A short fireworks display was lofted from Marine Park next to the Monmouth Boat Club Thursday night.
Organizers of KaBoom Fireworks, Red Bank’s largest public event, are asking the public to dig deep for contributions this year.
The event has been struggling to drum up support from corporations and other traditional large donors who in the past have jumpstarted fundraising to cover the cost of the July 3 fireworks show, one of the largest in the United States.
“We are not getting the kind of corporate contributions we have gotten in the past,” event chairman Peter Reinhardt told a gathering of event supporters last night at the Monmouth Boat Club. “Without that, the future of the fireworks is in danger.”
Scenes from last night’s fundraiser. (Click to enlarge)
The difficulty raising money was evident at the event, which drew a smaller crowd than in recent years. A fundraising auction generated tepid bidding on items like jewelry and vacations.
The tab for the KaBoom show, which annually draws some 175,000 visitors to Red Bank and its environs, is now about $200,000, officials say. No government money is used to pay for the show, which is staged by Garden State Fireworks of Millington and involves more than 10,000 shells.
Supporters may send in contributions by check or via PayPal. A fundraising dinner is scheduled for May 21 at the Atrium at Navesink Harbor’s ‘Windows on the Navesink’ dining room.
maybe someone can sell his benz to finance these…..
who pays for the overtime by the police department and for the time of the fire, fire police and ems services?
Forget about the 10 hour work week and friday off for the boro workers, cancel the fireworks and save a ton of money. How much does the town have to pay for this every year??
Would be a shame to see them cancelled. But if it's a matter of budgetary priorities, fireworks would have to be at the bottom of the list.
No government money is used to finance the fireworks show. Also, aside from the police, the fire department, emergency medical services, and fire police units are volunteers from Red Bank and the surrounding communities. Its obvious "captain nemo" and "well?" know what they're talking about!
BS, Tax dollars are used for this event!
Get an audit done of the event and post it !
Um, Chris, last time I checked, the overtime for town sanitation workers and police was considerably higher than free. In fact it is all rather expensive. This and many other events like this (jazz fest, sidewalk sales, Santa coming to town, Halloween parade, etc) are nothing more than public commercials for our tiny hamlet, which I am generally in favor of supporting, but to myopically suggest that there are no “costs” associated to the town in hosting these events is foolish.
And it is for that reason that i did not imply the fireworks were free. I simply stated that the government does not directly contribute to the fireworks. Obviously there are overtime expenses associated with the event, just as there are for every other event in town. I would be the last person to say it is completely free. My point was that majority of the resources, aside from the police and sanitation, are volunteer based, such as the fire police, fire department, and EMS. Relatively speaking, the fireworks display adds to the holiday week and inevitably brings people into town. If the display is donated and the town simply needs to have extra police working for the night and sanitation workers, I think it is a great bargain for the residence, borough, and store owners of Red Bank.
yes it is a great deal for the town Chris, but what is the cost of the Police department OT for Red Bank and the surrounding towns. I cannot imagine that the Middletown or Fair Haven council donates its police and Fire vehicle resources for free or any other town for that matter, so the question begets an answer. I am sure that there is a cost from the other towns for the lending of their fire apparatus, EMS vehicles and crews. It would be foolhardy to think that RBFD, its Fire police and EMS as great as they are, are capable of covering such an event as large as this as well as there own 'areas' of town. And was not a dig, it was a question.
Chris dosnt live in Red Bank and his buisiness will do better for a couple days because of the crowds.
That being said,everyone else gets to enjoy what we the idiot taxpayers of Red Bank get to pay for.
Guy accross the street is loosing his house and for the last 2 months has been carting his belongings to different places for storage waiting for the 30 day letter.
They have lived here for 24 years.
Enjoy the fireworks everyone.
Maybe Boro hall can go to a 3 day work week 14 hours a day and save even more money for next years fireworks.
How about a little old fashioned simplistic fireworks display with no food vendors, no radio stations,no politcal bullshit, and just us residents.
Like the old days for those of you who were here to remember.
Maybe that could be the single most statement about fiscal responcability that Red Bank could offer to its TAXPAYERS at times when we are concerned for ourselves and our neighbors.
