SIDNEY — “With the weather forecast for the Fourth of July a little bit iffy at this point, I wanted to let you know who will be making the call for the timing of the Fourth of July fireworks display,” Sidney City Manager Mark Cundiff announced Wednesday morning. “Because the fireworks are a part of the Shelby County Bicentennial this year, the Bicentennial Committee will actually be making the call.”

“The good news is that it will be former Deputy Fire Chief Bob Guillozet who will make the call after consulting with Fire Chief Brad Jones, Deputy Fire Chief Chad Hollinger, and the technicians from High-Tech Special Effects.” Cundiff said. “Bob oversaw many fireworks shows during his career with the department, and he well understands the safety concerns with fireworks and having a large group of people outside during thunderstorms.

Guillozet is currently a Shelby County Commissioner. In addition, he is serving as co-chair of the Shelby County Bicentennial Committee.

“We’ll keep a careful eye on both the skies and the radar,” Guillozet said. “It would not be our intent to accelerate, delay, or postpone the fireworks exhibit unless it is absolutely necessary. If we accelerate the show, it would be by no more than fifteen minutes. If we were to delay the show, it would be no more than a half hour.”

“We fully recognize the inconvenience that this may cause,” Guillozet stated, “but the safety of those attending the show as well as those responsible for the show have to be our overriding concern.”

The show, billed as the largest ever seen in Shelby County, is part of the county’s 200th Birthday. The show is possible through the generous contributions of Wilson Health, Emerson Climate Technologies, Buckeye Ford, NK Telco, Cargill, Ferguson Construction, Goffena Furniture, Mutual Federal and S&S Hospitality Management.

The fireworks display is scheduled to begin at 10 p.m. Because of the uncertainty of the weather, it is recommended that those attending find their favorite spot to watch the show prior to 9:45 p.m., in case the timing of the show is accelerated.

The Sidney Civic Band’s performance is scheduled to begin at 9:00 p.m. on the tennis courts at Sidney High School. The band will play about 45 minutes of patriotic music prior to the fireworks show. They will then take a brief break before playing during the fireworks show. As has become customary, the Civic Band’s concert will conclude with Stars and Stripes Forever.

“In the event the show will need to be postponed, it will be scheduled for 10:00 p.m. on July 5,” Guillozet said. “If the fireworks are postponed, the Civic Band’s concert will also be postponed and rescheduled for the same time on the following day.”

“I am hopeful that Mother Nature will be cooperative, and the fireworks display will be on schedule,” Guillozet said. “Any schedule changes will be posted online at the websites of Shelby County, the city of Sidney and the Sidney Civic Band.”