WET AND WILD HOLIDAY; FOURTH OF JULY EVOKES MERRIMENT, PATRIOTISM, SENSE OF PRIDE IN COUNTRY.

Byline: Douglas Clark Daily News Staff Writer

Independence Day meant embracing community life for the many residents who closed off streets and gathered for large, daylong celebrations.

Kathy Charron, who organized the Marcella Street block party, said the holiday had a little more meaning when shared with neighbors.

``It brings the whole block together. It brings a closeness. Everybody puts out their flags and we celebrate together.''

Like many of the other half-dozen block parties organized in the east and central parts of Simi Valley, the Marcella Street gathering offered a full menu of food and activities: games for children, a jumping tent, dancing, musical chairs, barbecue, and a watermelon and pie-eating contest.

``It gets bigger and better each year,'' said Charron of the third annual block party.

On Grafton Street, a volleyball net, small swimming pools and a barbecue grill that looked like the hull of a small boat were set up early in the day.

Nearby, the equipment for two local bands - Back Pages and Heartache - were set up in driveways for music later in the day.

Jack Murphy, 12, whose dad, Gary, is a member of Back Pages, said he would spend much of his holiday in the swimming pool and have water fights with his 12-year-old buddies Michael Aldrich and Matt Small.

``It's going to be pretty cool,'' he said, adding that he was well aware of the holiday's significance. ``It's America's birthday. It's the day we won our freedom.''

Across Grafton Street, Julian Biskup played with his children and savored his freedom as he recalled what Poland was like in 1974 when at 24 years old he fled to this country.

``It was scary making a party like this, because the KGB or police would be watching,'' he said. ``I lived under the communist system. I like this country. This is my real home.''

Cindy Anderson, who organized the Grafton Street block party, said neighbors look forward to the 15-year-old annual event.

``The only year we missed was the '94 earthquake. This is the one time we all stop what we're doing and come together,'' she said.

Also, Anderson said one of her neighbors, a war veteran, enjoyed the block party because of the show of flags. ``He said he loved looking at the flags because he knew some of the guys who gave their lives for this freedom.''

At the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum, members of the local and international community gathered for an old-fashioned family Fourth of July celebration.

Greeting visitors to the library courtyard, where music and food were available, was the nation's first president, George Washington.

In truth, it wasn't Washington, but Jim Aquirre of Monrovia, who has portrayed the president for about five years - in full colonial regalia. He said he attended the event because he was ``very patriotic.'' He also enjoyed the children's questions.

``The children ask about the cherry tree and my wooden teeth. I try to give a good answer. I can't tell a lie,'' he said.

Julie Le, a Vietnamese immigrant now living in Chino Hills, was visiting the Reagan Library for the first time with her family. ``I come from a country that wants freedom so much. This day means a lot. Today is about the American spirit,'' she said.

For the second year in a row, Martin Gold traveled from his home in Washington, D.C., to celebrate the holiday in Simi Valley.

Gold, who was counsel for former U.S. Sen. Howard Baker during the Reagan years, said the museum was a great place to celebrate independence.

``It's a day of fun, but at the same time it's a day of remembrance for the tremendous abundance we have in this country. Not just material, but spiritual abundance and abundance of values, too.''

He added, ``This country is still a beacon throughout the world. It remains a beacon for reasons this holiday represents.''

David Galinsky of Simi Valley, his wife, Rita, and their son Robert have been drawn to the presidential library many times. David and Rita, who are big fans of Reagan, were brimming with patriotic pride.

``It's our most important national holiday. We should reflect on how this country was founded on the principles of freedom. It's not the country or the place - it's freedom,'' said David Galinsky.

Catherine Gowdy, who lives nearby in the Wood Ranch area, wore American flag earrings and a brooch. She was also dressed in red, white and blue.

``We have our complaints,'' she said. ``But this is still the greatest country in the world.''

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2 Photos

Photo: (1--color in SIMI edition only) At a Grafton Street block party in Simi Valley on Independence Day, a boy with a hose shows he's no wet blanket in the face of superior force.

(2--color in SIMI only) Water fight combatants skirmish Friday on Grafton Street with mid-summer doldrums and dry attire the only casualty.

Bob Halvorsen/Daily News