N. Ill. Naval Station cancels July 4th festivities

NORTH CHICAGO, Ill. (AP) — The annual Fourth of July celebration at the Naval Station Great Lakes in northern Illinois is being canceled because of mandatory federal budget cuts.

Commanding Officer Capt. Randy Lynch says budget cuts have made it impossible to continue with this year's festivities, even though they're mostly self-supporting.

That's because the Naval Station can't afford to provide security for the event.

The July Fourth activities started with just base families after the station opened on July 1, 1911. The event was opened to the public in 1993, and drew tens of thousands of people to its concerts and fireworks.

The public celebration was cancelled for six years after the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks, but restarted in 2008.

Lynch says it's been "a fantastic opportunity" to give back to the community.