Golf tournament was held at Breakfast Hill Golf Club. With the help of all those who supported it, we made more than $10,000.
-
Memorial is a N.H. bridge; Herald must act to save it
Sitting a couple of hundred miles up the Maine coast, there isn't anyone who knows or cares about our bridge. They've got their own big-time problems that aren't getting fixed.
|
|
|
|
|
| Saturday, November 21, 2009 |
|
|
|
