A 4th of July to remember

When those two A-10 Thunderbolts soared overhead, east to west above Sherman Avenue, to bring a roaring charge to the start of the parade, you just knew it was going to be a great day.

And it was.

The clear skies and warm but not blistering temperatures provided a picture-perfect backdrop to the annual parade and fireworks in Coeur d'Alene on Independence Day.

Several years ago in this space we were critical of the parade's composition and execution, believing there were too many purely commercial entries and too much space between them. It seemed that there were more sparsely decorated vehicles boasting Spokane radio station call letters than there were floats or other entries celebrating our nation's birthday and its true heroes.

Not anymore.

While nobody will confuse the Coeur d'Alene American Heroes Parade with similar efforts bearing names like Macy's and Rose Bowl, ours was an engaging and, at times, inspiring parade on Monday. We applaud the organizational excellence and the hard work of so many who have upgraded the parade.

Monday night's fireworks display was also inspiring, with enough variety and closely-executed explosions that the 20-minute show demanded constant attention. A common worry about the behavior of those who had perhaps celebrated too much leading up to the show never materialized into serious problems. Police and fire department presence was strong enough to encourage good citizenship, for the most part, without becoming overbearing. Well done to both of those departments.

The terrific July Fourth experience in the heart of Kootenai County would not be possible without the businesses and individuals who give so generously to make it happy. With their donations and most of the heavy lifting done by the Chamber of Commerce and its volunteers, North Idaho again staged a birthday party worthy of our great nation.