By JUDY RATTNER
As a result, the celebration's hallmark Grucci fireworks display began a half-hour earlier than usual, at 8:45; the South Shore Symphony performed only half of its scheduled program; and dancers from Leggz Ltd. dazzled the audience with only one routine - their "Stars and Stripes" number. After the fireworks ended, many spectators who had camped out on the lawn to enjoy a leisurely picnic in the company of friends and neighbors hurriedly packed up and headed to their cars.
"You can't fight Mother Nature," said former village Trustee Wayne Lipton, president of the South Shore Symphony and the Rockville Centre Guild for the Arts. "I think the village acted in a very responsible manner considering that the most important thing was for people to be safe and secure at home when the rain really started.
"In hindsight, I would have liked them to move it to Sunday night because it was so beautiful," Lipton said, "but it would have taken a heroic effort on everybody's part to make that happen, and then the audience would have been even smaller. I would have liked the concert to continue, but I wasn't looking at the radar screen." Lipton explained that many of the orchestra's wooden instruments could have been damaged in the rain.
The event, which celebrates the village's incorporation in 1893.had been slated for cancellation during the village budget process, was revived through a campaign of private donations. On June 8, the village board passed a resolution to accept citizen donations to pay for the fireworks, the symphony and the overtime necessary to prepare before, patrol during and clean up after the event.
An ad hoc citizens' group that was headed by Planning Board Chairwoman Mary Beth Kearns collected more than $40,000 in donations from individuals, corporations and businesses with the assistance of former Trustee Jeanne Mulry and Meghan Kearns. The village is continuing to accept donations. Among the largest checks came from Molloy College and King Kullen, each donating $5,000; $4,000 from Concierge Choice Physicians; $3,000 each from the Chamber of Commerce, the Guild for the Arts and Ferrara Family Ltd. Partnership; $2,000 from Lexus of Rockville Centre; $1,500 from Sunrise One Operating LLC and $1,000 from Francis X. Murray.
"I would like to thank Mary Beth Kearns for leading the citizens group that included Wayne Lipton, Donna Joyce, Fran Murray, Jeanne Mulry, Alan Stein and Tom Gallucci and the other members who helped raise funds so that the Rockville Centre community could enjoy the South Shore Symphony and the fireworks display on Saturday night," said Mayor Mary Bossart. "And thanks to all those who gave so generously for providing another memorable village anniversary celebration."
Bossart said she does not anticipate that the economy will improve next year, and therefore she is hoping that private donations will cover the cost of 2010's annual celebration. Next year will conclude the five-year contract between the village and Grucci for the fireworks display.
Lipton agreed that private fundraising efforts to offset the tax burden of the celebration - as well as other village events -should be undertaken, but that funding for the events should be included in the village budget. "It's my sincere hope that the village reinstates this as a village-supported activity," Lipton said, "because I believe that people stepped up to save the fireworks this year, and I'm sure there would be some support, but not to the full extent to save this show and activity next year.
"I don't think that it's fair to ask a small number of people to have to support this activity," Lipton continued. "I think the village administration should recognize that the level of support was heroic - it's a lot to ask a small number of people to pay for this -- and that the people of Rockville Centre do want this activity. This is really a small item in the village budget, and I think that it's well worth the expense.
Village Comptroller Michael Schussheim seemed less worried about the fate of the fireworks show next year. "I'm confident this event will continue in perpetuity," Schussheim said. "The only time that it will not take place is if the weather doesn't cooperate. However, in all likelihood funding will have to be provided by non-village-government sources."
Comments about this story? RVCeditor@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000
ext. 208.
