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The 232nd anniversary of the birth of our nation will celebrated in a big way throughout the area from Watsontown to Montgomery to Williamsport to Jersey Shore.

In Montgomery fireworks will be held at Montgomery Park at 9:30 p.m., Thursday, July 3.

Just to the south, major doings are slated in Watsontown that run all day on July 4 from 9 a.m. with a parade to around 9:30 p.m. with the traditional fireworks display.

The activities will center on the Watsontown Community Park pavilion. The Watsontown Festival Pageant will be held there as well as various musical acts and bingo. There will be a special Kids Stage that will have children’s entertainment and games. There will also be a horseshoe tournament beginning at 1 p.m. At 5 p.m. there will be a Duck Derby and winners will be announced following the race.

There will be food vendors selling various types of food throughout the day. The whole event will be culminated with a large fireworks display at about 9:30 p.m.

In Jersey Shore there will be several days of activities as the traditional annual Jersey Shore Town Meeting is held from June 30 to July 5.

Perhaps the largest celebration in the area will take place in downtown Williamsport on July 4 for the 13th Annual “Set the Night To Music.” It will be a full day of entertainment, food and fun that will culminate with a large fireworks display at 9:40 p.m. in the area of the Hampton Inn.

These fireworks will have a nice red, white and blue touch to them when they are set off with the world’s largest American flag serves as an appropriate patriotic backdrop.

There will be dozens of food and craft vendors on hand along William Street and live entertainment begins at 3 p.m.

The live entertainment will include:

3:00-3:30 -  Foufi

3:40-4:25 -  Uptown Music Collective

4:45-5:25 -  PA National Guard Jazz Band

5:40-6:20 -  PA National Guard Rock Band

6:20-7:00 -  Backwoods Experiment

7:20-8:00 -  Morgan Myles Band

8:30-9:30 -  Prince Charles & The Royal Tones

9:30-9:40 -  Intros/Pledge/Anthem with Jack Hoffman

9:40-10:05 -  Fireworks with a patriotic soundtrack!

10:05-10:45 - Lumpy Gravy.

The “Set The Night To Music Celebration” is sponsored by Backyard Broadcasting, the City of Williamsport and numerous other sponsors.

No bikes, skateboards, rollerblades, heelies, tents, pets or fireworks of any kind are permitted in the interest of safety. Handicap parking will be available in the parking lot across from the Federal Building, there will also be a free shuttle service from downtown parking lots every 10 minutes, beginning at 6 p.m. There will be no traffic or pedestrian activity permitted on the Market Street Bridge from about 8:30 to 10:15 p.m.

Those attending are invited to bring their radios with them to help share in the musical excitement of the occasion.

That most American of pastimes — baseball — will also be featured locally on July 4th when the Williamsport Crosscutters host the Brooklyn Cyclones at Historic Bowman Field at 1:05 p.m. and the game should be over in plenty of time to still go and enjoy the downtown July 4th activities.

As you can see there is ample opportunity to strut your patriotic stuff, so go out and enjoy yourself, bring a lawn chair sit back and relax.

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Fireworks Safety

Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness! Many Americans celebrate July 4^th with food, fun and fireworks. However, no matter what type of fireworks, they are all extremely dangerous. Fireworks are beautiful at a public display, but they can be ugly when handled by consumers and even by trained professionals.

The Pennsylvania Association for the Blind (“PAB”) and North Central Sight Services wants you to be aware that every year, the use of fireworks results in injury, blindness and, sometimes death. According to the U.S. consumer Product Safety Commission, in 2006 (the latest data available), 9,200 people were treated in emergency rooms across the country due to accidents caused by fireworks devices.

An estimated 6,400 injuries were treated in hospital emergency rooms during the one-month period (June 16-July 16) surrounding the Fourth of July. Eyes were the second most commonly injured part of the body, with an estimated 1,500 fireworks-related eye injuries treated in the same one-month period of 2006.

Sadly, many of those injured are children. In fact, 36 percent of all fireworks injuries were to those aged 15 and younger. Firecrackers were associated with the greatest number of estimated injuries at 1,300. There were 1,000 sparkler injuries and 800 rocket injuries. Sparklers accounted for one-third of the injuries to children less than 5 years of age.

Sparklers are a silent danger. They do not blow up and they do not shoot through the air. What they do have is heat. A typical sparkler can burn at temperatures up to 1,800 degrees. At this temperature, even gold melts so imagine the close range effects on your child’s skin and eyes. The popular bottle rocket is dangerous for two reasons. First, the rate of travel of a standard bottle rocket can reach speeds of up to 200 miles per hour. Second, bottle rockets are susceptible to ricochet and can end up traveling in any direction except the intended one. In 2006, an 11-year old boy was struck in the eye by a bottle rocket traveling horizontally. He has permanent vision loss.

The Pennsylvania Fireworks Law prohibits the use of fireworks by individuals and the sale of fireworks, except sparklers, containing any explosive substance. Fire crackers, torpedoes, skyrockets, roman candles, cherry bombs and other fireworks of like construction pose a serious threat to eyesight.

Currently only five states ban the use of all fireworks for private use (Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island); six states allow sparklers and/or novelties; and 39 states and the District of Columbia allow consumer fireworks as approved by an enforcing authority.

The enforcement of local, state and federal fireworks laws is extremely difficult so it’s up to parents to protect their children’s safety. The Pennsylvania Association for the Blind & North Central Sight Services urges all Pennsylvanians to obey the Fireworks Law. Please do not purchase or allow your children to purchase fireworks. For a safe and happy holiday, attend one of the many supervised public fireworks displays which will be conducted this year.

For more information please contact Heather Engle, Community Services Educator at North Central Sight Services, Inc. - 323-9401 ext. 127 or at heathere@ncsight.org.

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