Budget woes fizzle Fourth: Shawnee, Lenexa cancel park fireworks

Families used to gathering up the kids, packing the car with lawn chairs and snacks, and heading to Shawnee Mission Park for the annual fireworks spectacular will have to find a new spot to celebrate their independence on July Fourth.

Due to budget constraints faced by sponsoring cities Lenexa and Shawnee, one of Johnson County's largest fireworks displays has been canceled.

Combined, the cities spent about $30,000 for the public fireworks display, as well as thousands more for firefighters, police officers, and parks and public works staff.

Mayor Mike Boehm said Lenexa's total cost came to nearly $60,000 to $70,000 each year.

"We have a Fourth of July festival all day long," he said. "Our staff gets started at 4 a.m. preparing for the Freedom Run and the parade, then we keep them all day to help with traffic control and emergency response into 11 p.m. Between the overtime and holiday pay ... it didn't seem to justify a 20-minute fireworks display."

Boehm said the decision to pull funding from the event did not come easy.

"We discussed it in a council meeting," he said. "We looked at other options like having urban fireworks in Old Town. I thought if they can do that downtown with all the buildings and skyscrapers, certainly we can do it here. ... But that's actually more expensive; it wouldn't work. There was no way to drive (the costs) down. Our revenues have been greatly decreased and we needed to cut from the budget. We had to make a decision based on needs."

Boehm said the city will look for title sponsors for 2010.

"For next year, (the display is) not automatically in or out," he said. "If we can find a sponsor probably so, but we have to balance it against the basic needs and service we provide our citizens."

In Shawnee, the City Council supported the decision to cut funding from the fireworks display.

"Our budget is absolutely tight and we're trying to prioritize what is critical and what is not critical," City Manager Carol Gonzales said. "Fireworks seemed like an extra when you're down 20 people and four are police officers. Then, it's hard to justify $25,000 for 20 minutes of fireworks.

"In addition to the $15,000 for the fireworks, we were spending at least $25,000 for traffic control before and after the display and for park maintenance to help with set up and clean up."

Gonzales said having a large Fourth of July event in Shawnee is convenient for residents, but those she has talked to understand the city's decision.

"They've had to cut their budgets, too, and give up extras, like going out to dinner," she said. "We love having a community show because people don't have to go that far, but there are great opportunities for other events. The Shawnee Downtown Partnership is joining Merriam for the Flags For Freedom event at the Merriam Marketplace at 1:30 p.m. on the Fourth of July. That will be a wonderful celebration."

Following are the Fourth of July festivities planned by other communities:

Overland Park

The annual Star Spangled Spectacular is from 4 to 11 p.m. Saturday in Corporate Woods Office Park, College Boulevard and Antioch Road.

Recorded music begins at 4 p.m. and live music begins at 5:30 p.m. Middle Creek Opry Band, a country music group, plays from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.; the 35th Infantry Division Band of the Kansas Army National Guard plays from 6:45 to 7:45 p.m.; and The Atlantic Express show band plays from 8:15 to 9:30 p.m. and 10:30 to 11 p.m.

There also will be inflatable rides. The 20-minute fireworks show is scheduled to begin about 9:30 p.m. The event is sponsored by the Overland Park Rotary Club, the city of Overland Park and Corporate Woods Office Park.

For a complete list of events, visit www.starspangledspectacular.org.

Leawood

A full day of activities is planned for July Fourth in Leawood. The Aquatic Center at Leawood City Park, 10601 Lee Blvd., is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will be children's activities and food vendors from 5 to 9:30 p.m. Stage show events will run from 5:45 to 7 p.m., and musical entertainment will be provided by the Mikey Needleman Band from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. The fireworks show is expected to begin about 9:45 p.m.

Admission is free, except for passes for youth rides and activities. No parking will be available at the park but will be provided along the east side of Tomahawk Creek Parkway. Shuttle buses also will be available.

For more information, call 339-6700, ext. 201.

Lenexa

Old Town Lenexa, 95th Street and Santa Fe Trail Drive, is home to this year's July Fourth festivities. The 31st annual Lenexa Freedom Run, a 5K and 10K run/walk, begins at 7 a.m. The flat course is fully traffic controlled, electronic chip timing will be used and race time receipts are offered at the event.

The first 1,600 participants will receive a Freedom Run T-shirt. Age-group and overall winner awards will be announced at a ceremony following the race. To register, visit www.ci.lenexa.ks.us.

After the race, the Community Days Parade will feature floats, bands, classic cars, decorated bicycles and more. The theme for this year's parade, which starts at 10 a.m., is "America Marching Forward."

For more information, call 541-0209.

Prairie Village

Celebrate the nation's birthday at VillageFest from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. July 4 at the Prairie Village Municipal Campus, 7700 Mission Road.

Free fun for the whole family includes a kiddie ferris wheel, climbing wall for tweens and teens, Chinook helicopter, appearance by KC Wolf, music and more. For a complete schedule, go to www.pvkansas.com.

Olathe

The annual city-sponsored, free fireworks display begins at 9:30 p.m. at the Great Mall of the Great Plains, 20700 W. 151st St., and should last about 20 minutes. Best viewing is from the southwest parking lot of the mall.

Activities before the display include live music, children's games, clowns and balloon artists, and various inflatables and moonwalks.

For information, visit www.olatheks.org.

The public can kick off Independence Day weekend Thursday at Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop and Farm, 1200 Kansas City Road, which opens at 6:30 p.m. The Olathe Civic Band plays from 8 to 9 p.m. and 19th century fireworks begin around 9:15 p.m. Admission is free.

Also, the Kansas City Wizards take on the Houston Dynamos at 8 p.m. Saturday at CommunityAmerica Ballpark, across from the Legends in Kansas City, Kan. In addition to a huge fireworks display following the game, there will be family-friendly activities such as a dunk tank, face painting, apple bobbing and inflatable games. Family 4 Pack tickets are available, which includes admission to the game, food, a blanket and more. For information, call 387-3400 or go to kcwizards.com

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