VFW WILL SPEARHEAD JULY 4 EVENTS AGAIN

Break out the sparklers. Stock up on hot dogs. Cape Girardeau will have a fine Fourth of July celebration after all.

Residents were going to observe our nation's birthday anniversary, of course, but for a while it looked as though there might not be any big fireworks display, or patriotic band music, or any of the other activities that have become holiday staples at Arena Park on Independence Day.

Those activities in recent years have been under the auspices of Cape Girardeau Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3838. As the celebration has grown, both in content and duration, the VFW as sought a lot of community support for the events.

But support had been waning, and earlier this year the VFW announced it couldn't carry off the big blowout. The sad news was that there would be no VFW-sponsored events, not even fireworks.

Americans celebrate the Fourth of July in a variety of ways, but most of us see the holiday -- one of the few left that are celebrated on an actual date rather than a nearby Monday -- as a time to spend with family and friends. This usually involves cooking out, playing games, swimming, golfing and, particularly when darkness comes, shooting off a few fireworks of our own. But a big part of the celebration here has been going to Arena Park to listen to a live band play patriotic music until dark, and then watching an outstanding and professional fireworks display.

It was sad news, indeed, to hear that the VFW couldn't muster enough community support to keep this tradition alive.

Well, that wasn't, as Paul Harvey might say, the end of the story.

After the VFW's plight was publicized in the Southeast Missourian, the telephones started to ring. Several individuals and groups said they would be willing to help with this year's event. So last week the VFW announced a daylong Fourth of July observance including a parade, a basketball tournament, a street dance and even a milking contest.

The highlights, however, will be the performance of the Compton Heights Band from St. Louis, followed by the big fireworks display at about 9:15 p.m.

Thanks, VFW, for making sure we have another year of old-fashioned fun on our nation's Independence Day.