Melissa Manchester Headlines ‘Spectacular’ on the Fourth; Security Not Addressed by City

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The Concert Stage was Readied Today When the American Flag was Hung.

The Concert Stage was Readied Today When the American Flag was Hung.

An American Flag Flies at a Home on the East End of Portland Today.

An American Flag Flies at a Home on the East End of Portland Today.

Other Flags Were Flying on the East End of Portland Celebrating the Upcoming Fourth of July.

Many  Flags Were Flying  at the AmVet Post on Washington Avenue.

By Carol McCracken  (Post # 2,355)

Just in case you’ve been avoiding the local news and with good reason, Melissa Manchester, the Grammy award-winning favorite of so many, will be headlining the “Stars and Stripes Spectacular” set for Saturday, July 4th on the Eastern Promenade. The concert starts from the stage at 7:00 pm and the Fireworks begin around 9:15 pm.  It is free and open to the public.  The City is  requesting that dogs, with the exception of service dogs, remain home. That request is because of the noise and crowds at the Spectacular.

Last year, the annual “Spectacular” was delayed a day because of the weather conditions.  The latest forecast does call for cloudy weather during much of the day, but probably not storms that will delay the Spectacular once again.

In recent days the national news has been dominated by warnings of a dramatic increase in on-line”chatter” coming from terrorists’ groups. This increased chatter could translate into incidents during the Fourth of July celebrations in cities across the nation. Despite this,  the Portland Police Department has chosen not to publicly address security issues for the weekend.   There have been no press releases issued as to whether or not heightened security efforts have been introduced,or are warranted due to the  increased threats from our enemies.  National warnings called for  vigilness for home-grown terrorists,or ‘lone wolves’ influenced by overseas terrorists groups. Should Portlanders be vigil as well?  Or  are the threat warnings overblown and not relevant to Portland?

It is estimated that 50,000 people will watch the program throughout the city.  Attendees are reminded to throw their trash away in receptacles provided or take it with them when they leave the Eastern Prom.

For more information, please visit www.july4thportland.org  Or please call the city’s hotline at 207 – 756-8130.