4th of July
Jul 4, 2014 at 4:21am Edited
jeffl said:
No softball today.
Oh Great and Powerful Softball Commissioner, you might want to ask the Committee to update the status on their Facebook page.
I was annoyed last year when the people next to me "oohed and "aahed" at every firework. I think for $15, you get a half dozen "oohs" and "aahs." Clearly these people were taking advantage.
Let me see if I can recap some of the important themes for today:
1) There is a discussion of cheating
2) Bella posted a picture of a Yankee player (even if it was Lou Gehrig)
3) We have references to baseball commissioners.
Bonus fact: George Steinbrenner was born on July 4th.
Hmmm. I wonder what it all means.
Soul29, do you have any jpegs you might want to post?
1) There is a discussion of cheating
2) Bella posted a picture of a Yankee player (even if it was Lou Gehrig)
3) We have references to baseball commissioners.
Bonus fact: George Steinbrenner was born on July 4th.
Hmmm. I wonder what it all means.
Soul29, do you have any jpegs you might want to post?
In the risk of being called a troll, can we get real about this? It always made me feel uneasy at the fireworks to feel like a privileged resident, opposite the non-paying section, a glaring vision of the racial/economic divide of our town. Surely we could do better than that, specially on the fourth of July? What about the town subsidizing some of the cost for the festivities, so the fireworks could be free? What about scaling rates for children, or free for children? Just saying.
francklazare said:
It always made me feel uneasy at the fireworks to feel like a privileged resident, opposite the non-paying section, a glaring vision of the racial/economic divide of our town.
I think that's a valid point.
Jul 4, 2014 at 6:20am Edited
I think the whole point is that once fireworks get entirely or partly subsidized by local governments, they tend to be cut back or eliminated. This seems to work for most people.
Also seems that people go to these things, they talk among their own little group and maybe the few people surrounding them. They eat, they keep track of their kids. They post pics on Facebook. The idea that people are sitting in the "paid" area and looking forlornly or wistfully at the "non-paying" people, and think about a racial/economic divide, it's kind of a nice image, but probably not very common.
Also seems that people go to these things, they talk among their own little group and maybe the few people surrounding them. They eat, they keep track of their kids. They post pics on Facebook. The idea that people are sitting in the "paid" area and looking forlornly or wistfully at the "non-paying" people, and think about a racial/economic divide, it's kind of a nice image, but probably not very common.
Any further update on plans with respect to the weather? The forecast is now not looking so good for this evening.
Even my 7 year old kid noted that the light skinned people sat in the fences and the brown people sit outside the fence. I explained that the people in the fence paid to get a better view and the people outside the fence didn't, but his observation was uncomfortably very accurate.
It would be great to have a fireworks only badge from 9:00 pm on. People who pay for the all day badge could get in a bit earlier and get a better seat....or have a special family rate. We only go to see the fireworks and $60.00 is just too much for us to pay for the experience. Sorry.
Don't get me started on my dislike of an animal circus! Poor critters are usually in a super hot tent for most of the day and then are posted right near where the fireworks go off - horrible and terrible.
It would be great to have a fireworks only badge from 9:00 pm on. People who pay for the all day badge could get in a bit earlier and get a better seat....or have a special family rate. We only go to see the fireworks and $60.00 is just too much for us to pay for the experience. Sorry.
Don't get me started on my dislike of an animal circus! Poor critters are usually in a super hot tent for most of the day and then are posted right near where the fireworks go off - horrible and terrible.
Well...we were pale-skinned people in the outside-the-fence section last year...my kids didn't care, but just made new friends with those around us.
Our family fourth of July tradition does not include the Maplewood town festivities, but is more home-based. And I'm not going to feel like I'm "cheating" my kids out of anything because of that.
Honestly, we'd probably pay $20 or so to sit in the good seats and help subsidize the fireworks, but aren't going to pay $50 to subsidize the full day of activities after not being there for them.
The days when the fireworks were a Maplewood-only event seem to be over, as fewer towns do public displays. If my South Orange still had our free public display, I'd be there eagerly, but that battle has been lost.
Now Maplewood needs to figure out how to deal with all of the neighbors who see them as the most convenient place to take the kids for an hour or two. Maybe even ways to shake us down for an appropriate donation...but remember that you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.
Our family fourth of July tradition does not include the Maplewood town festivities, but is more home-based. And I'm not going to feel like I'm "cheating" my kids out of anything because of that.
Honestly, we'd probably pay $20 or so to sit in the good seats and help subsidize the fireworks, but aren't going to pay $50 to subsidize the full day of activities after not being there for them.
The days when the fireworks were a Maplewood-only event seem to be over, as fewer towns do public displays. If my South Orange still had our free public display, I'd be there eagerly, but that battle has been lost.
