The temperatures are expected to reach the mid-90s on the Fourth of July but there’s no worry to be alarmed about sweating while watching the Independence Day parade along Main and Center streets.
That’s because after a four-year hiatus the wildly popular Manteca Fire Department hose cart crew manned by volunteer firefighters will be scurrying from fire hydrant to fire hydrant to spray the young —  and young at heart — that venture onto the street.
“We didn’t think it was right to use the hose cart during the drought when we had the water play feature (at Library Park) turned off and water restrictions in place,” Manteca Fire Chief Kyle Shipherd said.
And for those that still might think it is a waste of water, consider this: The fire department on an annual basis normally checks fire hydrants by flowing water. It hasn’t been done for the past four years.
“We need to test the fire hydrants anyway,” Shipherd said.
Typically the department in a normal year goes through neighborhoods and other areas checking every other hydrant with a fire engine crew. The Fourth of July parade is a bit different. Instead of flowing a relatively small amount of water into the gutter and down the storm drain, the water is sprayed skyward and falls down to give kids and sometimes adults willing to partake a chance to cool down.
If you are interested in entering the parade that is just a week away, you can still do so.
There are no entry fees for the parade sponsored by the Sunrise Kiwanis. It is one of the many community project that the service organization’s annual Pumpkin Fair in downtown Manteca makes possible.
Parade entry information can be obtained by emailing medtrans@comcast.net
The parade check-in and staging area will be at North Main Street and Jason Avenue between Rite Aid and Fagundes Meats.  Staging will begin at 8 a.m. on Tuesday. July 4.  The parade will start promptly at 10 a.m. The route is down Main Street to Center Street where it turns west and ends at Library Park.
Manteca Noon Kiwanis will once again serve their Pancake Breakfast at Angelano’s from 7 to 11 a.m. The restaurant is conveniently located at the parade staging area. 
The City of Manteca will launch aerial fireworks on the Fourth of July on city property just north of the Big League Dreams sports complex starting at 9:45 p.m.
Fireworks can be viewed from inside the BLD complex where gates open at 7 p.m. There is a $2 admission.
Suggested free viewing sites include Bella Vista Park, Dutra Estates Park, Dutra Estates Mini Park, Dutra Southeast Park, Kevin O’Neill Park, and Robert Estates Park.
 
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com