Street dance to split locations to offer more for everyone

By Ginna Young

Time is rapidly slipping away for the annual Cornell July 3 celebration, which entails a parade, street dance and fireworks display. The day draws in hundreds, if not thousands of onlookers, providing a boost to the local economy.

Annually, the July 3 Main Street dance has taken place since 1999, when the softball association started it as a fundraiser, using the proceeds to improve the ballfield at Mill Yard Park.

However, this year, there’s been some miscommunication about what is and isn’t taking place that day, and where the events will happen. That’s why a Halls, Parks and Recreation meeting was held March 30, to bring together any interested parties to discuss the matter.

The last three years, the Cornell Area ATV Riders put together the street dance, but stepped back for this year, after they were told concerns from some businesses of having the event on Main Street. Since the club already has a major event planned for September, at Mill Yard Park, they decided not to host two such events at the community gathering place.

“It wasn’t about making money, it was about doing something for the community,” said club member/business owner Sandy Schecklman, adding that the profits from the dance were given back to the school, police, fire and ambulance services, along with the club giving money from their coffers to the Save the Stacker Fund.

Schecklman said with several new business owners on Main Street, it might be that feelings have changed toward moving the festivities to Mill Yard Park.

“It’s a boon to businesses on the street,” said council member Steve Turany. “It’s a safe place for so many people to watch the fireworks and it’s also the biggest single day event we have in this town.”

Ashley Carothers, chair of halls/council member, mentioned that she talked to two of the businesses she could reach on Main Street, and that they were in favor of having the event there. Those establishments did say that they want more businesses involved with the event, not just those on Main Street.

“No one was stopping any of that,” said Schecklman. Carothers agreed that it is up to the businesses and organizations to decide if they want to be part of that, or not. ATV club president/business owner/council member Bill Kvapil says that is something he’d like to see, more businesses involved, especially with set-up and clean-up responsibilities.

“But, we never were approached with that,” he said. Floyd Hickethier, halls and council member, pointed out that there is, indeed, plenty of room on Main Street for all and sundry.

Business owner Dan Osborn said he didn’t realize until recently, how many people there are at Mill Yard Park, so he is in favor of the change to the event.

“It wasn’t to take away from Main Street, but to expand it to the people sitting in the park,” said Osborn.

When the ATV club stepped back from planning this year’s event, resident Aimee Korger stepped in and already booked a band to play from 7:30-9 p.m., at Mill Yard Park.

“I was under the impression that it was OK to move it down there,” she said.

In the end, the Cornell City Council decides if a street dance can take place, by issuing permits to consume alcohol on the street and blocking off roads, as well as approving using the Mill Yard Park for free.

“The one thing we cannot control, is where the money goes,” said Carothers.

Korger said her thinking was, that having things down at the park meant giving shade for the hundreds who come early to get a good spot to watch the fireworks.

“You have people sitting down there anyway, why not put it down there?” said Korger. “That’s what that building was made for.”

If everyone wasn’t in agreement, Korger says she is willing to take a loss of the deposit for the band she already booked and will step back. Turany said as long as the bands don’t conflict, he doesn’t know why they can’t have the event both places.

“We can get this worked out,” said Kvapil. “Don’t take your loss.”

Resident Chris Wolff says he is trying to learn about the community and that it would make good business sense to keep everything on Main Street, but he is here to help, whatever is needed. Wolff asked if the band could just move to Main Street, but Korger said they need the Mill Yard Pavilion stage to perform on.

“I honestly would like to see it at the pavilion and other things offered up the street,” said Carothers.

If anyone wants to spearhead the events on Main Street, after the fireworks, they will need to contact the council for approval of road closures, apply for a picnic license, and notifiy police, fire and EMS of what is happening.

It was agreed that if the events at each location don’t work, the subject can be revisited next year, but for now, everyone pulling together to make it happen is the best course of action.

“There are possibilities for both of these to work,” said Turany.