Bang, Boom, Pow: Fireworks Celebate 4th of July In Style
Lights display goes off without a hitch despite threatening weather
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Perhaps Mother Nature is a little jealous of Fourth of July fireworks displays.
Not wanting to be left out, apparently, she put on a lightning display of her own at Shaker Middle School on Wednesday, a little less colorful and festive, not to mention a lot louder and more frightening.
For a time, it looked as though all the boom and bang might be cancelled with holiday revelers leaving or seeking temporary shelter at the nearby First Unitarian Church. Some even thought the Good Humor truck’s canopy might make a good hiding place.
But the wind, clouds and thunder eventually subsided long enough for the city to get in its fireworks show. And what show it was.
Little can match the power of the heavens, but as they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and mercifully, the skies allowed the crowd to celebrate the country’s birthday with a thunder all its own.
Donna
7:29 am on Thursday, July 5, 2012
I live over here and unfortunately it was like a war zone! Big tanker police trucks roamed back and forth down warrensville ctr rd. Police from at least three outside cities and the sherif were called. I can't believe this happened in this great neighborhood! I just moved here in March to get away from madness like this! Sad!
kathy
7:54 am on Thursday, July 5, 2012
What happened?
Donna
9:19 am on Thursday, July 5, 2012
Shots fired in the crowd, fights. It was scary and horrible!
Lynn Katz Danzig
9:43 am on Thursday, July 5, 2012
Where is over here? On Shaker Blvd.?
Brandon Baker
10:00 am on Thursday, July 5, 2012
We are in contact with police and should know more about this soon. Please stand by.
Donna
10:09 am on Thursday, July 5, 2012
See other comment about this on Cleveland heights patch
Ric Flair
10:23 am on Thursday, July 5, 2012
I was seated near the corner of WCR and Shaker eastbound. There were two moments during the show where the teenagers stampeded away from the middle school in the direction of WCR. The first time they were running down Shaker. The second time they were coming down Shaker and streaming out of the library parking lot. It was surreal to watch. The kids around us were all terrified as this horde ran towards them.
After that, the SWAT humvee rolled south of the library and another cruiser entered the library parking lot. By that time we were already packed up to get out of there.
If Shaker Heights continues to sponsor fireworks, maybe they should find a spot somewhere away from the RTA lines.
Connie
10:48 am on Thursday, July 5, 2012
We were sitting on the grass near the parking lot on the west side of the school near the library. Half way through the show kids suddenly started stampeding towards us. We heard someone say "gun" and we grabbed our kids and backed away towards a bush. It seemed to calm a bit and then it happened again, and this time we heard a "pop pop" over to our right - and the kids were screaming and running like crazy. We were terrified and trying to get in touch with our older children who had gone to see their friends - we finally got them and got out of there, walking towards South Woodland saw the police trying to clear out hordes of kids at South Woodland and Warrensville. Very scary. We heard it was kids from Maple who had earlier in the day talked about inciting a riot at Shaker - would like to know if that is true.
Brandon Baker
11:22 am on Thursday, July 5, 2012
Thanks for everybody's info. Police have confirmed some basics, that eight arrests were made — you can read that here http://patch.com/A-vMrj . We are checking into any evidence that this was a planned "riot." Please check with us during the day for more information.
Garry Kanter
11:44 am on Thursday, July 5, 2012
Great job on getting the facts and putting the kibosh on the over-stated fear-mongering. I wish the other local papers put forth half the effort you guys put into it.
Brandon Baker
11:48 am on Thursday, July 5, 2012
Thank you, Garry