Patriotism, Pleasure Shared by Celebrants

It was not merely a day for the flag to wave. It was a day for the heart to flutter.

You could see it in Pablo Peres, 74, a longtime resident of the El Sereno section of Northeast Los Angeles, as he stood along Huntington Drive South with his wife, Lilly, and 2,000 others to watch the community’s Fourth of July parade, featuring brightly clad high school bands, red, white and blue floats and streamer-decorated convertibles carrying elected officials.

The Pereses used to stroll along the parade route. Then, 12 years ago, Mrs. Peres was paralyzed by two strokes and confined to a wheelchair.

Always Attend

Still, they have yet to miss a parade.

“I like to come out here for her sake,” Peres said, caressing his wife’s shoulder. “I pick her up from the nursing home every Saturday, and this weekend they said she could stay an extra day so she wouldn’t miss the parade.”

His wife had tears in her eyes as she waved to parade participants.

“I am very happy,” she said.

In many ways equally personal, residents throughout Southern California turned out at picnics, parades and family gatherings Monday, sharing patriotism and pleasure.

It was 6 a.m. when James Jefferson arrived at Centinela Park in Inglewood to begin setting up a family gathering that has become a 10-year tradition.

From as far away as Chicago, Arkansas, Missouri and Texas, between 200 and 300 brothers, sisters and cousins of Jefferson and his wife, Rosalin, streamed in.

“It’s the family reunion of the Burrells, Jeffersons, Knoxes and Greens,” said Jefferson, the reunion president and photographer, who was coordinating sack races and apple-dunking contests for the children and planned to award prizes to the oldest and youngest guests.

Pre-dawn Fireworks

Those in search of a more explosive holiday awoke early--very early--and drove to Santa Monica.

There, the tired, huddled masses--150,000, according to police--watched Santa Monica’s second annual pre-dawn fireworks show, a fest that was organized last year to discourage the rowdiness that had plagued the event when it was held during evening hours.

Some of the spectators came from out of town and checked into the Holiday Inn on Sunday night.

Others, like the Hernandez family of Hollywood, didn’t go to sleep at all.

“We went to a friend’s house, to dinner, a movie and then came here,” said Alfredo Hernandez, 40, who shared a bench and a blanket with his wife and three children.

“Independence Day is day of celebration,” said Hernandez, an immigrant from Chile. “I come from a country where Independence Day is very important.”

Sara Fredericks, 27, a British expatriate who lives in the seaside city, also stayed up all night, observing with ironic understatement: “They don’t do anything like this in England.”

The turnout, which surprised organizers, was at least twice as big as last year. People lined Santa Monica Pier, spread blankets on the beach and fashioned headrests from the sand. They bought pretzels and churros from vendors.

In the darkness, red, white and blue fireworks splashed across the sky, accompanied by oohs and aahs from the audience. A recorded portion of President John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address--”Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country”-- boomed over the loudspeakers.

Michele Manzella, 42, of Hollywood and Debbie Norris, 36, of Beverly Hills were sipping espresso from small cups and munching on cheese and Italian bread by candlelight.

“It’s incredible,” Manzella said. “Look at how many nationalities are here. And it’s on one beach, and no one’s killed anyone.”

Later, at a more civilized hour of mid-morning, calmer celebrants sought out easier prey. Or so they thought. A knot of regulars at a fish-stocked lake in Willowbrook Park near Compton planned to spend the Fourth catching blue gill and catfish.

Alas, nothing was biting.

“I think they gave the fish a tranquilizer for the holiday weekend,” moaned angler Melvin Shephard, 48, who said he was surprised because county park officials stock hundreds of pounds of fish every week.

Across town in South Pasadena, the animal of choice was an ostrich, or rather an ostrich mascot, a familiar sight in community activities.

Monday was not merely the nation’s birthday, but the 124th day of South Pasadena’s centennial, and civic pride was readily incorporated into the festivities and fireworks at Garfield Park.

Jane Apostol, the grand marshal of the festival parade and author of a book on the city’s history, said that land on which South Pasadena’s commercial businesses now sit was once an ostrich farm, until it was sold in 1934 to pay for taxes.

“It’s really fun,” said the parade’s ostrich mascot, declining to give its identity. “I’m like the Mickey Mouse of South Pasadena.”

At Dockweiler Beach, directly below the takeoff patterns of jets from Los Angeles International Airport, the fun was less organized. Owners of recreational vehicles, who have made the beach parking lot a much-praised camping spot, hung around and enjoyed the coolness of the day.

Nobody enjoyed the coolness more than Steve Kemenes, 52, a retired restaurant owner who will be heading home today to Las Vegas.

“There it’s 105, 110 (degrees),” Kemenes said. “Here, the noise from the jets doesn’t bother me. I love the city. It’s good for my kid.”

Further south on the coast, in Palos Verdes Estates, 2,500 residents gathered at a school to watch an apple pie baking contest, recite the Pledge of Allegiance, and listen to patriotic speeches, including one by Jan Scruggs, founder and president of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington.

“Patriotism is a good thing, and it’s good that there are still some true patriots around,” said Scruggs, who is traveling around the country to raise funds for a memorial to slain law enforcement officers.

Such concerns were shared in many quarters.

Back in El Sereno, Aster Asmit, who was born in the Philippines and moved to this country 20 years ago, talked about how he coaxed his sons, who are members of the Cub Scout pack he leads, to take a temporary leave of absence from their summer baseball teams to create a Fourth of July float for the local parade.

“My sons were born in this country, so I feel like a native, and I want them to learn all about this holiday,” said Asmit as he placed an American flag next to the float’s limestone green, papier-mache replica of the Statue of Liberty.

Nearby, the same theme was on Dianne C. Hawkins’ mind. “I’m here today because I want to help my community. The Fourth of July to me means involvement,” said Hawkins, a 30-year-old schoolteacher.

“We’re here because we’re going to celebrate,” added her 4-year-old daughter, Cameron.

Celebrate what?

“Popcorn,” Cameron said.

Times Staff Writers Bob Baker, Tyler Chin, Maureen Fan, Kimberly L. Jackson, Lucille Renwick, Shawn M. Smith, Meg Sullivan and Hector Tobar contributed to this report.