The debris from a series of fireworks warehouse explosions in China last year is settling on Hoffman Estates.
The explosions have caused a fireworks shortage, resulting in higher prices for fireworks shows American companies like Melrose Pyrotechnics put on each year. Prices generally have increased by 10 to 15 percent.
The result is Hoffman Estates' July 4 fireworks display will be three minutes shorter compared to 2008. The village board last week approved $15,000 for the 22-minute display, the same price the village paid last year for a 25-minute show. Hoffman Estates stages its annual fireworks display near village hall.
Melrose's price for a 25-minute display has increased by $2,250, a 15 percent hike.
The public won't be able to notice much of a difference, said Bob Kerns, director of operations for Melrose. Kerns was sympathetic to his customers' plight in the struggling economy.
"The customer has many options, they can reduce the time, but the intensity will remain the same," he said.
The warehouse explosions last June were but one factor forcing the price increases that are affecting all fireworks companies, not just Melrose. A rise in transportation costs also played a hand, as did the demand for fireworks caused by the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing.
Overall, including the parade, Hoffman Estates allocated $142,320 in the 2008 budget for the July 4 festival. The village last year cut its spending on fireworks by 40 percent, as the 2007 budget had $23,000 spent on fireworks.
This is a busy time of year for Indiana-based Melrose, with customers submitting their final requests for the summer. Kerns said it's too early to notice trends, to see if customers have opted to reduce the fireworks display like Hoffman Estates, or decided to pay the increase.
Some suburbs, including Des Plaines, have curbed their summer festivals this year, as the slumping economy gave officials less money to spend on the celebrations.
The timing isn't the best for Hoffman Estates. Though several events, including a gala this summer at the Sears Centre, are planned to celebrate the village's 50th anniversary, officials hoped for a grander celebration. McLeod said officials were unable to incorporate some ideas because of budget problems.
"We certainly had hoped for a better economy," he said.
The 2008 budget lists $25,000 in expenditures for the 50th Anniversary Commission.