Cartoon Balloons, Astronauts Soar Through Holiday

Bullwinkle soared over New York City for the first time in years as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade celebrated its 70th birthday Thursday, while a bit higher up, the shuttle Columbia astronauts delayed their Thanksgiving feast for a stroll in space--which was canceled when they couldn’t get through a stuck hatch.

The parade down Broadway brought back a couple of classic balloons, Harold the Fireman and Flying Fish, but commercialism was also alive and well: Pongo and Perdy, the canine stars of the new movie “101 Dalmatians,” rode down the 2 1/2-mile parade route in Cruella DeVil’s roadster.

Seventeen floats and 18 giant helium balloons soared against the sky as they glided down the street in front of hundreds of thousands of onlookers in the 25-degree chill. More than 45 million were expected to watch on television.

The parade featured 538 clowns, 13 bands, and celebrities, including figure skater Oksana Baiul, Miss America Tara Dawn Holland and singer-actress Vanessa Williams.

“Oooh! Is that a real rocket?” marveled 4-year-old Sophia Giovannitti of Yonkers, who ogled a float with her sister, Julia, 7. “This is cool!” chimed in their dad, David, 42.

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Riding the real thing, astronauts postponed a special, if not entirely traditional, meal to take a spacewalk.

For the five astronauts aboard Columbia, irradiated turkey steaks, stuffing, cranberry sauce and pumpkin-colored frosted cakes were on the menu.

“When we get back inside, believe me, we’ll be hungry for that Thanksgiving turkey,” astronaut Tom Jones, one of two scheduled spacewalkers, told NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin before the task began.

The astronauts pushed with all their might--upside down and right side up--but could not open the hatch on space shuttle Columbia because its handle would not fully rotate.

“We apologize for recommending the obvious, but please confirm that you are going in a clockwise direction,” Mission Control asked.

Jones, sounding frustrated, replied: “Confirmed.”

They worked on the problem for more than two hours befor canceling the walk.

Aboard Russia’s space station Mir, American astronaut John Blaha, 73 days into a four-month mission, also expected a turkey dinner.

Although he will miss this year’s traditional family get-together, Blaha said he still had a lot to be thankful for. “I have quite an outstanding view of the cosmos and the planet from up here, so for this Thanksgiving that’s what I’ll have,” he said.

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Down to earth, the homeless and hungry were treated to turkey and trimmings on Capitol Hill on Thursday by Washington groups determined that no one should miss out on the traditional Thanksgiving Day feast.

The Community for Creative Non-Violence and other organizations, with the help of hundreds of volunteers, prepared and served turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy and greens to the needy on the lawns outside the halls of Congress.

More than 2,000 meals were served by late afternoon despite gray skies and freezing temperatures, according to a CCNV spokesman.

President Clinton also celebrated the holiday with the traditional dinner at Camp David, the presidential retreat in the Maryland mountains, and a day of rest.

There was no rest, though, for students in Pittston, Pa., who trekked to class under a dusting of snow on Thanksgiving.

Classes were held on the frigid holiday morning thanks to a 31-day teachers’ strike. The district’s 3,300 students will be in school on New Year’s Day too, and will get just one day off at Christmas.

The school district is stuck between the state-mandated 180-day school year and a law barring classes after June 30.

All told, only about half of the students showed up Thursday, and high school principal Joseph Costello said he was being particularly lenient about letting students leave early. “It’s a holiday. And we’re not unreasonable people,” he said.