Boaters mostly safe, so far
Lake visitors in Northeast Georgia and around the state mostly stayed out of trouble Saturday during a sunny Fourth of July celebration.
As of 8 p.m. Saturday on Lake Lanier, Department of Natural Resources officials reported three arrests for boating under the influence, along with three boating-related incidents that resulted in two injuries. One incident was alcohol-related.
In the Northeast Georgia region, DNR rangers handled five boating incidents and four injuries.
Statewide, there were 19 BUIs and 11 boating incidents resulting in 11 injuries but no fatalities.
One drowning was reported at Callaway Gardens, the second of the three-day holiday weekend.
Friday, a 68-year-old Snellville man, Belton Dykes, died after falling out of a kayak on Stone Mountain Park lake.
From staff and wire reports
More than 230 years after America’s forefathers penned the Declaration of Independence, thousands of North Georgians descended on Lake Lanier Saturday to watch the rockets’ red glare and celebrate the nation’s freedom.
Grillin’ and chillin’ was the name of the game for patriots who gathered at Laurel Park before the dazzling fireworks display.
Children raced through the sprinklers Saturday afternoon at the park’s Sprayground as chefs served up family favorites on makeshift stoves.
But the real party came at dusk, said Lula resident Shannon Jones, who trekked to Laurel Park with a gaggle of family and friends.
“We’re looking forward to the fireworks,” she said.
Roger Keebaugh serves as commander of American Legion Post 7 and organizer of the second annual Laurel Park Fourth of July fireworks display. He said this year’s show was the best and brightest ever.
“This one was a much bigger and much better show than last year,” Keebaugh said. “And last year was a pretty good one.”
Keebaugh said the roughly 20-minute rocket show cost more than $10,000. The Laurel Park display was one of six professional fireworks displays on Lake Lanier.
Keebaugh said the Legion provides the celebration to remind folks of how their freedom was won.
“We want to bring attention to our veterans,” he said. “It’s a celebration of our freedom and we have soldiers fighting right now in foreign lands to protect our freedom, and I think it will be that way till the end of time.”
Tony Diangelo, a member of the Associate Vietnam Veterans of America, set up camp at Laurel Park to help the organization recruit new veterans and their supporters. He said the more people who attend the celebration, the merrier.
“I’m a good ol’ fashioned patriot and want as many people as possible to come out here and ‘ooh and ahh’ and remember those who have fought and died for our country,” he said. “It’s something that should be remembered and celebrated.”
As folks convened around the lake, others were snacking on the free lunch at Memorial Park Funeral Home in Gainesville.
Funeral home owner Jack Frost held the 16th annual July Fourth cookout Saturday afternoon, where an estimated 7,000 people dined, Memorial Park Public Relations Director Billy Hendrix said.
The cookout honors Hall County and Gainesville’s firemen, law enforcement officials and emergency service workers for their steadfast service to the community. The celebration featured tunes from Fred Mulkey and The Back Porch Band and plates piled high with watermelon, barbecue and all the fixings.
Hendrix said the funeral home considers the $25,000 event an investment in the community. Volunteers also delivered more than 500 to-go meals for public service workers who were on the job Saturday, he said.
Retired Gainesville Police Chief Harold Black said it makes his heart swell to see so many residents turn out for the patriotic celebration in honor of service workers who sacrifice holidays and family time to put out fires and rescue those in danger.
“That tells me that they appreciate our services,” he said.
Hall County Sheriff’s Sgt. Chris Tempel said the thank you event is the icing on the cake for the holiday.
“It’s really nice, it really is,” he said. “Not that people don’t do it on a daily basis, but it’s really nice to have the community come together for a thank you in a special way.”
Tempel said after serving in the U.S. Army for 10 years, nearly two of which he spent in Bosnia, he’s especially grateful for the freedom America celebrates on the Fourth of July.
“I’ve seen what it’s like for people in third world countries struggling to have a quality life and an unfair government taking it from them,” he said. “... I think the Fourth of July is a celebration of our country and also of the spirit of doing what’s right.”
Two politicians seeking Rep. Nathan Deal’s 9th District congressional seat saw the cookout as a chance for some face time with voters. Rep. Tom Graves, R-Ranger, and former state Department of Transportation Board Chairman Mike Evans addressed the crowd and made the rounds at dining tables.
Hendrix said the annual cookout had a new twist this year with the kickoff of the Gold Shield Fund, an organization established to assist Gainesville and Hall County public safety workers and their families who encounter financial hardship after members are killed or seriously injured in the line of duty.
Hendrix said Frost established the fund as a 70th birthday gift for his wife, and it’s been three years in the making.
“We thought with this event and the economy and the patriotic spirit, now’s the time to kick it off,” he said. “People are responding very well.”
Hendrix said the organization has amassed more than $15,000 to benefit public service workers. He said in a couple of years, Gold Shield Fund organizers also hope to provide college scholarships to children of public servants.