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Manchester Day Changes Not Taken Lightly
I fully recognize the concern of some residents regarding the changes planned for Manchester Day.
The decision to curtail the Manchester Day festivities was not one made lightly. It evolved over a period of the past three years.
In 2006, at our post Manchester Day meeting, our Police Department expressed very serious safety concerns about the size of the crowd attending. We made some logistical changes and agreed to proceed to plan for 2007.
At the post 2007 Manchester Day meeting, the safety concerns of our Police Department were again presented to the administration.
The Police Department's concern was the logistical problem of trying to safely accommodate the well over 15,000 people at a recreational area that was never designed to handle crowds of this size.
We discussed the problems at great length. The consensus of opinion was that, in 2008, we would try to go in a different direction with a view to satisfying the safety concerns of our police Department. Our recreation director was charged with the responsibility of coming up with a broad, all encompassing program of events. I believe she has succeeded. The following is a brief description of the events, all paid for by corporate sponsors.
The evening of July 5 will include fireworks, music by The Infernos, dessert vendors, rafflesand giveaways.
The evening of July 14, The Happenings will entertain and, as above and for each of the subsequent events, there will be dessert vendors and rafflesand giveaways.
August 2 the featured band will be The Duprees.
August 16 the group Larry Chance and the Earls will perform.
August 30 the featured band is Kenny Vance and the Planotones.
Early this year, we started talking about a possible Fall Festival confined,to a great extent, to Manchester residents and their families, to be a Manchester Day on a smaller scale to satisfy the safety concerns of our Police Department.
Please keep in mind and take to heart that our Police Department concerns regarding past Manchester Days was truly for the safety concerns of all in attendance.
Mayor Michael Fressola,
Manchester
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