Does it cost a lot to be simple and small town?

The 4th of July Committee met yesterday afternoon at the Chamber's office. It was a full house.

People there represented the City, the County, the NET office, the Chamber, the BID and the merchants. There are lots of people involved in this.

The gist of the meeting was the budget. The city is donating a lot, Commissioner Sarnoff's office is giving $5,000, the BID is giving in excess of $7500 and County Commissioner Carlos Giminez's office is giving about $1500, but that is not definite.

Homer Whittaker, from Commissioner Giminez's office, brought up the fact that we seem to be going overboard on the celebration in a poor economy, and that we should have less of a 4th of July. Commissioner Giminez has a fund that he would prefer to spend by helping people who are losing their homes in the real estate mess. I have to commend him on that, it does sort of make the 4th of July celebration seem frivolous when compared.

But there will be sponsors also covering costs and small fireworks display is necessary and most of the games and things involved are low cost like a sack race and egg throwing contest and even a hot dog eating contest.

I brought up Mayberry and the fact that we want to keep it simple and small town and that image put a smile on everybody's face, including Homer's.

It's the 4th of July. Let's celebrate and not count pennies. Besides, the whole purpose of the celebration is to bring people and money into the Grove. So you have to spend money to make money. The merchants are all for it.