Celebrate the fourth on July 4

To the editor:

The invitation last week in the local newspapers (June 30 and July 1) said, "Make this Independence Day Weekend a truly memorable occasion by joining us in Historic Wellington," but to our dismay it also said "Thursday, July 3 fireworks at fairgrounds." Thursday is not the weekend, and having fireworks the day before (or after) the fourth is just not right. At first we hoped it was a misprint, but then we saw the event listed again elsewhere as happening on July 3. You can't properly have July 4 celebrations without fireworks, can you? They go together like bread and butter. What kind of celebration has a main event before the day the celebration even begins?

Last year July 4 was in the middle of the week and Wellington had their fireworks the night before (which messed everything up even more), but we let it slide and were so looking forward to this year, as we knew it would be on a different day. As you know, July 4 fell on a Friday, and what better day, the beginning of the weekend, to celebrate our independence and to conclude that day with the proper ending -- fireworks. What a disappointment it was when we learned otherwise.

Tell us, how can family and friends from out of town enjoy the celebration when fireworks are happening before they even get here? How do those who are still working at their jobs on odd shifts get to enjoy fireworks if they are before they even have the day off to enjoy them? We are really wondering what the thinking was behind the scheduling of this day.

We do appreciate the time and energy that it takes for all involved to plan Wellington's July 4 festivities -- thank you -- but we hope next year (and years following) the order of events will be the way it is supposed to be (the way it used to be) with the day's celebration of our independence and freedom concluding with the grand finale of fireworks. With that change made, we will truly have a memorable occasion in historic Wellington.

John and Louise Joppeck

Eric and Keven Moon

Nathan Joppeck

Melanie, Heather and Reuben Moon

Chad Joppeck

Don and Glenda Hilliker

Jessica Hilliker

Dwayne and Kim Joppeck

Ken and Janell McKinley

Michelle Joppeck

Martha Chisnell

Sarah Joppeck

Doug and Laura Allen

Charles and Beverly Lee

Chris and Robin Braun