1999 Bristol 4th of July Celebration Report

1999 Two Hundred Twenty-second Anniversary of American Independence

Committee on Membership.   

At the General Committee meeting of September 23, 1998, Donna St.Angelo reported that the Committee for membership had voted to accept five new members effective for the 1999 celebration year. The new minimum age for membership is 21 and applicants must be Bristol residents.

Further, Kim Campbell reported that thirteen letters were sent to existing Committee members who had not met the membership policy requirements concerning meeting attendance. Three members who did not respond to the letters were removed from the active membership roll. Also, nine letters were sent to members eligible for life membership.

Richard Ruggiero (President of the Bristol Town Council) commented that he had received telephone calls regarding the membership letters, which were sent to a few long time members. He asked that the Policy be reviewed with regard to membership requirements and suggested that the letter sent may be too strong and should be personalized. The Chairman responded by stating that the Membership Subcommittee had followed the Committee Policy and that members who had not fulfilled their membership requirements were sent a letter as per current Policy procedures. The Chairman continued, stating, that the cognizant subcommittee will review the contents of the letters sent, as well as the procedures followed.

The total Committee membership for the 1999 celebration year was set at 103: 80 active members, 10 lifetime members, and 13 new members.

Committee Headquarters.

            At the December 1998 Executive Committee meeting, Chairman Richard Luiz reported that he had received notice from the town council that the Hydraulion Fire Station, on the corner of Franklin and High Streets, would become vacant within the next few years and the building was offered for use by the Fourth of July Committee if no other town department was interested in it.

Fire Chief David Sylvaria mentioned that this station has lots of storage space and a meeting room, but there would have to be some improvements made, including another exit and handicap accessibility.

A motion was made and seconded that the possibility of moving Committee headquarters to the old Hydraulion Fire House be explored.

Television Coverage.

Chairman Luiz reported that Cox Communications had shown an interest in broadcasting the 1999 parade. Luiz said that he, the Vice Chair and Treasurer met with representatives from Cox Communications and Channel 12 to discuss financial packages.

Luiz detailed the meeting and asked the Committee to decide which broadcaster they would prefer to broadcast the parade in 1999. Discussion included the relocation of cameras, quality/times of coverage, viewing for those without cable, celebrities for the parade and the need for a multiple year commitment.

A motion was placed on the floor to accept the Cox Communications offer for three-year package. The motion passed unanimously.

The cost to the cable companies (Cox Communications and Full Channel Cable) for the right to broadcast the celebration was not made public. The bidding process involved WPRI (CBS affiliate channel 12) as well as the other two broadcasters, who outbid WPRI.

WPRI’s Karen Adams, who did the on air parade commentary for about 10-years, said she will miss her birthday greetings from the throngs of spectators and parade-marchers.

Letters of complaint to the Phoenix Editor and Committee members described the shouts of birthday greetings to Adams as disruptive and intrusive to the spirit of the celebration.

Committee Events and Alcohol

March 8, 1999. Frances Bettencourt questioned the Committee’s alcohol policy, stating that there was some confusion on this issue. She suggested adding a position statement to the Committee’s policy. Ed Travers reported that he had a discussion with the town solicitor regarding serving alcohol at the reception for military and town officials. The solicitor stated that the Town, the Committee and the Subcommittee Chairs equally would bear the responsibility of alcohol was distributed at an event. It is strongly suggested by the Town that alcohol not be served at Committee-sponsored events.

Executive Committee Meeting

March 18,1999. The Chairman reported that the town solicitor strongly suggested that the Committee minimize events where alcohol is served and he agreed to check into the Town’s insurance policy regarding liability. It was agreed that Committee policy should be consistent at all Committee events, including the Flag Day reception and the reception for military and town officials. The enlisted persons’ picnic was also discussed.

Assistant Town Solicitor.

April 19, 1999, MEMORANDUM: Concerning limiting Committee liability and preventing claims against alcohol service at Committee functions. One very good way to insulate the Committee from the serving of alcohol is by contracting that duty with someone else, such as a particular facility where the event is being held or some other group or organization. As long as the Committee does not exercise control over who is served and how much, but only sets the basic parameters as to time and cost, then there should be no liability due to alcoholic beverage service on the part of the Committee.

Executive Committee Meeting

May 4, 1999. The Chairman read the letter received from the Town Solicitor. The Town’s insurance coverage, using TIPS Certified servers, amending the Committee’s policy to include a liquor policy statement and obtaining certificates of insurance from businesses that provide food and/or beverages for Committee events were discussed.

Big Ticket Donations

 These donations were announced at the April 21, meeting: Southwest Airlines, $44,000 and two airline tickets; Citizens Bank, $2,500; Bank of Newport, $2,500; HiLo Supermarket, $1,000; Peoples Credit Union, $500; Columbus Credit Union, $500; Coventry Credit Union, $500; Foxwoods Casino, $4500; BJ’s Wholesale Warehouse, $500; Whiteco Advertising two billboard spaces; TACO feeding of US Navy Band; New England Tent Co., donation of tents at Flag Day Reception and Drum Corps Show. The Town Council approved $15,000 in the town budget for the 1999-2000 celebration.

