Bank of Holly Springs

Fielder’s Choice

Fabulous fireworks

The Fourth of July has come and gone, and in some ways I feel like I missed it.

The holiday came on a Tuesday – not a good day for a holiday in the weekly newspaper business.

That’s our typical deadline day, when we get The South Reporter to press. Working on Monday and not working on Tuesday was strange, really strange, for someone who has put out newspapers for more than 30 years.

But it was a good day off, spent with family relaxing. And we fired up the grill later that afternoon.

My Independence Day celebration this year was once again highlighted by some fireworks.

It started a few days early, with the big show on Thursday, June 29, in downtown Holly Springs. This was the fourth consecutive year for the event, and I believe the best yet. I know the crowd was the best yet, estimated at more than 3,000.

People filled the downtown square, the streets around the square, and the lawns of their friends and neighbors living near the square.

The music was great, the food fabulous and the fellowship wonderful.

Tim Liddy, Chris Liddy and I walked down to the big hill adjacent to Spring Hollow Park to watch the fireworks and to assist with any crowd control, if needed, as no one was allowed to go down the hill during the fireworks. No crowd control was needed.

We were surrounded by friendly folks, all there just to have a good time and celebrate living in the United States of America.

I enjoyed striking up conversation with some of the children, anxiously awaiting the fireworks show.

They constantly had me watching the clock on my cell phone.

I was asked “how much longer?” time and time again. And the questions always came with huge smiles.

Then when the fireworks started to light up the sky, the questions turned to oohs and awes.

This fireworks celebration has turned into a tremendous community event. Seeing the unity, of everyone coming together for this huge event, is encouraging,  uplifting and exciting.

Special thanks to the City of Holly Springs and Contract Fabricators for sponsoring the fireworks celebration. It’s appreciated. In the days after this year’s fireworks show, all the people I talked to gave out rave reviews.

The fireworks continued, still a bit early, over in Alabama Saturday night with members of my family. As the tradition, we purchased them in Peppertown (near Fulton) on our drive east. Once again we got good advice from business personnel on what to purchase. The brief fireworks display in rural Marion County, Ala., was one of our best ever.

And with a late lunch and after-the-fireworks dinner, we left for Holly Springs stuffed, as usual.

Next year, the Fourth of July is on a Wednesday. That will throw our newspaper production schedule off a bit, too.

But bottom line, we’ve adapted before, and we will adapt again.

Thanks for reading your community newspaper.

Holly Springs South Reporter

P.O. Box 278
Holly Springs, MS 38635
PH: (662) 252-4261
FAX: (662) 252-3388
www.southreporter.com