RUMFORD — Selectmen learned Thursday that the town will host a one-day Fourth of July celebration next year at Hosmer Field.
The town hasn’t had any such celebrations in recent years.
Selectman Greg Buccina, who is on the newly formed River Valley Fourth of July Celebration Committee, said the event would be held on Monday, July 4, at the Rumford athletic complex.
“We’re going to have a parade; we’re going to have fireworks; we’re going to have music; and we’re going to be determining the events to fill the day at our next meeting,” Buccina said.
“We are also going to have a memorial service for our veterans at the complex,” he said. “We intend to incorporate children’s events and Rumford citizens’ events.”
He said they decided to call it the River Valley Fourth of July Celebration because they want to involve all of the towns in the River Valley area.
“There was discussion to have all the towns in the River Valley put together floats for the parade and then assemble them down at the athletic field and just utilize that facility we have,” Buccina said.
“We have bathrooms available there; we have the Snack Shack there as a possibility of raising money; vendors can come in and pay and all that money would go to offset costs and things like that,” he said.
He said the committee would need “a whole lot of volunteers.”
“The word seems to be spreading in a positive way that we are going to do this,” he said. “A lot of people are excited about it and nothing is by any means out of the question.”
The committee’s next meeting is at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 9, in Rumford Falls Auditorium.
“Hopefully, we can finalize a few more things then, and then we’ll be on our way,” Buccina said. “If anybody from the River Valley would like to take part in any way as volunteers, instructors, or just as people to help out that day, it would be appreciated.”
Board Chairman Brad Adley asked why they planned to hold the fireworks at the complex rather than the traditional Reflection Pool on the Androscoggin River below the falls.
“Everything is going to be centrally located down there for safety reasons,” Buccina said. “I think it would be less expensive for the town and less of an impact to our taxpayers to have everything down there.”
He said that was the consensus of the committee and not his decision.
“It’s a facility that the taxpayers put a lot of money into and we have a right to utilize it,” he said. “And I think it would be more beneficial instead of blocking off streets and having people near the water. We thought for this year it would be a better venue and to just give it a shot.”
Buccina said the athletic complex “seemed to be a central location for people coming into town to utilize some of our businesses.”
“We had something special up here (at the pool),” Adley said. “When they blew it off into the falls, it was pretty phenomenal.”
“I don’t disagree, but if somebody comes to the next meeting and persuades the committee, it’s not my decision,” Buccina said. “I don’t have any of the answers. I’m listening to what people are saying.”
In other business, police Chief Stacy Carter told the board that the Maine State Police Tactical Team and Rumford police would conduct a training exercise on Oct. 13 on Waldo Street in the area of Lincoln Avenue (Route 2).
He asked them to help spread the word so residents wouldn’t be alarmed at suddenly seeing multiple police cars in the area.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
