Published: June 24, 2009 10:00 pm         

City preps for Fourth of July celebration

TERRE HAUTE — Parks workers were clearing brush and tree limbs Wednesday in preparation for the city’s Fourth of July celebration.

“Everything’s looking good,” Terre Haute Parks and Recreation Department Superintendent Eddie Bird told his board later in the day.

This year, all surrounding towns also will launch their fireworks shows on July 4, unlike last year when Terre Haute’s performance was on July 3, he said. The result might be slightly lower local attendance.

Aerial Fireworks of Brazil will conduct the Terre Haute show. The city asks spectators not to bring pets or personal fireworks to this year’s festivities in Fairbanks Park.

n In other business, the board agreed to restore the name of the annual Fairbanks Park festival in May to “The Banks of the Wabash Festival.” Changing the name and Web site information will cost no additional money, Bird said, adding that the deadline for registering the name change with the state is July 15.

Recreation director Micah Gallion said attendance at local pools is going “very, very well” in the current heat wave.

Local daycare operations are taking advantage of multiple summer pool pass opportunities, Gallion said, and more summer passes have been sold this year than in the past.

“We’re very pleased with the activities at the pools,” she said.

Brian Boyce can be reached at 812-231-4253 or brian.boyce@tribstar.com.