Sam Cohen was working fast and furious at a market on Munjoy Hill, amazed by the number of people who were on the hill for Monday night’s fireworks, and impressed by how few problems there were.

The only real black mark on the Fourth of July festivities was the road rage incident that sent one man to the hospital in critical condition just as the crowd made its way off the hill.

“The number of people who come in here is really overwhelming. In some ways it’s almost too much, and it’s easy to get out of hand,” said Cohen, who works at Colucci’s Hilltop Market. “But it’s one of the best things that happens on the hill. I’m willing to take that in stride.”

Cohen’s sentiment is shared by many Munjoy Hill residents, who annually host one of Portland’s largest parties.

City officials estimate that Monday night’s crowd on the Eastern Prom was 60,000 people by the time the fireworks ignited in sync with the “1812 Overture,” performed by the Portland Symphony Orchestra.

There are residents on Portland’s East End who bemoan the unruly behavior, confrontations, trash and vandalism that come with the crowds that overrun the hill on the Fourth of July.

There were reports of graffiti on Wilson Street and angry exchanges as people crowded the streets, trying to leave after the fireworks.

“It’s a horrible inconvenience up here for people on the hill, absolutely, but you are celebrating a very special day,” said Dan Haley, a member of Friends of the Eastern Promenade whose home faces the promenade. “One day a year, we can live with it.”

Haley, who grew up on the hill and is now retired from his insurance company, said Monday’s crowd rivaled those of years ago, when the festivities ran all day.

Police reported relatively few incidents: two lost children who were found quickly, one report of a large fight that had died down by the time officers arrived, an adult passed out, and a severely intoxicated juvenile.

The hit-and-run at Congress and Munjoy streets at 10:15 p.m. marred an otherwise trouble-free evening.

Police say a driver backed his Dodge Durango into a Honda Accord, pushing it backward and damaging the license-plate holder. The Accord’s owner, Steven Makris, 39, of Pelham, N.H., came out of a nearby apartment and confronted the driver of the Durango, Jason Beaudoin, 34, of Portland, police said.

Beaudoin drove off, with Makris at first hanging onto the sport utility vehicle, then falling to the road, where he hit his head. He remained in critical condition Wednesday at Maine Medical Center.

“The next morning, people were shocked and surprised that it happened here in our neighborhood,” said Jason White, who works at a coffee shop on Munjoy Hill.

One thing that makes the July 4th celebration special is the lack of traffic. White said one group of neighbors put up a volleyball net across one secondary street, raising it as cars passed.

With a few exceptions for people who are handicapped or work as vendors, only residents were allowed to drive onto the hill after 4:30 p.m.

Nicholas Rausch got hung up in the perimeter. After driving all day from Ithaca, N.Y., he couldn’t produce proof of his address on Munjoy Hill until he realized it was on his car registration. Then he spent an hour looking for a parking spot.

Another step aimed at reducing traffic on the hill was the valet bicycle parking at Fort Allen Park. Volunteers kept tabs on about 70 bicycles for people who rode to the event.

Many residents praised the city’s cleanup efforts, which were under way even during the festivities as 13 volunteers circulated through the crowd, encouraging people to recycle whatever they could to minimize trash.

The cost of city staff for the festivities, including overtime for public works employees, firefighters and police, came to $21,000. It was paid by the July 4th Portland Foundation, formed by a group of businesses. The overall display and entertainment cost $140,000.

To Katie Brown, who lives near Congress and Emerson streets, the crowd behaved well and the neighborhood was remarkably clean by Tuesday morning.

“To me, it looked like the biggest sea of people streaming off the hill I’ve ever seen. Despite the road rage incident, it was the quietest and mildest night I’ve ever spent on the hill” for July 4th, Brown said.

Managing expectations helps.

“I’m sure a lot of people’s lawns got peed on. I expect broken glass year after year,” she said. “I just found the crowd to be really nice and really manageable. Only two firecrackers woke me up during the night, which is exceptional.”

Staff Writer David Hench can be contacted at 791-6327 or at:
dhench@pressherald.com

Correction: This story was corrected at 10:40 a.m., July 7, 2011, to state that the cost of city staff for the July 4 festivities, including overtime for public works employees, firefighters and police, came to $21,000.