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4th of July Celebration deemed a success

Times Observer photo by Brian Ferry Thousands lined Pennsylvania Avenue to see some 70 units march, roll, dance, and ride by despite a high temperature of 90 degrees.

There are different ways to measure success and the City of Warren’s 4th of July celebration is measuring up.

There were thousands of people lining Pennsylvania Avenue to see some 70 units march, roll, dance, and ride by. Most stayed for more than two hours despite a high temperature of 90 degrees.

On Saturday evening, droves of people filled Betts Park for music, food, and fireworks.

Officials from the City of Warren are congratulating people for their behavior at both venues.

No one would know better how much trash is left over than the members of the Department of Public Works crews whose job it is to clean up.

They said it was a good year.

“It went really well,” Public Works Director Mike Holtz said. “From the city’s perspective, we thought this year was very good.”

Crews placed about 60 barrels along the parade route.

“People cleaned up,” he said. “I think putting out the trash cans helps.”

Following the parade, those trash cans are used again. “We cart most of those down to Betts for the fireworks,” Holtz said.

Police were also pleased.

“The parade went very well,” City of Warren Police Community Service Officer Sgt. Jeff Dougherty said. “There were no incidents to report.”

There was one incident at the fireworks. “An arrest was made for an intoxicated person,” Dougherty said.

Other than that, that event went well, too.

“Parking on Route 6 was fine,” he said. “No vehicles were impounded. Nobody restricted the flow of traffic on Route 6.”

Dougherty did ask people who were setting off their own fireworks to know the rules.

“There were a lot of individual aerial fireworks being shot off,” he said. “We would recommend that people understand the new fireworks law and educate themselves on it.”

One of the key rules is that aerial fireworks may not be launched (or land) within 150 feet of an “occupied structure.” That includes any structure that is a business or “adapted for overnight accommodation” whether occupied or not.

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