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Sunday, Jul. 5, 1998
200,000 celebrate the Fourth
Shoreline's grassy median a sea of blankets, ice chests, grills
By HEATHER HOWARD
Staff WriterThe Fourth of July has special meaning for Viola Ramirez, who has military veterans in her family, barbecuers among her friends and a granddaughter who marched in the bayfront parade Saturday.
Oh, and it's her birthday. As the nation turned 222 Saturday, Ramirez turned 60.
She celebrated her birthday as she has done for as long as she can remember -- by packing an all-day picnic and heading to the bayfront to celebrate the birth of a nation.
By 1 p.m. -- hours before the grassy median on Shoreline Boulevard became a sea of blankets, ice chests and barbecue grills -- Ramirez had staked out a streetside spot with family and friends so they could have the best seats for the parade and fireworks.
``The Fourth of July is the best day for us,'' said her husband, Joe Ramirez. ``It's a day to bring family together, and just to barbecue and to come out for the fun.''
Crowds estimated by police at more than 200,000 came out for the fun along the bayfront Saturday. Among the participants was Gov. George W. Bush, who attended the Stars and Stripes Celebration aboard the Lexington Museum on the Bay. The seawall became a sea of people, the grassy medians and sidewalks along Shoreline Boulevard were packed and the walkway over the Harbor Bridge was filled with people drawn by spectacles that included the parade, the fireworks and concert by ``Get Back,'' a Beatles tribute band.
Bush, in brief remarks aboard the Lexington, paid tribute to the principles of liberty and equality found in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, to veterans -- including his father -- and to the ship itself.
``This ship, the Blue Ghost, is a fitting place to celebrate the American character,'' the governor said, noting that his father, former President George Bush, spent time on the Lexington after his plane was shot down during World War II. ``The ship represents thousands of ships where hundreds of thousands of Americans have sacrificed.''
Afterward, supporters chanted, ``Bush 2000,'' in reference to the strong speculation that the governor will run for president. He smiled and said, ``I haven't made up my mind yet.''
Earlier in the day, 8-year-old Darius Miller and his 6-year-old sister, Sa-Rhonda, started their Fourth of July fun by trouncing everyone else in the three-legged race during Heritage Park's old-fashioned picnic.
Their legs tied together with a red-white-and-blue bandanna, the two scurried around the race course without stumbling as most everyone else wound up skidding across the grass.
``We hugged each other,'' Sa-Rhonda said, explaining that the secret to three-legged racing is for the racers to put their arms around each others' shoulders.
``It was not hard for us to do,'' Darius said.
Jamie Everitt and Morgan Higgins, both sixth-graders, were two years over the 10-year-old age limit for the hula hoop competition but were first in line for the watermelon seed-spitting contest.
The two met for the first time Saturday in the Moonwalk and spent the early part of the afternoon hanging out and trying, in vain, to stay cool.
``You have to drink something cold,'' said Morgan, his short brown hair dripping with sweat.
By 2 p.m., the bayfront was bustling with sweaty festivalgoers and street vendors hawking hot dogs and hats, gorditas and Gatorade, funnel cakes and flags.
As Shoreline Boulevard began to clog with cars, seven young boys splashed and screeched in the Super 8 motel pool just off the street.
To beat the crowd -- and the heat -- Charlotte and Rey ``Burger'' Trevino and their 7-year-old son, Tron, packed a picnic and positioned themselves under a tree directly across Water Street from the Big Bang festival.
``We get prepared for this,'' Rey Trevino said as he munched chicken in a folding chair parked at the back of the family's two-tone Chevrolet Blazer.
Frequent festivalgoers, the Trevinos packed the Blazer with a box of chicken, cheese puffs, soft drinks and a jam box, and pulled up under a tree for their own private tailgate party. It's a family tradition that gives them a good lunch and a good parking space.
``We just like to come out and enjoy the sights and sounds and the people,'' Charlotte Trevino said.
``We're just cool cats out here,'' Rey Trevino said. The family was enjoying the shade before heading out for a day of festivities that would last until the last burst of fireworks.
After a few hours of selling snacks and soft drinks on Shoreline Boulevard, novice snack vendor Tammy Rangel knew what she will do differently next year -- bring a tent.
The two beach umbrellas she and several family members brought for their first crack at parade vending didn't cut it, said Rangel, whose snack stand sat within sight of large, blue tents that covered some vendors' stands completely.
But for 10-year-old Timothy Rangel and his 10-year-old cousin, Amber Ramirez, the heat was a minor point.
``It feels hot, but it feels fun,'' Timothy said.
To give his buddies relief from the heat, 12-year-old John Cavazos passed out water to fellow members of the Corpus Christi Young Marines during the annual Veterans Ceremony at Sherrill Park.
As several young children and toddlers dozed in the shade during presentation of the U.S. flag, the Young Marines stood at attention and sweated it out in full fatigues.
The heat melted the Young Marines' plans to march in the parade later but didn't wither John's enthusiasm.
``It's not that bad,'' said John, who added that he thought it was worth a little suffering to honor the veterans.
Several of his pals agreed.
``We got our independence so, like, other countries wouldn't boss us around,'' said 12-year-old Randall Simpson.
``You have to respect what you've got,'' said 12-year-old Ryan Campbell, who served in the Young Marines color guard during the ceremony.
``It makes me feel proud,'' Ryan's 14-year-old brother, Robert, said.
It made World War II veteran A. Ray Reyes feel pretty good, too, to see young people show up for the ceremony.
``It instills patriotism,'' said Reyes, who fought with the Marines in the Pacific from 1942 to 1945.
A couple of hours after the ceremony, as the sun started to drop and the glow-necklace vendors began gearing up for nightfall, music blared from a vast array of portable stereos. Parade revelers fired up grills, popped open beers and settled in to claim seats that many would hold through the fireworks show.
Nerf balls whizzed between picnicking families, and in-line skaters picked their way across the grass to buy snacks.
Dozens took in the scene from hotel balconies and alcoves in end-of-hallway fire escapes.
Lucia Ramirez of Fort Worth said she knows why Corpus Christi's festivities are so popular.
``Fort Worth doesn't have anything like the beach,'' said Ramirez, who drove to town for the weekend to be with her family for Viola Ramirez's birthday. ``Here, you can see the fireworks sparkling off the water.''Post your comments about local news eventsFront Page || Main Index || News || Business || Texas || South Texas Outdoors || Birdwatching || Sports || Entertainment || Selena || Education || South Texas Attractions || World Wide Web