When mayor presents fireworks' cost, Libertyville kindergartners say no

If it were up to the Butterfield School kindergarten students, Libertyville wouldn't have fireworks next year.

Libertyville Mayor Terry Weppler visited the students' classroom Monday to talk about his role in the community and present them with a tough choice: Would the fireworks show go on if they knew what it cost in terms of their weekly allowances?

"This is one of the most fun part of the jobs," Weppler said. "I really have fun doing this, talking to kids and showing them how government works, and answering their questions. It's interesting that when you talk about what is involved in the fireworks, the kids voted not to have fireworks."

Weppler explained his job and then set up a mock board meeting using students as board members and mayor. On the agenda was the matter of whether to have fireworks.

Weppler asked the students what they thought a fireworks show cost. Students guessed $45, $192, $209, and $100 million.

The turning point in the discussion came when Weppler explained that it would take 288 years of one student's $1 allowance to pay for the fireworks. After that, students voted against fireworks by a 5-1 ratio. Cost was the deciding factor.

"I liked sitting on the chairs and pretending to have a meeting. I wanted to get a lot of money and do the fireworks," said kindergartner Julia Weiler.

When asked if she wanted to be the mayor someday, she said not really, because it is a lot of work.