Despite a thunderstorm that threatened to cancel the Fourth of July parade in Morgantown, the sun crept out and the patriots began to celebrate the birth of the nation.
There were flags flying in the wind, courtesy of VFW Post 548. Every child got a Tootsie Roll, allowing every parent a smile and a moment of peace. The West Virginia Highlanders played the bagpipes. A U.S. Army Band of 70 soldiers strong marched its way into people's hearts. A Marine Corp Color Guard held their flags high.
This year, because of the High Street construction, the parade took a different route, beginning at North Spruce Street (at Willey Street). It traveled down Spruce, turning onto Walnut Street, but it headed left on High Street to Kirk Street.
For 14 years, Rick Raspa, on-site parade director, has been involved with making the parade a success, and this year was no different. He said downtown was packed, and he estimates between 5,000 to 6,000 people attended the parade.
"This was a very successful parade," Raspa said. "It's really hard to get people to a parade on the Fourth of July because of vacations, but we pulled it off again this year."
People along the parade route were in a festive mood. Katie Berry, 34, was busy watching her fouryear-old daughter, Allison, and seven-year-old son, Andrew, as they tried to catch candy thrown from folks participating in the parade.
"For me, the Fourth of July means spending time with my family and celebrating the birth of the country," Berry said. "It also means educating my children as to what the Fourth of July is all about."
Fireworks were another matter.
"I'm sending my four-year-old home because she is terrified of fireworks, but our seven-year-old son will get to watch," Berry said.
Although the fireworks were set to begin at 9:30 p.m. Sunday, they were delayed because of a computer glitch. Many people left before the fireworks went off at 10:38 p.m.
Charles Harrington, 58, is a Vietnam veteran.
"Not even the rain can dampen my patriotism," he said. "Look at what these guys went through to get our freedom; a little rain didn't bother them."
Patrick Johnston comes from a military family. He and his three brothers have served in the U.S. Army. Johnston said his father, John, was one of the survivors of the Battle of the Bulge. Most recently, Johnston said, he has been transporting ordinance to the soldiers serving in Iraq as a member of the U.S. Merchant Marines.
"To me, the Fourth of July means freedom of speech, and to be able to come together as a country and support the heroes serving in Iraq," he said. "We should never forget the kids sacrificing their lives so we can have independence from world terrorism."
Joshua Rutowski, 26, and Carmen Borsa, 28, brought their three-legged dog, Caine, to the parade by covered carriage. Caine, 8, seemed to enjoy the show. Every person who passed by Caine smiled and even reached down to pet the dog.
"He seems to be getting a lot of attention," Rutowski said.
And the politicians came out by the car load. "I'm particularly pleased to see such a large crowd after the rain," said U.S. Rep. Alan Mollohan, D-W.Va., parade marshal. "It's a great parade."
State representative Charlene Marshall, D-Monongalia, a former Morgantown mayor, said she loves parades.
"The Fourth of July celebrates our nation," she said. "It's great to be here participating or being a bystander. Even before I was in office, I would come out for the parade. Morgantown is a great place for a parade."
State Representative Cindy Frich, R-Monongalia, said she enjoys the Fourth of July festivities.
"I always enjoy celebrating Independence Day," she said. "I like being in the parade and seeing all the children. I hope they grow up to appreciate why we celebrate the holiday and how lucky we are to live in this country. That's why I enioy the parade so much."