(STORY ORIGINALLY POSTED JUNE 10, 2011)
The fourth of July may be weeks away, but county commissioners will decide on Monday whether or not to allow fireworks displays like the one held every year at Mackenzie Park.
“The fire potential is just so great that this is not the year to take a chance,” Mayor Tom Martin said.
Mayor Martin spoke out days before the county commission decides on a county-wide fireworks ban.
“But even if they choose not to issue that county-wide ban, my estimation is that we will not have fireworks displays inside the city,” the Mayor said.
But because of the lack of rain, Mayor Martin wouldn’t be surprised if the commissioners voted to ban all firework displays too.
“Well inside the city we’ve had ordinances for years that prohibit all fireworks, period. Paragraph. The only thing that has been allowed has been officially sanctioned displays and my guess is they will not happen this year,” said Mayor Martin.
While the mayor says the official decision won’t be made until Monday, the odds are we will not have fireworks displays at the 4th on Broadway or the Lubbock Country Club. This would be the second year in a row the city was unable to display fireworks for the 4th of July.
“Last year it didn’t take place because we had seven and a half inches of rain on the 4th of July and the fireworks were canceled,” the Mayor said.
The fireworks held at Buffalo Springs Lake have never been canceled before. But this year could change all of that. Jennifer Moritz, the events director for the lakes says they will see what the county does and follow suit. “It’s a major concern we don’t want any more homes burning down in west Texas,” Moritz said.
Even if it started raining before the 4th of July, the mayor says odds are the rain wouldn’t be enough to change just how dry things have been.
“If it starts raining today, now through the 4th of July, I’d be glad to reconsider all of that, odds of that are virtually nil,” the Mayor said.
Buffalo Springs Lake added that if this year’s display is canceled, they hope to have a fireworks show for another holiday, sometime before this year is over.
