Enjoy the Fourth of July but please be safe with fireworks

Wow! It is already the end of June and the year is half over! The year is going so fast that Christmas will be here before you know it. Guess I’d better get shopping now.

 Last week, I attended sessions of the Association of Idaho Cities annual conference in Boise. It was great to meet with other mayors, city council members, and city staff from all over the state. The conference was informative on a number of issues and opportunities that affect us all. Over the next year, I will be working to apply what was learned.

 However, one piece of information that reminded me to be thankful came from visiting with other “part-time” mayors. I am thankful for Weiser’s city workers and staff. Visiting with other mayors, I found that they often try to duck into the office for just a few minutes and don’t leave until hours later due to the need to solve problems that have come up. Due to Weiser’s dedicated staff, conscientious department heads, and the hard-working city crews, as your mayor, there are very few times that your concerns reach my desk before they have already been addressed and remedied. For that I am thankful, because it allows me to focus on other matters. 

 However, that being said, if for some reason, you do not believe your concerns are being met, please do not hesitate to contact either myself or your City Council members.

 Getting back to the time of year, next Monday is the 4th of July, which will make a nice 3-day weekend for many of us. I hope you have a great day celebrating! 

 John Adams, the second U.S. President made the statement at the time the Declaration of Independence was signed that the 4th of July would become an annual holiday with parades, fireworks, family picnics and gatherings. How right he was.

 At 11 a.m. the Veterans will have a march from Weiser’s Historic Train Depot to Veteran’s Park on State Street. In the evening at about 10:30, Bill Taylor and Pete Nye, with the help of Weiser Rural Fire Department, will be setting off the fireworks display from the bare ground at the upper end of State Street by the cemetery.

 I would like to give a big THANK YOU! to all of the individuals and organizations (ad hoc and otherwise) who helped raise funds for this year’s fireworks! Your community is grateful!

 Speaking of fireworks, I would like to remind those who have set off aerial or exploding fireworks in the past that under City Code, these are illegal. Last year, due to fireworks, there were shrubs set on fire, a fire on the east side of the cemetery (not caused be the City’s display), and then another huge fire on Chicken Hill which involved the loss of a residence. 

 Please be responsible with your celebration this year. If you would like to know more about which fireworks do not comply with City Code, the list can be found on the City’s website under documents, city code, section 5-4-2. Have fun celebrating!

 The Fiddle Festival appeared to go well last week. Thank you to the Fiddle Festival Committee for another year of hard work organizing this event. 

 Memorial Park has been mowed and watered and is in the process of recovering from the vender’s booths and the entertainment in the park. 

 One item that needs mentioning however, is the vandalism of the women’s restroom on the east side of Memorial Park. Full water bottles were shoved into the toilets. Then all of the available paper towels and toilet paper were packed in around the bottles. Fortunately, there was no permanent damage to the fixtures, but it did deprive others that needed to use the facilities from doing so. These restrooms are provided for everyone’s use and are especially needed during such times as the Fiddle Festival and sporting events. For whoever was responsible for this reprehensible behavior, please think of others before you act in the future. For those who may have information on this incident, if you would please contact the Weiser City Police it would be greatly appreciated.

 Well, that’s it for this week! Hope you have a good one and enjoy the Fourth!