Officials discuss whether to offer it again next year
By Jennifer Eisenbart
Staff Writer
When City of Burlington Alderman Ruth Dawidziak was asked to share a story she’d been told at last week’s City Council meeting, she broke into tears midway through.
Dawidziak had described a young boy coming up to her at the Community Block Party Sept. 15, on his sixth time through the inflatable obstacle course, proud as could be that he could join in with the rest of the children at the event.
“Usually when my mom brings me to this stuff, we can’t afford it,” Dawidziak recalled the boy saying. However, with wristbands for children costing just $2, he was able to play all day. “He was so proud.”
As Mayor Bob Miller said at the meeting, the story made his heart sing. Now, in light of the success of Burlington’s first-ever Community Block Party, there’s definitely a feeling of wanting more.
For someone who thought this would be a one-time event, Miller seemed surprised.
“That was my position from the get-go,” the mayor explained. “This was simply to make up for the July 4th fireworks. We needed to do something to shoot the fireworks off.”
In light of the success of the event, though, Miller’s found his viewpoint changing.
“I have yet to have anyone tell me we should not do it again,” Miller said. “In fact, I’ve had numerous phone calls from people telling me we have to do it again.”
Miller confirmed that it’s already being discussed about how to plan another block party.
“Honestly, at this point in time, I don’t know,” he said about the block party, since the fireworks were, hopefully, a one-time postponement.
“That’s kind of the hang-up right now. How do we do?” he said. “What’s the alternative?”
Miller said the City of Burlington made $1,038 in wristband sales at $2 each, plus $2,500 and change were made in food sales.
But in addition to the money made to help offset costs, what Miller saw was exactly what he had hoped to – thousands of people turning out to have a good time.
“There were a lot of people without children down there, just enjoying the day,” Miller said. “Far beyond my wildest expectations.”
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