Just so everyone knows, ALL Fire, EMS, Fire police from Red Bank and surrounding towns is fully volunteer with no charges to the boro. Yes there are other costs associated with the display, but all emergency services aside from Police are rendered for free by volunteers.
We would expect no less because the Fire Dept. does everything for free.
What do you think would happen if the FD would not cover the event unless they where paid ?
TAX DOLLARS ARE USED TO MAKE THE FIREWORKS HAPPEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love the fireworks,but right now residents are loosing jobs,homes,cars ect….
How the hell are you saving us money by reducing our services and throwing a party for the tri-county area.
Not this year Mighty Power Rangers, do the right thing and give us a break for a year or two or until things get better.
Remember there are not many votes on Broad and Monmouth st.
Go! Go! Power Rangers….
Count Basie Park can hold a splended fireworks display for all 17000 residents and then some. Maybe not the bigest, but more fun and memorable.
The Middle School band, cotton candy, pop corn, shuttle for anyone who cant walk there,handy-cap parking,more control,no dangerous lock down on the town,no garbage throwing drunks and visitors trashing the whole downtown.
I bet you could do a great job with half of the taxpayer money you use to impress everyone else with the NJ's largest display.
Less cops needed,less trash to cart off,and the best of all I think, The Westside residents who keep voting you in can actually enjoy the show too.
I think you could even get residents to donate 5 to 10 bucs to make it happen.
I guess we should also cancel the George Sheehan 5K since we have extra policemen working for an additional 3 hours for those events. Give me a break. The fireworks bring in almost 200,000 people to Red Bank in one day! If the boro can't afford to place extra policemen on shift for the night, then the fireworks are the least of our issues. As a volunteer EMS member who assists during the fireworks, I am more than delighted to help others for a night for free and thats how the fireworks are made possible each year. Listen, it is a shame to see people going through economic hardship, but in reality, Red Bank saving the overtime pay for a dozen police officers for a half of a night shift is not going to help Joe who is losing his house across the street (And yes, there are not 100 Red Bank policemen, just a couple police officers from surrounding towns helping the limited Red Bank Policemen). The money isn't going to Joe regardless. The fact of the matter is that almost everything during the display (food, music, EMS, Fire, fireworks, etc.) is either donated or at the expense of the radio stations, private companies, or whatnot that run them. By the way, if people are looking for assistance to help the residence and business owners of Red Bank, then how could you try defending the removal of an entire summer tourist holiday! Thats absurd.
P.S. A fireworks display at Count Basie Field with cotton candy and all would still require the same overtime police.
Chris, you are very misinformed and you have no idea what you are talking about.
You should stop commenting about the Fireworks because you look like an dummy and I am embarrast for you.
The George Sheehan run is the event with the least amount of impact on the town, and the Police Officers are paid for by the organizer.
You do not pay for the Fireworks, I do.
If you think its easy for the Police (about 75 or more of them) to control 200,000 people outside, in a town of 14,000 or so, you are even a bigger dummy.
The cost of Police is not the issue because when you host such a event (you know, 200K visitors),it is very dangerous to the taxpayers, and the police. Im sure if you asked them they would rather be somewere else spending money then here making overtime babysitting at the Fireworks.
So end your dumb comments now because again, you are talking in a informed manner
and you are clearly not informed.
I don't see how the arrival of 200,000 people helps me as a resident of this town. Surely the trickle-down cut in property taxes (through better business downtown maybe leading eventually to infinitessimally higher rents which might eventually lead to a puny increase in the assessment of the properties downtown, which leads to a decrease in taxes for everyone else) is less than the cost of the police overtime, so on net, the night is a tiny net loss tax-wise.
It's kind of fun seeing all the families streaming by, but I myself don't have an interest in dealing with a crowd that large. So I watch the top half of the show over the trees in my backyard.
I live in the Dead Zone, so I have to pass police barricades to get to my house. It hasn't been a problem, but it's hardly a plus.
So where is the upside for me? I'm not opposed to the fireworks, but I do think that KaBoom! should be paying police overtime, just as I would if I wanted to invite 175,000 friends to Marine Park. If the cost is as inconsequential as Chris makes it sound, it should be no problem for KaBoom! to pick up the tab.
