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Traffic won't doom July 4 fireworks
(by Mike Klimko - July 23, 2008)
Traffic won't doom July 4 fireworks
By MIKE KLIMKO
Fireworks displays on the Fourth of July in Solon will continue to be a holiday tradition for residents, despite heavy traffic, according to Councilman Lon D. Stolarsky.
High levels of traffic and gridlock this year around Solon Community Park caused by residents of other communities were cited by Police Chief Wayne E. Godzich in suggesting that fireworks be eliminated from the holiday. He said the Solon Home Days festival would be a good venue to entertain Solon residents with fireworks.
The festival opens today (July 24) and runs through Sunday at Solon Community Park.
Dropping July 4 as a date for fireworks does not appear to be very likely, said Recreation Director Donald Holub and Mr. Stolarsky, City Council's liaison to the recreation department.
"I think it's a great event for our residents and others who come into town," Mr. Stolarsky said. "I wouldn't favor any changes. I'm a fireworks fanatic."
City officials have weighed the merits of discontinuing holiday fireworks over the years, Mr. Holub said.
Any of those discussions were before he was elected to council, Mr. Stolarsky said.
"I don't see that happening," Mr. Holub said of a change in the fireworks schedule. "People love fireworks on the Fourth. That would be hard to give up," he said.
"We have fireworks at Home Days too. Anytime you don't have fireworks on July 4, you get a better deal. We'll spend $3,500 on the show at Home Days. It's in the budget."
Solon spent $19,000 in 2005, 2007 and this year and $19,500 in 2006 on the July 4 fireworks contract bid by American Fireworks. The city also buys fireworks from American Fireworks for Solon Home Days, Mr. Holub said.
"From our standpoint, I won't say we do a lot of work. We do some work," he said of fireworks displays. "It's really a lot more of a headache for the fire department and police when the show is going on."
Traffic from out of town drawn this year by fireworks in Solon brought traffic to a standstill on SOM Center Road (Route 91) and led to triple parked cars on streets and treelawns, Mr. Godzich said.
The police department paid a total of $806 in overtime for bicycle patrol officers, he said, and $952 in overtime for auxiliary police officers, for a total of $1,758.
The fire department accumulated nearly $1,136 in overtime, Fire Chief William J. Shaw said. State law requires the presence of three inspectors at fireworks shows, he said. The inspectors oversee the setup and shooting of the fireworks and police the area for duds after the show, he said. More personnel are on the scene at Solon Community Park and at two stations, he said.
"With the large number of people, we know we're going to have gridlock in the immediate area of 91," Mr. Shaw said. "That's a main route for us. We do have a work-around plan."
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