JAY — The small town of Jay is known for dedication, hard work and strong civic pride. In true civic spirit the town decided not to be deterred in holding its annual Fourth of July fireworks celebration when the fireworks distributors announced a manpower shortage to produce the show and said they would not be able to perform it.
Jay Operations Manager Eric Seib said instead of canceling the celebration altogether, they simply banned together and moved it back one day.
“Last year, we used the same company and they produced a great show on July 4," Seib said. "This year, the distributor did not have any additional qualified fireworks shooters on their approved list and canceled their contract with the town last week."
Seib said after checking with other fireworks distributors, the town had to select from a list of dates other than July 4. The town plans to return the show to the original date in the future, Seib said, but is aware that next year will give them another challenge to face.
"It will be even more difficult as July 4 falls on a Saturday (next year)," he said.
According to Seib, Jay’s fireworks show is small in comparison to some of the bigger events in the area. He said firework shows are priced on a dollar per minute basis, making the bigger shows more profitable for the distributors and shooters.
Jay will hold their fireworks show at 9 p.m. July 5 at the Bray-Hendricks Park.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Jay moves Fourth of July fireworks show