Fox Lake to take over fireworks

Fox Lake officials looking to put on a fireworks show on July 5 dissolved their fireworks committee during a special Tuesday meeting at the village hall.

Police Chief Mike Behan said the committee was dissolved because the village attorney did not have the time to create a nonprofit corporation needed to raise money for the event.

Instead, the village will assume control of the display, raise money specifically for the fireworks and choose the location of the display, Behan said.

"We checked into how other villages handle this and we will do it the same way they do," he said.

The village will still conduct a test firing of fireworks at 8 tonight, Behan said.

The fireworks will be launched from a 3.5-acre parcel the village owns on Rollins Road, located between the village's wastewater treatment plant and a concrete crushing plant.

He said the test is to determine if people throughout the village can see the fireworks, both on land and on water.

However, boaters who attended the meeting Tuesday fought against holding the event on land, claiming the village is breaking a 25-year tradition by pulling the display off the water.

"This is what makes us special and unique," said resident Victoria Livorsi. "We need to keep it on water."

Over the past 25 years, the fireworks display in Fox Lake was often declared the best in the county if not the state because of its location over water on the Chain O' Lakes.

Pete Jakstas, owner of the Mineola Marina and Lounge, chaired a committee to hold the event on barges floating on Fox Lake. However, Jakstas announced prior to last year's display on July 7 that he would not be hosting the fireworks in 2008.

Behan said the village has approached Jakstas looking for help, but Jakstas declined.

"We didn't ask for (the fireworks), but we got it," Behan said. "So, it's ours now and we are doing it on land. It's that simple."

The village tried to put together the fireworks committee to help raise money and put on the display with the idea the village would donate to the fireworks fund.

However, because the fireworks committee would be a nonprofit corporation created only to raise money for the display, proper paperwork would need to be filed with the state.

Behan said the village has no choice but to host the event over land this year and then potentially try to move the event back over water in the following years.

However, boaters who attend the show annually said they would continue to fight to keep it on the Chain O' Lakes.

"It's a 25-year tradition on the water, and we don't want to walk away from it," said Noreen Michael. "Putting it over land destroys that tradition."