Tahlequah Daily Press

Features

Related Photos

Discussion

Add a comment on this story
July 3, 2009

Festive Fourth

Area residents are making plans with family and friends for the holiday weekend

By TRAVINA COLEMAN



It will be Independence Day soon, and most of us celebrate the most important holiday for our country by chasing someone with fireworks.

And it’s usually someone who doesn’t want to be chased.

The large exploding artillery shells and brilliant blasts of light that illuminate the night sky represent many of the values we hold close to us here in the United States.

And in Oklahoma — most specifically Cherokee County.

Grayson Caldwell, 23, of Tahlequah said he loves the Fourth of July because it’s one family gathering everyone is in a good mood.

“I don’t know if it’s the family or the mix of lighted potential ammunition,” he said. “But it’s something I make sure I don’t miss.”

According to a Press online poll, community members have a number of plans.

Only 36 percent of voters said they weren’t interested in any of the live shows going on, and 23 percent said they were more likely to catch a live band at a bar. Ten percent said they would catch both Downtown Country shows this weekend, and 8 percent said they were going to watch the Cherokee Heritage Center’s presentation of “Under the Cherokee Moon.”

For most of the folks here, they are just content to spend the free day off with friends and family, attending various barbecues and visiting the lakes over the three-day weekend.

Brandie Hanson and her daughter, Samantha, are going to Piney, for camping.

“We are leaving today,” Samantha said.

Brandie said the spot they plan on visiting is beautiful.

“It’s crystal clear,” she said. “You can see all the way to the bottom. It’s an awesome place.”

For Barbara Roeder and her two daughters, Autumn and Chelsea, they plan to spend the day together.

“Independence Day means a celebration of our country and our history,” the Tahlequah native said. “I don’t like fireworks, but we celebrate the meaning.”

Sara Jackson said she and her kids are spending the day at the lake.

“We might even stay the whole weekend,” she said. “But it’s always really packed.”

Jackson said they go despite the crowd, because that’s what she believes the holiday is about.

“Not only is it our independence, but it’s a day to spend with all of the people we share the privilege of being American with,” she said. “That’s my idea of true independence.”

And many agree with Jackson.

“Not enough people take the time to really appreciate what this holiday is about,” said Harold Climber of Woodall.

Climber, 62, said it seems like only when the nation is under attack, politically or divided by war, do people seem to come out and support the privilege of our independence.

“It’s a shame we don’t all pull together more often,” he said. “This is a great country we live in.”

Marla Hernandez said she thinks we do good representing and celebrating the holiday right now.

“It’s a great day to celebrate our independence,” she said.

Kelsey Heavener said she is just happy to spend the first holiday with her new in-laws.

“I just got married,” she said.

“So this is the first function we are hosting at our new home. I want everyone that comes to have a fantastic time.”

And many natives of the area will go where their bare feet scream for relief — the Illinois River.

“It gets hot on the fourth so we will go to the river,” Sandy Spradlin said.

“My kids and I do it every year. And we don’t care if it’s packed. Most of the lakes feel like bath water anyway.”

Text Only
Features
  • Be careful when floating your boat

    With a countless number of families expected to enjoy this Memorial Day weekend at the lake or in swimming pools, The National Safe Boating Council Inc. and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are urging everyone to step up their safety awareness while in and around a water environment.

    May 23, 2012

  • Glenn liked Tahlequah’s ‘weirdness’

    For Eddie Glenn, playing music at the 2000 Cherokee Medal of Honor awards and having James Earl Jones compliment his singing voice is the memory of a lifetime.

    May 22, 2012

  • Summer chock-full of blockbusters

    There is no season quite like summer. School is out, baseball season is in full swing, Tenkiller Lake is full of boaters, the Illinois River is ripe for floating, and soon, the summer blockbusters will hit the theaters.

    May 16, 2012

  • Tanning today could mean trouble later

    Questioning, and sometimes even ignoring, authority is a hallmark of youth, and can often teach valuable life lessons.

    May 16, 2012

  • ra AmericanLegion.tif Veterans groups have busy schedules

    Cherokee County boasts several active veterans organizations, with overlapping members – and some of them are rising to prestigious positions.

    May 9, 2012 1 Photo

  • Volunteering gives Smith skills, confidence

    Volunteering has taught Tonya Smith to use power tools and given her confidence.

    May 8, 2012

  • Art a sublime experience for Emerson

    Growing up in Tahlequah, Judith Emerson didn’t imagine she’d return as an artist and writer. But she has – after living in New York, raising her daughter and traveling.

    May 1, 2012

  • Class teaches cultural tradition

    As any good fashionista knows, a leather purse is a wardrobe staple. But leather purses were first crafter for functionality, rather than fashion.

    April 30, 2012

  • Expert gives program on shell mounds

    University of Oklahoma’s Department of Anthropology assistant professor Dr. Asa Randall has spent years studying archaic shell mounds, particularly those along the St. Johns River in Florida.

    April 30, 2012

  • Library kicks off new Living Green series

    These days, more and more people want to know where their food comes from, and many prefer a source close to home.

    April 23, 2012