To the editor:
Looking back on Saturday night, July 3rd, the weather was beautiful, the field was in great condition for spreading out a blanket and the stage was perfectly set for the highly anticipated pyrotechnics display. The show proved to be everything we had hoped it would be.
As I walked out of the Haverhill Stadium that night with my family, the mood of the crowd was overwhelmingly positive.
The major topic of conversation as people shuffled out of the gates? Just how great the fireworks display had been.
I want to take this opportunity to thank our director of Human Services, Vinny Ouellette, and the entire Recreation Department for all the hard work it took to put on this successful event.
I also want to extend my gratitude to the anonymous person(s) or organization who generously donated $20,000 so that the citizens of Haverhill could enjoy, arguably the best fireworks display to date. It is selfless acts of kindness like this donation which helps to re-invigorate our faith in our community and our fellow human beings.
I realize there have been and will be negative comments about how this money could or should have been spent differently but I vigorously disagree with these naysayers. How can you put a price on the boost this celebration gave to our citizens' spirit?
In this terrible economy with so much doom and gloom abounding, an event like this is essential to give us renewed hope and to remind us about how fortunate we are to live in such a great country and city.
Did Haverhill's 4th of July festivities cost the city money? Of course it did. Despite the $20K donation and the $10K raised independently by the Recreation Department's programming income throughout the year there was an obvious cost to the city in the increased police presence for traffic management and public safety.
Our mayor is fond of saying that "not a dime of taxpayer money was used" for this or that event or service. But I say sometimes it's OK for Haverhill to spend taxpayer money. When that expense is reasonable or necessary and it benefits the community either physically or psychologically then it is justified. Isn't that one of the reasons why we pay taxes, so the city can do good things for its citizens?
Thank you all once again to the donors, co-coordinators and volunteers of the festival and to the entire population of Haverhill, especially those who gave their lives so that we who remain can enjoy the freedoms of this great country, happy Independence Day!
Sven Amirian
Haverhill City Councillor
