Fireworks still dazzle despite 1-day rain delay

In spite of a quick rescheduling due to a rain-filled forecast last Saturday night, Rockville Centre's annual fireworks show — held instead on Sunday — drew a large crowd of people to Centennial Park on a warm, precipitation-free evening.

Residents were alerted to the switch on Friday via the village's reverse 911 notification system. A mass e-mail alert was also sent out by liherald.com to subscribers, and there were updated postings on the Facebook pages of the Rockville Centre Conservancy, the 2010 Fireworks Celebration and the Herald. Despite those efforts, many visitors showed up on Saturday, only to find notices of the postponement.

Mayor Mary Bossart praised all those involved in planning and executing the event. "The fireworks display postponed to Sunday was well worth waiting for," she said. "I thank the RVC Conservancy and all those who contributed for sponsoring the event. We're very happy to have the RVC Conservancy on board with us. I would like to thank Mike Shenker, conservancy president, Fran Murray, vice president, Marybeth Kearns, director of tonight's event, and Bob Schenone."

Bossart added, "I want especially to thank the officers of the Rockville Centre Police Department, who graciously gave up their opportunity to work a Saturday overtime assignment to which they were contractually entitled ... Instead they decided to work only on Sunday, and thereby saved us from having to pay double for police protection at the fireworks. We commend their responsible and community-spirited decision."

Police estimated the crowd at between 4,000 and 6,000, reporting a slightly lower-than-normal turnout on the south end of the field, but a packed crowd at the north end. More than 300 people watched from the Long Island Rail Road platform, and Municipal Parking Field 2, between Centre and Village avenues, was full.

The yearly celebration commemorating the village's anniversary featured a performance by the South Shore Symphony, which played musical favorites from 7:30 to 9:15, and a "Stars and Stripes Forever" dance routine by Leggz Ltd. Dance.

The Grucci fireworks display blasted off as the symphony finished, and dazzled the crowd until the show ended at 9:40.

Under the direction of Musical Director Scott Jackson Wiley, the symphony had a few surprises for the spectators. Jia-Yi He, a harmonica virtuoso featured on the television show "America's Got Talent," traveled from Montauk to perform with the orchestra. South Side Middle School student Jonathan DeTullio performed a dance routine, accompanied by the symphony's "Pops Hoedown."

A new sponsorship plan devised by the conservancy provided funding for the show, with donors and business sponsors raising $25,000.

Orlin & Cohen Orthopedic Group of Long Island was the title sponsor, contributing $5,000. The celebration's presenters, each of whom contributed $2,000, included Molloy College, Francis X. Murray, Hatsis Laser Vision, Concierge Choice Physicians LLC and the Kearns family. Six other businesses and organizations — the village Chamber of Commerce, Rubenstein Shenker Zacarese & Marks LLP, ASA Services Inc./Mike and Helyn Jewell, Lexus of Rockville Centre, the Charles Cohn Foundation and Ed Quinn & Companies —chipped in $1,000, and eight additional sponsors contributed $500.

While the idea for a marketplace with local vendors selling food and other products was not fully realized, KJ 98.3, Verizon Fios, Leggz and the conservancy had booths at the event, and a popular ice cream truck attracted long lines.

Shenker offered thanks to the village and the community for the night's success. "Thank you to the residents of Rockville Centre," he said. "It is a great achievement and accomplishment to have you here tonight."

Comments about this story? RVCeditor@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 320.