Committee reviews July 4 parade, fireworks and safety, cites communication gaps and crowd-management fixes

The Events and Commemoration Committee reviewed its July 4 parade and evening fireworks at its July 15 meeting, citing recurring problems with participant drop‑off, gaps in the parade line, and mixed public reaction after the evening event was moved off the square.

Committee members said the parade began on schedule at 10:00 a.m.; the lead portion reached Cherry Street at about 10:12 a.m., and the very last float cleared Cherry Street at about 10:50 a.m. Streets were closed at 9:55 a.m. and, because the parade route extended beyond Cherry Street, several streets did not reopen until about 11:15 a.m. Organizers noted that a shorter route limited to Cherry Street would have shortened the closure by roughly 25 minutes.

The committee discussed persistent confusion about where participants should be dropped off and lined up at the middle school. Many parade entries tried to access the school from the Columbus Street entrance and were redirected to a back entrance; volunteers and civic representatives said clearer pre‑event instructions are needed.…