Macy's Thanksgiving Parade: Phew! Giant Balloons Fly -- Just Not Very High

NEW YORK — A forecast of gusting winds threatened to ground the big balloons of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade but they flew as planned Thursday morning — in a manner of speaking. Instead of soaring balloons, handlers kept them just feet from the ground, battling with buffeting winds at each intersection. At points, the gusts tipped the balloons toward the packed bleachers on Central Park West, sending up shrieks from the crowd, then cheers as soon as they were upright again. “This is str...