On Wednesday morning, windshield wipers were required as a brief, light rain fell from the sky. The much-needed precipitation is a hopeful sign that the news expected from Kewanee Fire Chief Stephen Welgat this week as to whether the Kewanee Fireworks Spectacular can go on as planned will be the good news residents want to hear.
On Tuesday, fire department and county emergency officials surveyed the area from where the fireworks will be launched and should have a better idea later this week if the display would pose a safety hazard, said Mark Mikenas, executive director of the Kewanee Chamber of Commerce, who organizes the Independence Day event.
“Of course, we’re going to take precautions if they give us the go ahead,” said Mikenas.
In a previous year, Mikenas said drought-like conditions had led them to water down the area where the fireworks were detonated, something they would do this time as well. But this year is especially dry. In fact, about a third of Illinois is considered in severe drought, according to government agencies, and Henry County is included in that area. Drought reports are usually issued on Thursdays.
The hope is that the current conditions hold. More rain is expected in the forecast, and the smoke from the Canadian forest fires has caused such a haze that while it’s causing grief for residents with allergies and breathing issues, it is partly blocking out the full sunlight that only exacerbates the drier conditions.
On June 22, Fire Chief Welgat issued a ban on all open burning and fireworks for the City of Kewanee. The ban included backyard fire pits and well as the normal landscape burning normally allowed on Wednesday and Saturdays. The ban included all fireworks, something that’s already not allowed by the City of Kewanee, but extended the ban to smoke bombs and sparklers. Violators, the press release said, will be fined in accordance with the city’s ordinances.
Meanwhile, Mikenas is still raising the $14,000 required for the display and said doing so would be difficult without the presenting sponsor, Petersen Health Care.
Several years ago, the can-crusher, needed to compact the donated aluminum cans used to fund the fireworks, completely gave out. When it became clear that patching up the old crusher or getting a new one was out of the question, the KCOC director reached out to Mark Petersen, owner of Petersen Health Care, to ask if he would be willing to sponsor the event.
Mikenas said the Kewanee native didn’t hesitate to step in and has always been a great partner for the chamber.
“It’s Mark Petersen’s hometown,” he said. “They have been a presence in the community and are a great corporate sponsor. We’re thankful to Petersen Health Care.”
In addition to helping with the fireworks, Petersen Health Care has contributed a dessert to attendees of the annual KCOC “Concert in the Park Series” for many years.
Mark Petersen, who owns multiple long-term care facilities in the Midwest, including Illinois, Iowa, Indiana and Missouri, said that Kewanee has always been important to him.
“We are very excited and proud to yet again be the sponsor of the Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular. We have so many amazing and dedicated team members in Kewanee throughout our five wonderful facilities as well as in our great neighboring communities of Galva, Toulon and Bradford,” said Petersen.
The Petersen family has deep roots in the Kewanee community as well.
“Kewanee is so very important to me and my family. Since my father, Robert L. Petersen, started Petersen Health Care in 1974 with the purchase of Kewanee Care Home, we have always worked very hard to do our part in giving back to the community. Kewanee is home and I will always strive to help in any way possible for this wonderful town,” he said.
Petersen knows that the fireworks display, whenever it goes off, will be incredible. He is honored, he said, to help bring the event to so many people who mean the world to the Petersen Health Care family and hopes that people “enjoy the show.”
Mikenas has said that no matter what the fire chief decides this week, the fireworks display won’t be canceled, merely postponed until a later date.
*More information is expected soon, and The Kewanee Voice will provide updates for this story as soon as they become available.
