By Morgan Pilz, Staff Writer

Officials discuss possibility of moving activities to date when town can celebrate

(April 30, 2020) As more events are canceled throughout the county as a result of the covid-19 pandemic, Berlin officials are discussing what they might do about the town’s Fourth of July ceremony.

Town Administrator Jeff Fleetwood said during the mayor and Town Council meeting Monday that several other municipalities in the county as well as many others elsewhere have already canceled Fourth of July activities.

Berlin Mayor Gee Williams

The mayor and council, however, want to take a longer look at the situation before making a decision. Among the topics of discussion Monday was what would happen to town’s fireworks deposit or permits, which cost the town around $10,000, if it canceled the event.

“I’ve had Ivy [Wells] check into this, to see if we would lose the deposit and how it would work,” Fleetwood said. “As it stands right now, the contractor will allow us to move the date, we would not incur a [penalty] for that, but if we were to cancel, we would lose our deposit.”

Mayor Gee Williams suggested that no immediate decisions be made, and to wait to see what Gov. Larry Hogan does with his phased reopening plan.

“We’re waiting to hear from the governor’s office as to what orders, guidelines … that would be in effect for the first week of July or anytime in July,” he said. “Canceling the fireworks takes one phone call. It can happen in a matter of minutes. But if it becomes obvious that the guidelines have not been followed so far, I will reconsider postponing to another date.”

Williams also said the town is already planning on holding a reopening ceremony to celebrate the end, or at the very least, reduction of restrictions on social gatherings whenever that time may be.

“We are hoping to have a reopening celebration of some sort this year,” he said. “When that will be … in late July, sometime in August [or] early September, I would suggest as part of it we might want to consider having the fireworks then. All of this is subject to so many factors that are not within our control. We just want to be on the side of caution.

“I think we’ll know well ahead of the Fourth of July what the circumstances are in terms of events, activates and congregation of people in our state,” he continued. “I have great confidence in our governor and our state … it has been very reasonable and very timely.”