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Century Chamber Can’t Afford 4th Fireworks, But The Show Will Go On
May 22, 2012
The Century Chamber of Commerce can’t afford their share of a planned Flomaton-Century Fourth of July Fireworks show, but the show will go on. The Town of Century is stepping up and paying the chamber’s portion of the cost.
Back in March, the towns of Century and Flomaton agreed to chip in $1,500 each toward a $5,000 fireworks show to be held at Century’s Showalter Park. The remaining $2,000 cost was to be split between the Flomaton and the Century chambers of commerce.
“The Century Chamber is broke,” Mayor Freddie McCall told the Century Town Council Monday night as he asked the town to cover another $1,000 for the show. McCall said the other option would be to ask for business donations, but he did not like that idea because businesses are “dollared to death” with others asking for money.
The Century council voted 5-0 to pitch in another $1,000 on top of their previously approved $1,500 for the show, bringing the town’s total contribution to $2,500. The additional $1,000 will be re-appropriated from the town’s telephone expense account, which is expected to run over $1,000 less than budgeted this fiscal year.
McCall also announced that the show will be held Tuesday night, July 3, at Century’s Showalter Park because Flomaton was concerned about Wednesday, July 4 being a “church night”.
Pictured: The 2011 Fourth of July Fireworks Show at Hurricane Park in Flomaton. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
11 Responses to “Century Chamber Can’t Afford 4th Fireworks, But The Show Will Go On”
Charge a dollar for parking and or a dollar admission to the park?
There is no need to let pride stand in the way, everybody knows Century is low on funds so let’s be practical and everybody kick in a dollar.
Seeing as how others have made the analogy of website versus fireworks, I will leave that alone. However, I imagine other towns and businesses looking to relocate read this story and then begin to understand why it is so difficult to attract new business. Poor management, and then the responses that indicate that the chamber of commerce is “ghosted” and not really there. It explains a lot.
I agree with Molino-anon. If I remember the stories right, they didn’t even put this $11,000 project out for bids! They did not give anyone local a chance before they hired this one company. I’m sure there’s nothing wrong with Ideaworks, but it’s obvious from the website that they don’t know Century like a local. Century, per their branding, is suppose to be a technology city, but they did not give any local technology people a chance! Instead, they paid their attorney to make sure their NO BID contract was legal. Something’s wrong with paying a lawyer (who is not local) to make sure it’s legal to hire a Pensacola company without giving a local company a chance to bid on a project that is suppose to show Century is a great place for local business? If it stinks…
I agree with one of the other comments, why didn’t Century counsel take some advice and spent less than 10% of what they paid for a website on a local person who knows how to build a website? At least it would have actually helped someone from the area.
I gave figures (that never made it past moderation) that I could have built the site for less than $1,000 and it would have looked just as good, and used actual photos from the local area. Could have used the remaining $10,000 to start a community outreach program to start doing cosmetic work down the main road through town. That would be to much to ask when the website portrays a Mayberry town regardless.
Use that $2,500 on fireworks and blow up some meth-labs and crack houses around town. That would be a good start.
A traditional Chamber of Commerce is not a government entity or agency.
They are a private club of local business owners that network among themselves to benefit their businesses.
One method is to attract people (customers) to the area.
Evidently the Chamber has already spent the dues paid by members on other things.
Well OF COURSE!
Can’t afford to clean that town up for the sake of your children, but there
is ALWAYS THOUSANDS FOR A PARTY. My family will celebrate the
4th with out spending a nickle. Some people have forgotten the reason
for the 4th of july and it doesn’t have anything to do with a $10,000.00 party.
All the stores will stock up on the beer I suppose there is always money
for that too.
It certainly is no wonder why this country is BROKE!
Where does Century get $11,000 for a web sites and $2,500 for a fireworks show? Is my water and gas that overpriced?
I won’t go to fireworks in century on July 3. Get real. it’s called the 4th of July for a reason. And I don’t want to get mugged or see a drug deal.
Instead of spending $11,000 on a website that is full of “half-truths” and pictures of tractors, maybe Century should have invested in their chamber of commerce. If business people in town don’t know what they do, they must be doing anything. When’s the last time they held an outreach? A seminar with a business expert? A lunch n’ learn? An after hours social hour? I could have saved you the $11,000 — you should have hired a local developer that actuall knew something about century to make the websites and spent money on your invisible chamber
I own a small business in Century too, employing five people. I did not know the Chamber of Commerce still existed either. What do they do for the businesses in Century? The Atmore Chamber all the time has classes, guest speakers on business topics, business after hours and all that. The Century Chamber does nothing — so I thought they were dead. No one has asked me to join the chamber either in the three years I’ve been in business. Guess it’s one of those private club for the uppity uppity members of the community.
Imagine that. The Century Chamber broke. I own a business in Century and did not realize they even had a chamber in that building there on 29. No one’s ever asked me to join the chamber. I’ve never seen where they’ve had a meeting, a seminar, a class or anything. What do they do for the businesses in Century like mine?
Perhaps if the chamber did something, they would not be broke.