By NICOLE GERRING
Times Herald
ST. CLAIR - The city will retain its distinction as the only area community that offers fireworks on July 4.
The City Council decided unanimously Monday night not to change the date.
The city's volunteer fire department asked the City Council to consider moving the fireworks display to the Saturday after the holiday because many volunteers had to work the day after July 4. The Fourth of July falls on a Wednesday this year.
Businesses, citizens and community leaders were opposed to the move because they feared it would hurt attendance and detract from the celebration's significance.
The decision to keep the celebration on July 4 means a fundraising committee will have to raise $5,000 to $6,000 in additional money to maintain the same amount of fireworks as years past because the volunteers won't be setting off the fireworks.
To have the show on July 4, the city will have to pay a private company for the work.
Fundraisers for previous shows would typically bring in $7,000 to $8,000 in donations. The city then would contribute another $7,000.
If the committee can't raise additional money, it can coordinate a show with fewer fireworks for about the same $14,000 price tag, said Eric Harrison, a volunteer firefighter.
The fundraising committee was started in 1994 to enhance the city's fireworks display.
Candy Paeth, president of the Riverview Plaza Association, brought the council a petition with 50 signatures in favor of keeping the same celebration date.
David Gillis, president of the St. Clair Chamber of Commerce, pressed the City Council not to change the date.
"A community as patriotic as St. Clair should not give up July 4 as the celebration day," he said. "People recognize the city as the place to be on the Fourth of July."
Donna Cornell of St. Clair applauded the decision.
"Keeping the tradition is very important," she said. "It's the spirit of it - it has meaning on that day."
Volunteer firefighters told the council they would not coordinate the fireworks on July 4 if the council chose to keep the celebration on that day.
Dave Westrick, volunteer fire chief, said crews will continue to provide emergency and medical services north and south of the fireworks site. Crews often worked from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. setting up the show, he said.
"We'll still have to work, but we'll get to go home at the end like everybody else," he said. "The fire department does enjoy doing them, but it's a decision the council made, so we'll do this."
Times Herald
ST. CLAIR - The city will retain its distinction as the only area community that offers fireworks on July 4.
The City Council decided unanimously Monday night not to change the date.
The city's volunteer fire department asked the City Council to consider moving the fireworks display to the Saturday after the holiday because many volunteers had to work the day after July 4. The Fourth of July falls on a Wednesday this year.
Businesses, citizens and community leaders were opposed to the move because they feared it would hurt attendance and detract from the celebration's significance.
The decision to keep the celebration on July 4 means a fundraising committee will have to raise $5,000 to $6,000 in additional money to maintain the same amount of fireworks as years past because the volunteers won't be setting off the fireworks.
To have the show on July 4, the city will have to pay a private company for the work.
Fundraisers for previous shows would typically bring in $7,000 to $8,000 in donations. The city then would contribute another $7,000.
If the committee can't raise additional money, it can coordinate a show with fewer fireworks for about the same $14,000 price tag, said Eric Harrison, a volunteer firefighter.
The fundraising committee was started in 1994 to enhance the city's fireworks display.
Candy Paeth, president of the Riverview Plaza Association, brought the council a petition with 50 signatures in favor of keeping the same celebration date.
David Gillis, president of the St. Clair Chamber of Commerce, pressed the City Council not to change the date.
"A community as patriotic as St. Clair should not give up July 4 as the celebration day," he said. "People recognize the city as the place to be on the Fourth of July."
Donna Cornell of St. Clair applauded the decision.
"Keeping the tradition is very important," she said. "It's the spirit of it - it has meaning on that day."
Volunteer firefighters told the council they would not coordinate the fireworks on July 4 if the council chose to keep the celebration on that day.
Dave Westrick, volunteer fire chief, said crews will continue to provide emergency and medical services north and south of the fireworks site. Crews often worked from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. setting up the show, he said.
"We'll still have to work, but we'll get to go home at the end like everybody else," he said. "The fire department does enjoy doing them, but it's a decision the council made, so we'll do this."