Miss Fourth and the Ball

At the June 9, Committee meeting a question was asked regarding tickets for Miss Fourth of July and her court. It was stated that, in the recent past, the girls were all given a ticket and they purchased one for their escorts. This year, as a drastic departure from previous custom, the girls were told they had to purchase both tickets at $30 each^.[1]

In the early years of the Miss Fourth of July contest, the five finalists were guests of the Committee at the ball; the winner of the title was crowned and escorted by the commanding officer of the visiting ship, and junior officers of the ship escorted the runners up.

At other times, the five winning contestants and their civilian escorts were guest of the Committee at the ball. More recently, Miss Fourth of July and the four runners up were the Committee’s guests at the ball, but they were required to buy their escorts’ tickets^.[2] 

 The Day that we celebrate: Monday, July 5.

At the Patriotic Exercises smiling Chief Marshal Herbie Moitoso and his staff, were all decked out in tan suits; Speaker, the Honorable Frank J. Williams, clad in heavy military fatigues; and self anointed “Town Crier” Gerry MacNeill wearing heavy woolen Colonial-era garb. Also on the piazza of the Colt Memorial Building was Bristol native and Sydney, Australia, resident Jim Linn, who traveled 10, 093 miles to be home for the parade, and Miss Fourth of July Gia-Marie Handley dressed in a glittering gold sequined dress.

The Parade.

If Monday in Bristol was any other day but the day that we celebrate, the town streets would have been deserted. The 1999 parade will be long remembered as one of the hottest in the history of the day. The temperature topped off at nearly 100 degrees and it was even hotter on the parade route, with the blistering sun reflecting its heat off the black asphalt; it was even hot under the many puddles of shade supplied by the town’s forest of trees that line the parade route.

Under the sun’s torturous glare, this year’s parade was the most sparsely attended in recent memory; police estimated the crowd at about 70,000.

Chief Marshal Herbie Maitoso appeared cool in his tan linen suit and light blue cotton shirt as he marched with his wife and waved to the crowd.

The Bristol Fire Department and Rescue Squad responded to 90 calls before, during, and after the parade. The bulk of the calls, according to Fire Chief David Sylvaria, were heat-related; from heat exhaustion, heat stroke calls, and people down. The 90 calls resulted in 160 treatments to cool people down through re-hydration.

As they passed the Café La France, on Hope Street, across from Norris House, a member of the Kingsmen Alumni Drum and Bugle Corps passed out and hit the pavement. Lying flat on his back in front of the coffee shop, he was attended by a member of the Bristol Police Bicycle Patrol.

At the corner of Walley and High Streets, the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps stopped for a much-needed break in the shadow of a cluster of chestnut trees.

“This crowd’s great, and I love this parade, but it’s very wet and hot inside this suit,” said 20-year-old Jonathan Landon of the Cadets of Bergan County Drum & Bugle Corps, as he stopped on High Street for some shade and a quick breather with the rest of his corps.

Frequent stops by over-heated marchers taking breaks to cool down at the few places of deep shade on the south end of High Street caused other marchers who followed to stand perspiring in the unforgiving sun on the hot pavement.

Shortly after the last barrage of fireworks exploded over Bristol Harbor, Paul E. Romano and his men from the Department of public works took to the streets; the armada of trucks and army of men attacked the tons of trash littering the town’s streets using blowers, vacuums, and street sweepers in a precision military-like operation.  By 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, the crews were finishing the cleanup operations, from the entrance to Colt Park to the Town Common. 

 Final sub-Committee reports for 1999

Activity

Income

Expenses

Profit

Ball

7,730.00

6,113.79

1,616.21

Bands & Concerts

30,226.00

20,614.70

9,611.30

BYC Reception

1,747.32

Car Show

434.00

380.00

54.00

Carnival

REPORT

NOT

RECORDED

Concessions

REPORT

NOT

RECORDED

Enlisted Picnic

565.12

Fireworks

25,000.00

Floats

442.00

Lottery

7,560.00

Mail Solicitations

9,255.00

Military Food

646.75

Miss 4^th Pageant

4,704.00

2,153.30

2,550.70

Music & Entertainment

REPORT

NOT

RECORDED

Old Fashioned Days

500.00[3]

408.99

91.01

Orange Crate Derby

600.00[4]

388.13

214.81

Parade

12,243.00

Parade Collection

7,305.00

Souvenir Program

23,644.50

Souvenirs

19,417.16

8,715.14

10,702.02

Tag Day

2,322.15

Vending

26,270.00

[1] As late as 1996, the top five winning contestants received gratis invitations to attend the Bristol Yacht Club reception and tickets to the Fourth of July Ball for herself and her escort.

[2] The 1999 Miss Fourth of July Pageant realized a net profit of $2,550.70; the Fourth of July Ball netted a profit of $1,616.21.

[3] Rhode Island State Employees Credit Union sponsored the event with this donation.

[4] The Bristol Substance Abuse Task Force sponsored the event with this donation.