Cape Coral's 2010 Red, White and Boom celebration canceled
BY Staff writer Mark Krzos
4:03 P.M. — Cape Coral will be much quieter next Fourth of July.
There will be no loud booms followed by colorful sparks in the sky. And there won’t be thousands of people filling Cape Coral Parkway with synchronized “oohs” and “aahs” of excitement.
The city’s Chamber of Commerce decided Tuesday it won’t be hosting its annual Red, White and Boom Fourth of July celebration in 2010. Chamber President Mike Quaintance cites an uncertain economy, loss of Saturn as its title sponsor, lack of staff, and rising infrastructure and insurance costs as reasoning.
“The bottom line is that we do a number of events and we’ve seen that the businesses are having a harder time supporting the events,” said Mike Quaintance, president of the chamber.
He noted that the chamber will be focusing on the group’s other events such as the farmer’s market, Celebrate Cape Coral and the Holiday Festival of Lights.
About 15,000 people attended this year’s Red, White and Boom, which brought in a profit of about $3,500. The chamber spent $94,000 on the event, and about $57,000 came from local sponsors.
“Our hopes in bringing this out early is that if another organization wants to pick it up, they can do so,” said Mike Quaintance, president of the chamber. “About six months of planning goes into creating the event.”
And there’s already an interest in the community. Taz Evans, owner of Leapin’ Lizards Bar & Grille, which is located off Cape Coral Parkway just east of Del Prado Boulevard, houses a few hundred people during the annual event.
“If they’re not going to do it, we may see if we can pick it up. We’ve got the location to do it,” Evans said.
The city’s Parks and Recreation Department has budgeted $35,000 for police, fire and emergency service employees, barricades and staging equipment for the 2010 event. There’s also an additional $20,000 earmarked in the city’s general fund for fireworks.
“I think the city would like to see it go on but I don’t think we’d be able to fund it,” said city Councilman Pete Brandt.
He said the outcome for the earmarked funds remains to be seen but he’d be willing to work with another group to put the event on in 2010.
A Fourth of July celebration also looks unlikely for residents across the river in Fort Myers.
“At this point, there aren’t any plans for a fireworks show,” said Don Paight, director of the Fort Myers Redevelopment Agency.
Paight said that could change if a sponsor picks up the approximately $35,000 tab for the show. Last year, Sandbill, a Cape Coral-based Realty group, stepped up last minute and donated $30,000 toward the event.
In Bonita Springs, at least one city councilman is urging the city to stop paying for two big events — Holiday In the Park and Celebrate Bonita.
Councilman John Spear said next year’s budget is going to be “ugly” and that the time has come to start cutting expenses. He made no mention of slashing the city’s $28,000 Fourth of July celebration at Riverside Park, however.
The city’s Fourth of July event includes a laser-light show, but no fireworks.
Bonita Springs Fire-Rescue runs the early morning parade on July 4.
http://www.news-press.com/article/20091124/NEWS0101/91124025/1075/Cape-Coral-s-2010-Red--White-and-Boom-celebration-canceled
4:03 P.M. — Cape Coral will be much quieter next Fourth of July.
There will be no loud booms followed by colorful sparks in the sky. And there won’t be thousands of people filling Cape Coral Parkway with synchronized “oohs” and “aahs” of excitement.
The city’s Chamber of Commerce decided Tuesday it won’t be hosting its annual Red, White and Boom Fourth of July celebration in 2010. Chamber President Mike Quaintance cites an uncertain economy, loss of Saturn as its title sponsor, lack of staff, and rising infrastructure and insurance costs as reasoning.
“The bottom line is that we do a number of events and we’ve seen that the businesses are having a harder time supporting the events,” said Mike Quaintance, president of the chamber.
He noted that the chamber will be focusing on the group’s other events such as the farmer’s market, Celebrate Cape Coral and the Holiday Festival of Lights.
About 15,000 people attended this year’s Red, White and Boom, which brought in a profit of about $3,500. The chamber spent $94,000 on the event, and about $57,000 came from local sponsors.
“Our hopes in bringing this out early is that if another organization wants to pick it up, they can do so,” said Mike Quaintance, president of the chamber. “About six months of planning goes into creating the event.”
And there’s already an interest in the community. Taz Evans, owner of Leapin’ Lizards Bar & Grille, which is located off Cape Coral Parkway just east of Del Prado Boulevard, houses a few hundred people during the annual event.
“If they’re not going to do it, we may see if we can pick it up. We’ve got the location to do it,” Evans said.
The city’s Parks and Recreation Department has budgeted $35,000 for police, fire and emergency service employees, barricades and staging equipment for the 2010 event. There’s also an additional $20,000 earmarked in the city’s general fund for fireworks.
“I think the city would like to see it go on but I don’t think we’d be able to fund it,” said city Councilman Pete Brandt.
He said the outcome for the earmarked funds remains to be seen but he’d be willing to work with another group to put the event on in 2010.
A Fourth of July celebration also looks unlikely for residents across the river in Fort Myers.
“At this point, there aren’t any plans for a fireworks show,” said Don Paight, director of the Fort Myers Redevelopment Agency.
Paight said that could change if a sponsor picks up the approximately $35,000 tab for the show. Last year, Sandbill, a Cape Coral-based Realty group, stepped up last minute and donated $30,000 toward the event.
In Bonita Springs, at least one city councilman is urging the city to stop paying for two big events — Holiday In the Park and Celebrate Bonita.
Councilman John Spear said next year’s budget is going to be “ugly” and that the time has come to start cutting expenses. He made no mention of slashing the city’s $28,000 Fourth of July celebration at Riverside Park, however.
The city’s Fourth of July event includes a laser-light show, but no fireworks.
Bonita Springs Fire-Rescue runs the early morning parade on July 4.
http://www.news-press.com/article/20091124/NEWS0101/91124025/1075/Cape-Coral-s-2010-Red--White-and-Boom-celebration-canceled
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