When I learned that Stephanie Nagy and Herb Mellman of the Chamber were meeting at the Eagle Firehouse to hold these discussions, I suggested that they offer to meet elsewhere. I even gave $20.00 as a contribution towards beverages. My concern, based on past experience, was that Stephanie and Herb would be overwhelmed at the Firehouse. The end result and subsequent events proved my fears to be correct. The statement of the Chamber leadership after that meeting denouncing Fireworks is the equivalent of the Holy Father denouncing Christianity.

What the Eagle leadership had in store for the Council meeting was even worse!

At the June 13^th Borough Council Meeting there was an impressive demonstration against Fireworks by members of the New Hope Eagle Fire Company. This demonstration was largely in response to my letter to the editor and my ongoing demand for a dialog to discuss how to safely bring back July 4^th Fireworks. People stood in shock and amazement as 5 New Hope Eagle fire engines, 2 command vehicles and at least 1 ambulance along with approximately 40 uniformed Emergency Service Volunteers assembled at the New Hope Solebury High School. Members of the public who witnessed the display expressed shock, that a volunteer organization would waste that much time, money and energy. Amazement, that they would present such a presence to intimidate opposition into silence. Their intent in appearing, as I was to learn later, was to challenge my stand on Fireworks during the Borough Council meeting. I will point out that Council President Hirschfield allowed this presentation even though it was not on the agenda. I trust he will allow counter demonstrations in the future, also not on the agenda, as a courtesy.

At this point let me restate my love, affection, appreciation, admiration and respect for these dedicated people who selflessly volunteer their time to make the New Hope Lambertville Community better for ALL of us. Remember, please, that I too served as an active volunteer for 17 years. I have answered the alarm of fire, like them, thousands of times. The worse the weather, the more likely is an emergency call. The earlier in the morning, the same. The greater the danger, the more needed the response. I am now a past active member of the New Hope Eagle and will always be proud of the service I have rendered to my community.

Our newer residents may be unaware of the fact that these emergency service organizations are volunteer. Our communities donated money to build the firehouses, buy the equipment, and to train the people. The emergency services personnel generously give their time.

There is another side to all of this.

Some of you may not be familiar with the political landscape here. Many of you don’t want to be familiar with it. I don’t blame you. I am one of the few people who have lived here all of my life. I am a devout student of History and the words of Edmund Burke state why I am involved: "All that is necessary for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing." ( I am certain that today Edmund would say, "…good people…" but I choose to quote him exactly.) Over the years there has been a patrician element certain that their view about how to do things is the only one. I have been an opponent of that viewpoint. I believe in an infinite variety of solutions to achieve excellence.

You see, the battle over Fireworks is just the tip of the iceberg. In 1997 I was elected to Borough Council in a landslide victory. I campaigned on reversing the excesses of the Jay Snyder and Fred Williamson Council. I am proud of the work we accomplished in 1998 and 1999. That work necessitated dismantling much of the rat’s nest of intrigue brought about by the failed Williamson-Snyder Council. I am proud of the work we did to bring open dialog and fair play back to the Council Table.

When Mr. Williamson lost his power base on Borough Council he sought the presidency of the New Hope Eagle. Get the picture ? When I see the firehouse now used as the election-polling place, I think politics may be involved. When I see members of the "scream team" joining forces with Fred Williamson it is easy to see why I think this issue is being politicized. When I see the former police chief, who was fired for cause, sitting in the audience at Borough Council dressed in a New Hope Eagle Uniform you may forgive me if I think the issue is being politicized. When Frank Cosner Jr. is astonished to learn that under the Ralph Prosceno Council all personnel issues were given due process, I think that the issue is being politicized. When I see a response of emergency services personnel and equipment usually reserved for a major disaster being arrayed against open dialog, than I think the issue is being politicized. You may forgive me if my thinking concludes that Fred Williamson et al may be leading the Fire Company into politicizing this issue. I caution my friends in emergency services not to be led into the political arena.

The underlying understanding for people in emergency services and law enforcement is that they are to protect and serve. It is incumbent upon our emergency service personnel to provide the kind of emergency services the community desires. Professional paid officers in large departments (both police and fire) usually give up any hope of getting the day off on a major holiday. Working holidays is the norm not the exception.

What I wanted to achieve was an open dialog as how to accomplish a safe and sane July 4^th-with Fireworks. What I was confronted with by the emergency service leadership was the same display of tyrannical, close-minded authoritarian destruction of dialog that I have opposed all of my life. In my case, since they can’t destroy the message, they tried to destroy the messenger. Instead their grand display of "unity" only strengthens my argument. They proved that when words fail them, they will attempt to bully.

The net result of that display by the New Hope Eagle is that I have the easier part of the argument. The Eagle is now entrenched with the position that it is impossible to do Fireworks safely. It is proven that they can be done safely since they were conducted here safely for years. Our new Police Chief says that with proper resources it can be accomplished again. I have the enviable position of stating that our emergency services personnel are eminently qualified, given the proper, leadership, planning, and resources to get the job done. I would rather think of our emergency service people as those who can, rather than those who cannot.

There is one more part to the argument. It is the most important part. Sometimes it is the hidden or forgotten part of an argument that is the thorniest to resolve. Before the last Fireworks display in 1994 one of my friends in emergency services groaned, " another 4^th of July with Fireworks… we never get to take the weekend off." Part of the argument is that our volunteers feel abused by this constant July 4^th demand for diligence to duty. In light of this unstated problem, I would like to suggest a compromise. If this is a real issue, let us alternate years, one on- one off, for the Fireworks. Further, our emergency services should be included in the monetary compensation part of the planning. Fireworks should occur at no net cost to the emergency services or the community. In fact using the various parking areas, it could be a cash cow.