P.S. A fireworks display for 17,000 residents would not require the same level of police overtime as 200,000 people coming from all over.
Dear Chris,
They are cutting our services to save $18,000.
What do you think the taxpayer portion of the total fireworks extraviganza is ?
Anybody in the Marine Park playground yesterday? My son walked up to me and handed me something - a shell from the fireworks the night before. There were a bunch of them around the playground and outside the fence. Rather annoying that they didn't clean up after themselves…and by the way, I'm guessing the cleanup after 200,000 people costs as much as the cops…
Why don't they post volunteers with donation buckets at the entries to town, W. Front St & Cooper bridges, etc. and get some of the people who come to enjoy the fireworks to help foot the bill.
They come and leave a horrendous amount of garbage - we took photos last year. I'm sure each car would throw a few bucks in as they arrive, excited for the show. Sea Bright First Aid used to collect at the bridge light and it was very successful.
It takes 80 or so Emrgency service volunteers to provide a level of coverage should there be a fire or EMS incident anywhere in town during the hours that the town is in traffic deadlock with vehicle and pedestrian clogged streets.
The logistics for the event as all the events are very detailed and organized.
As usual, the first line to any emergencies during any event is the cops and fire.
If you like the Fireworks so much, thank them when you see them, because with out thier cooperation there is no fireworks.
Sorta OT but some guy (mentioned above) has lived in his house for 24 years and is now getting foreclosed? There should be six years left on his loan, tops. What happened? Cash-out refi?
You would think in these turbulent times people would like to see an event like this continue. I remember going to the old white apartments where the park is to see my Grandmother (god rest her soul) when I was a boy and watching the fireworks on the lawn.
The state of NJ is in a serious decline, people put a negative spin on EVERYTHING. If you don't like the tradition don't go, or better yet go back across the bridge whence you came and let us have our towns back to what they used to be.
Im not looking to start a war online. The only point I was making was that everything costs money. You can put a negative spin on everything during a financial crisis. I just think that compared to the cost of overtime services for the night, the advantages and what it should cost if you didn't include the donated services and money make it a relatively cheap night. . In terms of money spent compared to the total cost if the town payed for everything, the night is a bargain and offers something to everyone from store owners to kids. I just don't think that the fireworks should be the next thing in line to cut.
McCain Train,
Your Grandmother is up here with me and we have a great view of the Red Bank Fireworks. Just like the fireworks display relies on donations, so do my churches; so please help out and leave as much as possible in the basket tomorrow. If the baskets exceed our weekly goal, we will send some of the money towards the fireworks display to keep the tradition alive during these difficult times. Thank you and God Bless!
God Is Great !!
SMF,
Thank you for the compliment! I will definitely reserve a place up here for you when the time comes.
Just sayin',
I believe the taxes on many West-side properties doubled in the last assessment. Maybe that's what's causing the foreclosure.
Dan, assessment is largely meaningless, when assessments go up the tax rate is adjusted downward. The only issue with assessments is if you are fairly assessed relative to other comparable properties. If you find issues with yours compared to comparable properties you can appeal. Red Bank does not collect additional money on a higher assessment, other than the increased spending.
It has long been a mystery why taxes have increased so spectacularly over the past 10 years while all the new commercial ratables have been added to the tax rolls. Clearly commercial development has done anything but benefit residents.
Why Red Bank did not maintain spending during the good years and save for the inevitable downturns is a mystery, but probably no different than most people. The concept of a sinking fund or rainy day fund seems alien to our culture. In the end we are all responsible, we are the voters.
Obviously the town lived and spent as extravagantly as overleveraged homeowners who hocked their future with excessive spending and borrowing. Now we all pay the price. The great de-leveraging is underway, it’s not going to be pretty or quick.
Chris,
Shut up already! I have lived in Red Bank for 44 years. I recieved a lot of great memories from the Fire Works, and now my kids are doing the same. Thier are some things in life you just can not put a price on. Red Bank and Fire Works are like USA and Baseball. Both should stay around for a long time.
