Marion company to fund Labor Day fireworks show

ORIGINALLY WRITTEN JERRY ENGLER
A Marion company, Shawmar Oil & Gas Co., delighted both county commissioners and Marion county firefighters when it became known at the county commission’s Monday meeting that it has offered to fund the Labor Day fireworks display at the Marion County Lake.

The company also plans to provide a fund-raising meal in the county lakehouse prior to the display.

Stacey Collett and Mike Regnier, representing the Marion Firefighters Association, said Shawmar also suggested that all proceeds and contributions from the event be divided among 11 county fire departments for their purchases of equipment and training.

The division would include contributions for the event already made by other businesses, Collett said.

The fireworks display will be conducted by the same provider as last year with performance time extended to 45 minutes, he added.

Initially, he discussed the plan without divulging the name of the business until Commissioner Howard Collett referred to it as a display of “unprecedented generosity” for a county business in recent years, adding that he would like to congratulate the owner.

Commissioner Bob Hein said, “I want to thank you and him. This is really a good thing. I thank you guys. This was good news.”

Howard Collett said, “It’s nice to get some good news once in a while.”

The annual fireworks began with county funding from sales tax, but money for the event was cut during tight county budget restrictions. The fireworks was kept alive last year through the efforts to raise money by another businessman, DuWayne Suffield.

The commissioners approved use of the county lake for the fireworks proposal as well as use of the lake hall for the dinner 2-0. Commissioner Leroy Wetta was absent.

In other fireworks action, the commissioners approved a list 66 applicants who sought county permission to have fireworks displays during the Fourth of July holiday.

Although they denied permission to shoot fireworks to a late applicant because it was past deadline, Collett said he had problems with doing so.

He said, “I guess my problem is that it’s just another unnecessary government intrusion when people are only trying to celebrate a holiday. How many problems have we had in the past? None?

“But the law is on the books. I guess we have to live with it.”

The commissioners approved the hiring of a special prosecutor, Steven Joseph of Sedgwick County, at $125 an hour, for a murder retrial, State of Kansas vs. Oliver Smith, with pre-trial proceedings to start Aug. 16.

County Attorney Susan Robson said the trial is being redone because of new deoxyribonucleic acid-DNA-technology that might offer new genetic proof. She expected state agencies such as the Kansas Bureau of Investigation to contribute heavily to the prosecution costs in an effort to discourage reopening of more trials.

Robson said the county probably will be responsible for also funding a public defender.

On related notes, Robson who was among many department heads bringing in 2005 budget considerations, said that although her total budget was $18,568 last year, $9,600 was actually for state mandated items such as autopsies “that I have no control over.”

Without those costs, she said, she actually came in under her budget of approximately $9,000.

Hein said the budget might need to be changed to $15,000 to reflect what is going on rather than have the difference pulled from the general fund.

County Clerk Carol Maggard said an investigation of receipts over the past two years revealed the county has been reimbursed $23,733.67 from defendants after their attorney fees were paid by the county instead of the $22,430.73 reported by John Johnson, Hillsboro attorney.

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