by Mike Schnitzel
Area families will be able to enjoy the village's annual fireworks show, which was suspended last year.
According to Village Clerk Vincent Ang, last year's cancellation was intended to give residents in the vicinity of Firemen's Field a break. "A lot of residents in the area complained about the crowds," Ang said. "They said they wanted to go away for the weekend, but felt they had to stay home to protect their property during the show."
Boris Klerer, a past president of the Valley Stream Chamber of Commerce, which co-sponsors the event with the village, is among the contingent of village residents who are happy that the show is back. "Fortunately, [the village] got more complaints that they didn't have fireworks last year, so the show is back," said Klerer. "The chamber is very happy it's back."
"It's a celebration in the village," said Mayor Edward Cahill. "We figured that we'd take a year's rest and come back bigger and better than ever."
Cahill said that while he marched in this year's Memorial Day Parade, several spectators thanked him and the village for bringing back the fireworks.
The Herald spoke to residents near Firemen's Field on Tuesday, and a majority of them applauded the return of the fireworks. "It's a tradition," said Emerson Place resident Joe Bua. "We have a barbecue every year and a front-row seat, and [the village] is pretty diligent with the cleanup afterward."
Daisy Flores, who moved into her Emerson Place home last year with her family, said she was disappointed when there were no fireworks. "Last year was my first Fourth of July here, and I'd heard all about the show," Flores said. "Then they didn't have them. It's one day of fun, and you don't have to go anywhere."
Not everyone, however, is enthusiastic about the July Fourth entertainment. One longtime Emerson Place resident who declined to be identified said he could do without the fireworks for another year. "I enjoy them, but it's a pain," he said. "I have to stay on the roof with my hose to put out burning embers. The show they do is too large for being so close to so many homes."
This year's show will be staged by Bay Fireworks of Melville, longtime producers of the village's yearly crowd-pleaser. Klerer said that in addition to the fireworks display, which usually lasts 25 to 30 minutes, a local band will play, and students from the high school will sing the national anthem to kick off the festivities. Concessions with refreshments, run by the Kiwanis Club this year, will be available at the field.
The fireworks usually attract about 25,000 people from the village and surrounding areas, according to Klerer. Since Firemen's Field has a capacity of 4,000, the rest of the gathering spills onto side streets around the park. The not-for-profit fund-raiser usually raises between $5,000 and $6,000, with any remaining money put toward the following year's display, Klerer said. Tickets cost $5, with free admission for children under age 2.
According to Ang, the fireworks display costs about $14,000, and another $18,000 is paid to village employees who have to work on the holiday to make sure the event goes off without a hitch. Ang said that most of those workers are Department of Public Works employees who plan and execute street closures for the display.
The fireworks show returned to Valley Stream in 1991 after a 20-year absence, according to Ang, who has been responsible for overseeing the festivities since then. "I was born and raised in this village," he said. "To me, going down to Firemen's Field to see fireworks was what being in a small town was about. I used to be the little kid with his nose pressed against the fence, watching. Now I'm the big kid who's running it."
Ang recommended that people get tickets early, noting that attendance is usually higher when there's a live band. Tickets are available at Village Hall, Waldinger Library and the administration building at Hendrickson Park, Cahill said.
Comments about this story? MSchnitzel@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 265.
