Daily Five: Neighborhood Fireworks and Summer Fun

Tell Your Neighbors About Patch! 

1. Expect another gorgeous day, with sunny skies, calm winds, and a high of 82, according to the National Weather Service. Tonight will be partly cloudy, with a low of 67. There’s a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after midnight.

2. With July 4 celebrations in full swing throughout the weekend, you might expect that the Waterford Police log would include a number of arrests for people driving under the influence or people who partied hard behaving badly. In fact, there were no arrests at all on July 3 or July 4.

That doesn’t mean the police weren’t busy, however. From 9 p.m. until midnight, they responded to numerous complaints from neighbors objecting to backyard firework displays on Old Colchester Road, Vivian Street, Clark Lane, Valley Street, Division Street, Oswegatchie Road, Hartford Road, and at the Duck Pond. There were, of course, many more people shooting off fireworks than that but, on my street at least, all the neighbors did was cheer!

3. School’s out for summer--but not for everyone. Summer school kicked off yesterday at for all students K-8th grade. The summer session, which started last week for special education students, runs Monday through Thursday until the end of July. The majority of students attending are in K-5th grade. “We haven’t had many middle school kids take us up on the offer,” says Assistant Superintendent Craig Powers. With weather like this, who can blame them?

4. Looking for something to do this evening? free summer concert series begins tonight with country band Highway Calling from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Bring a blanket, a picnic, and your dancing shoes! The Eugene O’Neill’s National Music Theatre Conference also takes a note from country music tonight with “Son of Gun.” This “darkly comic bluegrass rock musical,” by Chris Cragin and Don Chaffer, tells the story of a wildly eccentric Appalachian family. Showtime is 8 p.m. at the Rose Barn Theater in Waterford. For tickets, call (860) 443-5378.  Got a news tip? Email me at j_keedle@yahoo.com.

5. On July 6, 1944, a devastating fire broke out at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in Hartford, killing 167 people and injuring 682. Two-thirds of the victims were children. A combination of paraffin and gasoline had been used to waterproof the canvas of the big top. Within 10 minutes, the entire big top was ablaze and some 8,000 people were trying to get out from under it. This Connecticut tragedy remains the worst circus fire and one of the deadliest fires in U.S. history. You can watch actual news footage of the aftermath on youtube .

Quote of the Day

“It is wonderful how much may be done if we are always doing.”

-Thomas Jefferson

Trivia of the Day

 Who was the first African American to win Wimbledon?

Tuesday’s Answer: According to the most recent crime statistics, St. Louis is the most dangerous city in the United States.