KALAMAZOO (WKZO-AM) — Kalamazoo city commissioners approved a permit for a Fourth of July fireworks show at the Kalamazoo Country Club and fireworks for the opening home game on Western Michigan University’s football schedule in September, but split on whether to approve six nights of fireworks at Kalamazoo Growlers games this summer.
The vote was 3-3 because of Mayor Bobby Hopewell’s absence. That defeated all six of their shows.
Apparently, the Growlers had been working with city staff for months on a new kind of fireworks show that would be launched from the field and would be smaller but closer to the crowd and make less noise.
But by the time in the meeting that was all revealed, commissioners had already rejected the ball club’s request for any fireworks.
Commissioner David Anderson offered a compromise to allow fireworks on June 3, their opening weekend, at Homer Stryker Field and on Independence Day and it passed.
They may revisit the issue at their next meeting, and revisit the whole issue of fireworks in general when they take up discussion of a noise ordinance later this year.