LordJohn, I usually agree with you, but in the case of many of us here on the West Side, assessment is not meaningless. Many of us got a 30% tax hike. These assessmenst were, in a lot of cases way out of line. Now, I understand how assessment works and I have fought my taxes every year since, with some success, but it is not easy to do. The process has become far more complicated and many folks just don't know how to do it. Also, if you're behind in any municipal bill (taxes, water/sewer), your appeal gets denied.
Of course, I do agree that the town has been spending like the money would never run out for far too long. Also, you're right on the ratables - chasing development to try to gain ratables has had the exact opposite effect. As our infrastructure gets more use, our taxes keep rising. Add to that the fact that high end development and commercial development knock us out of the box for certain state funding. For example, Red Bank isn't an Abbott district even though we have higher percentage of children under the poverty line than 2 of the other Abbott districts in the county.
The property tax rate went up last year and appears to be going up this year. Many residents are still adjusting to assessments that caused their taxes to rise as much as 30%. Those of us who commute are dealing with the 40% toll hike. What this means at my house is we are spending less on other things. When are borough hall and the statehouse going to start doing the same? The fireworks are lovely and I'd be happy to contribute but my pockets have been picked clean.
Last years fireworks were great! The neighbors all got together for a BBQ and watched the action from our driveways. It was fun to see the masses streaming by, it made being a RB resident for one night a fine thing. The girls sold lemonaid and made a small fortune, friends dropped by on bikes for cocktails….
LordJohn,
What my post said was that I believe that the *taxes* on West Side properties had doubled, not the assessments. I haven't actually seen anyone's tax bills, but I have heard from some people.
Hi Dan,
I have not checked mine for doubling, but they sure rise a lot more than my pay. Only thing that seems to rise faster is my water bill.
I think it is time to let the fireworks go. It puts the citizens of our town in great danger. In the event of a medical emergency our residents will have a tremendous delay in getting help. Even with the fire and ems stationed throughout the town there is no way help will get there in time. Before someone decides to tell me how the fire department and ems are prepared to handle it I wish to say I am a Red Bank fireman and have been on decades of fireworks duties and I am telling you I have sat in traffic trying to respond to calls and was so glad to see they were false alarms when we got there due to the delayed response. Yes fireman, first aiders, and fire police do work for free and lots of us are sick of it. Maybe we should be paid for this private detail. Our citizens suffer the garbage left by the drunks in their yards and I really think it is time to let it go to save money.
And im proud to have provided EMS care at dozens of July 3rd fireworks displays in Red Bank. I will continue to do it because I know that the fireworks mean more to a lot of people than just a waste of money. I know that to a lot of people they represent something greater, something beyond ourselves and the residence of Red Bank. Whether it be my sons first fireworks from years ago, or a display of my pride for our country today, I will never "get sick of it." I also wouldn't talk on any volunteers behalf, but am confident in saying most agree with me. And by the way RJ, I am not sure what your talking about in terms of response time, at least speaking in terms of EMS. I don't have many cases in which I can't get to a call and a patient to the hospital quicker than the Red Bank First Aid can on a daily basis. If I'm standing near the rig, the probably 10 minute average arrival time on location during the year (not even including when mutual aid is needed) is usually met during the fireworks. I ran 6 EMS calls in 3 or 4 hours last year during and directly following the display. Is picking up a plastic cup on your yard the next day (which probably actually happens to few of Red Banks total residence) the reason why were not continuing this American tradition?
RJ, if you are so tired of volunteering during the display and sick of it, then why do you go? Obviously your not enjoying the night. Your not obligated to help out, your a VOLUNTEER fireman. There are plenty of others that enjoy helping for the night. Just a thought.
"Yes fireman, first aiders, and fire police do work for free and lots of us are sick of it" -RJ
RJ - Thanks to you and all our volunteers for your service. As a volunteer myself, I know that sometimes certain things become a more onerous obligation than you signed on for. I'm sure that for many of our volunteers, the fireworks is no fun and I am grateful that their commitment to helping our community is greater than their frustration.
And Lordjohn - holy smokes - our water is obscene. I keep saying I'm drowning, but now I'm not sure I can even afford to do that.
