by KYW’s David Madden and Jim Melwert
There’s a bit of anger in the City of Brotherly Love over Wednesday night’s decision to run a fireworks display after thousands on the Parkway were told to go home.
City officials blame an unspecified communications problem.
For the record, Philadelphia managing director Loree Jones insists the fireworks show was never canceled:
(Jones:) "We were asking people to leave the Parkway because of the weather and for their safety."
(Madden:) "But there was never any announcement from the stage that the fireworks had been canceled?"
(Jones:) "The city did not announce that the fireworks had been canceled. I think there was some confusion as to what was communicated on the air."
Even television station WPVI, which had broadcast the preceding concert, didn’t seem sure until seconds before the fireworks began.
Jones says the decision to proceed with the pyrotechnics show was a joint one, made by the city and show producers after people on the Parkway were asked to go home.
And she says there was no pressure from those television producers put on the city.
Clifton Davis, of the Sunoco Welcome America organzation, which co-sponsors the week's festivities in Philadelphia, says his group had absolutely no sway in the city's decision-making process. Once the city decided to send everyone home, he said, that was it.
"It was a debacle."
That's Dave Strickland from New York City, summing up his Fourth of July on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
After Hall and Oates wrapped up a concert in front of the art museum, he says, an announcement was made that the fireworks were canceled and everyone should go home.
But shortly after that, city managing director Loree Jones told KYW Newsradio that the show would go on -- for the sake of TV viewers:
"We actually are going to make sure that our viewers at home get a spectacular 4th of July and that we'll be running the fireworks momentarily."
To which Strickland responds:
"How many people were here even in the rain? I'd say 80 percent of the crowd just left. It's a great city, no question about it, but tonight was just badly handled."
Nation Celebrates the 4th -- additional stories and pictures
E-Mail Story
Print Story
