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N.J. Town's Decision To Have July 4 Fireworks On July 2 Sparks Debate

CRANFORD, N.J. (CBSNewYork) - Many residents of Cranford are not happy with the town's decision to move the Fourth of July fireworks up.

Cranford's fireworks display will be held Tuesday.

For many, the Fourth of July fireworks in Nomahegan Park are an annual tradition.

Cranford resident Amber Koshney told CBS2's Nina Kapur she goes every year. But some say that tradition may be coming to an end.

"Now we have to go to another town or just not celebrate on that day anymore, and that's not what Cranford really is about," said Koshney.

That's because the town's fireworks were moved up to July 2. Officials say the event grows every year, so they've been considering changing the date for a while. The tipping point was an altercation last year.

"We've witnessed it in the past," said Cranford Emergency Management Director Matthew Lublin. "And on the Fourth, we just simply can't get a lot of resources from our state and our regional partners because they're going to some of the high profile shows."

"There's always going to be a small percentage of people that act outside of what we would consider acceptable. I don't know that moving it from one day to the next is going to stop those folks," said resident Brysan Boisvert.

Though the fireworks are still going to be held at Nomahegan Park, residents say changing the date of the fireworks ruins the family-oriented celebration, Kapur reported.

"I mean, it's the Fourth of July, so I don't see why they would move it to the second," said Otis Harper of Roselle.

Meantime, a Change.org petition urging town leaders to move the fireworks back to the Fourth has been circulating, with over 400 signatures. The description says the move causes Independence Day to lose its meaning. Click here to see the online petition.

"In my opinion, that's a little bit of an overstatement. I don't think that it loses its meaning, but it, certainly, it's a little bit of a damper on the day when you can't have fireworks on the Fourth of July," Boisvert said.

The canoe race and firecracker four-mile run will still take place in the park on the Fourth as usual, but this year, the fireworks won't conclude them.

A few other New Jersey towns are also holding fireworks displays on different days as well. Rahway's will be on the third, and Lyndhurst will be on the second.

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