Now Maplewood needs to figure out how to deal with all of the neighbors who see them as the most convenient place to take the kids for an hour or two. Maybe even ways to shake us down for an appropriate donation...but remember that you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.
carrielogo said:
Don't get me started on my dislike of an animal circus! Poor critters are usually in a super hot tent for most of the day and then are posted right near where the fireworks go off - horrible and terrible.
I'm just wondering how the camels, horses and ponies that were staked out in Memorial Park yesterday fared during last night's thunderstorm.
I have lived here for 38 years, the circus has always been a part of the 4 th of July celebration, but I have always worried about the animals, well at least it isn't hot today.
Does anyone know if the fireworks can be seen from the Reservation? Any discussion of stealing aside, my husband and I are new to town and were looking forward to tonight's event. But he has an injury which precludes us from walking or biking to town. And I already know that I won't be able to find a place to park that's even remotely close. So I was thinking maybe I could drive up to the Reservation to watch. Any thoughts?
I would venture to guess that most Maplewood families pay at least 10% of their gross income in property taxes and for that we do not even get sidewalk repair or access to a public pool. Soooo, yeah. Stop charging for fireworks. Enough is enough, Vic.
Jul 4, 2014 at 8:29am Edited
And when budget time comes around and the budget-makers are trying to keep our tax increases as low as possible, guess what would be on the cut list?pifk said:
I would venture to guess that most Maplewood families pay at least 10% of their gross income in property taxes and for that we do not even get sidewalk repair or access to a public pool. Soooo, yeah. Stop charging for fireworks. Enough is enough, Vic.
There are PLENTY of places where you can see all or most of the Maplewood fireworks without paying if that is what you want to do.
Jul 4, 2014 at 8:38am Edited
pifk said:
I would venture to guess that most Maplewood families pay at least 10% of their gross income in property taxes and for that we do not even get sidewalk repair or access to a public pool. Soooo, yeah. Stop charging for fireworks. Enough is enough, Vic.
Did you somehow miss that the fireworks are not put on by the township? Jimminy crickets, there is a serious lack of reading comprehension on this thread.
Thanks, I have no issues with reading comprehension, and unfortunately the same cannot be said of you and etiquette.
There are tags being sold to enter the best fireworks viewing area. I disagree with that practice. I think the town looks for ways to nickel and dime us enough all year long. In the spirit of the holiday, I say let's take down the gates and make park entry free for all.
Did you comprehend that?
There are tags being sold to enter the best fireworks viewing area. I disagree with that practice. I think the town looks for ways to nickel and dime us enough all year long. In the spirit of the holiday, I say let's take down the gates and make park entry free for all.
Did you comprehend that?
pifk: The ... town ... does ... not ... PAY ... for the fireworks ... If ... the ... gates ... came ... down ... (comma) ... the ... people ... who ... do ... PAY ... for the fireworks ... would ... not ... be ... able ... to ... present ... them ...
How's about we make the fireworks and the circus and the ice cream totally free for everyone? And the fairy princess godmother can make an appearance from Pluto riding her purple magic unicorn. And everyone would stand in line and hold hands and sing together.
Wouldn't that be better?
Wouldn't that be better?
The fireworks are for people who bought a tag. If you didn't buy a tag, please don't look up tonight.
pifk said:
Thanks, I have no issues with reading comprehension, and unfortunately the same cannot be said of you and etiquette.
There are tags being sold to enter the best fireworks viewing area. I disagree with that practice. I think the town looks for ways to nickel and dime us enough all year long. In the spirit of the holiday, I say let's take down the gates and make park entry free for all.
Did you comprehend that?
THE MONEY DOES NOT GO TO THE TOWN. CAN YOU COMPREHEND THAT?!??!
Seems to me the event is always packed with people. Wouldn't lowering the costs just increase the number of people, make it more competitive to get a space and decrease revenues that support the event?
Sorry for the all caps, just frustrated by what is either deliberate obtuseness or just plain lack of ability to to synthesize information.
You can think me rude, but I think that you suffer from one of the two aforementioned problems. I'll pick being thought rude by someone who can't/won't comprehend over suffering from the same affliction.
You can think me rude, but I think that you suffer from one of the two aforementioned problems. I'll pick being thought rude by someone who can't/won't comprehend over suffering from the same affliction.
Go or don't go the fireworks. Pay or don't pay. Just don't complain when they can't be funded any longer. 
scott_clark said:
How's about we make the fireworks and the circus and the ice cream totally free for everyone? And the fairy princess godmother can make an appearance from Pluto riding her purple magic unicorn. And everyone would stand in line and hold hands and sing together.
Wouldn't that be better?
Kumbaya! ;-)
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Duh. I've been The Commissioner of Maplewood Fourth of July Softball since its inception. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.