I mostly agree with RJ. I am with Engine 92 and usually stationed at the Molly Pitcher with out of town units and the response times are really bad on the night of the fireworks. And I can understand how annoying it is to work that detail. I too feel that the public is in danger and I think the EMS person who commented may be looking at pride in front of a fall. I have been on I would guess 17 or 18 4th of July details over the years and I think they have outgrown the town's ability to provide proper protection. I can also identify with the garbage comment. I live on Linden Place and it is trashed after most of the Red Bank events. I take offense to the comment from “citizen” as to a cup in the yard and as for the comments on response time I find that a bit dubious as one year I was stationed at the ER during the event on a special HAZMAT detail and saw how incredibly hard it was to get rigs in first hand. I comment RJ for still going as for the past few years I have given it up. I do know others that feel the same way. I have often heard how everyone there is getting paid but the fire and first aid. When I do go it is because I don't want my brothers to have to be there shorthanded on such a dangerous night for our town.
Thank you Volunteer, Drownding, and Bob for your comments. I go Volunteer because if I don't and something happens I will feel terrible. Bob just let citizen's comments go as it is good to hear at least one night the first aid gets out. I live on the the eastside where they all park and if citizen wants to let me know where he lives I will gladly take the trash to his yard. Oh well enough of this post we ran this one to the ground see you on the 4th
Yes indeed, those fireworks have outgrown the ability of the town to handle it from an emergency response and cost perspective.
The town has been very fortunate in the past regaurding the success of the fireworks.
Although the Police have thier hands full with the usual antics of some imature, and thoughtless visitors until the early morning hours,they do appear to have the control.
What most residents do not know is that the Fire Department prepares a very strategic preplan when organizing our Department as well as the many other Fire Department from surrounding towns, who without their support would be nearly impossible to acomplish a sence of adequate fire protection should there be a fire emergency during the congested evening.
It should also be recognized that most of the voluteers who give up an exciting event to share with their family and friends, do not even get to see the fireworks from where they are stationed through out the town.
Over the years we have also been fortunate to have other mutual aid provided to us by different towns when some Fire Departments had opted to no longer participate.
The apparent debate over the safety of the town should not underscore the many hours of planning each year by the Police, Fire ,and EMS who do make the event as safe as possible for all the residents and visitors who come to enjoy the night.
There is though one problem every year that we can not predict where and when its going to happen ,but it always does, and that is the use of illegal fireworks being used in uncontrolled enviroments by residents and visitors.
When these illegal fireworks are being shot off all over town ( and they are)they have the potential to ignite fires on rooftops,rain gutters, automobiles, brush, landscaping,ect….
We have in the past have had to respond to these fires during the fireworks display, and by luck, and the strategic placment of fire apparatus we have not suffered any major loss of property.
Every year during the July 4th celebration through out the USA, mishaps with the use of illegal fireworks have resulted in total loss of property and lives as well.
If you want to help keep it safe for your family and neighbors, do not use illegal fireworks. Beside it being a crime, it only takes one (1) bottle rocket to land on a house or any other combustible surface to turn a exciting event into a catastrophic nightmare.
Thank all the volunteers and the Police when you see them out the night of the event. Its not a easy task maintaining the success of such a large scale show.
Well put TJW.
I think the size of the event is totally out of control. It has become obnoxious. Why do we need 10,000 shells? It's all symbolic of the excesses of a past era.
Last year I was disgusted that I was forced to listen to a radio broadcast at Marine Park while the fireworks went off. There are few things that can overpower the booming sound of fireworks, but the broadcast did just that, and cheapened the whole experience.
What is all this for, does anyone even remember? It should not be about sponsors and and whoring out our town. It should be about honoring those who risked or gave their lives for our unique nation. That, and BBQ some burgers and hot dogs, eat some watermelon and drink some cold beer and throw some horse shoes.It should be for us, our friends and neighbors and family. Who are the rest of these people who've taken over our town and why do we allow it?
Let's scale it back to a reasonable event and do away with the spectacle.
Here Here !
Easy answer…. Red Bank/Kaboom should just charge a $1-$2 fee for admission. Everyone would pay that for these great fireworks!!! Duh.
I don't want to pay $2 so I will wear a blindfold
mike….and ear muffs?
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