When there is a call for discussion all sides must be heard. I honor and respect the various viewpoints espoused by our emergency service personnel. I know they meant no harm to me. I trust they do not want discussion to end. Even Fred Williamson must now concede that for the good of the community a discussion must ensue. I stated at the June 13^th Borough Council meeting , "As long as I represent a segment of the community I will not be intimidated nor silenced by such demonstrations." I expect my viewpoint to be held equally valid and a suitable compromise reached. Let us prove to the world that we can safely accomplish July 4^th Fireworks.

At the May 23, 2000 meeting of New Hope Borough Council we were treated to a presentation by 4^th of July activities chair Stephanie Nagy. She has worked hard to fill the town with varied and exciting activities for this year’s celebration of our nations birth. She even proposed a Fireworks display and introduced Dr. Douglas Hahn (Dr. Boom) who is the renowned pyrotechnician. He did the last several of our displays as well as the current display for the city of Easton. Dr. Boom explained his safety standards and those of the city of Easton and that he would provide a World Class Fireworks display for New Hope and Lambertville. Stephanie announced that she was able to secure $10,000 in pledges with much more to come. Council president Richard Hirschfield, who was visibly excited about the prospect, directed our new police chief, members of the Chamber and Fire Marshall Fred Williamson and Fire Chief Tom Markey to figure out how to safely conduct the event.

Instead of the hoped for result we witnessed instead an impressive display of negative behind the scenes manipulation of people’s minds, loyalties and emotions as Tom Markey, Fred Williamson et al scurried into action. Their goal was to block the wishes of the people of New Hope and with a thin stream of tepid liquid extinguish July 4^th Fireworks. It is time the good people of New Hope and Lambertville know the truth about why we won’t now have Fireworks.

To sway Chamber leaders Nagy and Mellman into reversing their support of Fireworks, members of the New Hope Eagle Fire Co. Management met with the Chamber leaders. They met not to discuss how to do Fireworks as directed by New Hope Council President Hirschfield, but rather to convince them not even to try. The evidence used to "convince" Nagy and Mellman was videotape of the town taken on the night of the last Fireworks display- July 4^th 1994.

Evidence must be presented and evaluated for its authenticity and objectiveness. No one outside of the Eagle Management has had the opportunity to independently evaluate the events as depicted on that tape. I have several questions. Who shot this videotape? Was it shot for the Eagle Management? Was it to be a learning tool to solve future problems or a slanted documentary to act as evidence to thwart any future attempts? The fact that this videotape surfaced the next day and was immediately heralded by the usual crowd of nay-sayers as proof of the foolhardiness of ever doing Fireworks again makes the motives if not the content suspect.

I could film a scene of 100 people and have it appear to be any number of differing events. Based on camera angle, point of view and context I can make the presentation say anything. Should you add a narrator with a biased dialog you can persuade even a hardened skeptic. Nagy and Mellman where skillfully hoodwinked.

I was an active Eagle Fireman for over 17 years. I am a past active member now. I have first hand knowledge of the sacrifices made by our brave and noble volunteers. My remarks are in no way meant to offend these good people. My remarks are directed at the management of the Eagle who may be committing a disservice to their membership as well as the community. I learned first hand the dangers of fire and how crowds of people react in a dangerous situation. In spite of my questions about the videotape "evidence" I actually agree that the 1994 Fireworks display could have been a disaster waiting to happen.

Who was really at fault for that potential disaster? Who was in charge? Many of our full time police officers were away on vacation. This left inexperienced part time officers and fire police to cope with the crowd. In spite of this mismanagement and the size of the crowd NO DISASTER OCCURRED. Clearly the mayor and the administrator of the police department had dropped the ball and endangered the town. What about the volunteers of the New Hope Eagle? Were they then, and are they now up to full strength on holiday weekends? The truth is that all our volunteer emergency service organizations need more people. During the day we rely on other departments to provide additional firefighters in the event of a major fire.

Why would Tom Markey advocate fireworks at any other time of the year if they are so dangerous? Aren’t Fireworks dangerous all of the time, Tom? Why did the former police administration in 1995 say we could do Fireworks… it would just cost $50,000.00 for additional police? Why in 1997, when it became clear that I would be elected to council on a police reform platform, did the former police administrator proclaim to me that he had now found a way for us to do Fireworks? Is it safe to block the streets for the art festival? How much safer are we on "normal" summer weekends than on a July 4^th with fireworks? Are we safe on Shad Fest Weekend? The question we must ask is, "how do we make this event safe…or as safe as the other events".

Fireworks on July 4th in New Hope appears to be a political issue. One side doesn’t want them under the guise of safety, when in reality having them done successfully without their people in place to take the "bows" for that success is what they dread the most.

The other side would like to have the opportunity to prove that it is now possible to do a safe and sane old fashioned July 4^th complete with fireworks. They want to answer the question of how to do it safely.

No amount of face painting and balloon animals will ever amount to the pride, excitement, patriotism and added business that even a mediocre Fireworks display would bring to the Town. Once again on July 4^th at 5PM without Fireworks New Hope and Lambertville will be a ghost town.

The managers of our fire department are acting more like Ostriches than Eagles. Write or call Fred Williamson and Tom Markey C/O The New Hope Eagle Fire Co. Sugan Road, New Hope, PA 18938 and the Chamber of Commerce, let them know how you feel about Fireworks. Tell them that our new Police Chief, Jerry Speziale, was in charge of Fireworks and crowd control in Times Square on New Years for three years consecutively. He thinks we can do it safely here. So do I.