On May 20th, we were fortunate to attend the kickoff for the Independence Day Celebration of the July 2nd Fireworks jointly held between Perth Amboy and South Amboy.
The first speaker was Fr. Ivan Turyk, the Pastor at Ukrainian Catholic Church of the Assumption in Perth Amboy. He was born in a small peaceful village in Ukraine. One of his first impressions of Perth Amboy was being amazed by the large number of churches in Perth Amboy. He concluded that they were either very religious or there were many sinners. He expressed his gratitude for the generosity of the residents in Perth Amboy and South Amboy and how they support Ukraine. He has been an American citizen for 10 years and that people should be thankful for the freedom that they enjoy. Rudyk Park is named after Stanley Rudyk, a Ukrainian American who gave his life for his country in WWII. He prayed for our leaders, and hoped they have humility, leadership, and grace. His hope is for peace and protection for Ukraine.
Chair of Celebrate Our Stars and Stripes and lifelong Perth Amboy Resident Barry Rosengarten said that he felt every word that Fr. Ivan spoke, and he personally has spent 33 years promoting the city of Perth Amboy as a member of the BID. “The Fireworks Celebration brings people together. All the sponsors are great. They invest in our community and are a part of it.” He thanked every city department that is involved, all the volunteers, Lisette Lebron from the mayor’s office, Noelia Colon from the BID, and Yolanda Flores who has been a valuable assistant helping Rosengarten contacting businesses and putting together the event and program since 2012. He stated that he is the grandson of immigrants. “When people leave their country, they work hard, and we can’t tolerate racism of any kind.”
Rosengarten quoted former President Ronald Reagan, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from its extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.” – Ronald Reagan
Next Mayor Helmin Caba spoke. He welcomed all to the kickoff and acknowledged Rosengarten for his hard work and also welcomed South Amboy Mayor Fred Henry and South Amboy Council President Mickey Gross. “The Fireworks is a big deal for our city,” said Caba, “And it is the first time being held since the pandemic.” Caba stated that we have safety measures in place for the day of the event. He thanked Acting Police Chief Cattano and Fire Chief Mullen who will make sure we are all safe. “We will start festivities around 3 p.m. (a lot of vendors, food trucks, and music) on the day of the fireworks, and the Department of Recreation will be involved in those events. They always go above and beyond what is asked of them. We have a very rich history. We are the only city to have the original official Governor’s Mansion and the oldest operational City Hall. We will also be a part of the 2025 Celebration of the Sestercentennial of the United States. He finished off by thanking all of our generous sponsors, South Amboy Mayor Fred Henry, and the two cochairs: South Amboy Council President Mickey Gross and Perth Amboy Council President Bill Petrick.
South Amboy Mayor Fred Henry spoke next. He acknowledged some of the officials from South Amboy, (Gross, Councilwoman Dato, Police Chief Darren Lavigne). He then mentioned that the United States has supported Ukraine since the late 1700’s. “With our help, we can help Ukraine be successful. When we complain, we should think about what they are going through. He also wanted to thank Barry Rosengarten for supplying small booklet with a copy of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence in it to all who attended. “We should think about the words of the Star-Spangled Banner. Don’t take the Constitution for granted. I always keep a copy on my desk. As a former history teacher, the Resolution of the Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 2, 1776.”
South Amboy Council President Mickey Gross spoke next. He thanked Yolanda Flores for all her hard work and all of the sponsors. He also had the members of South Amboy Parade Committee stand up to be acknowledged. He also wanted to personally acknowledge Jay Elliot from Code Enforcement.
Perth Amboy Council President Bill Petrick said, “Nothing is impossible with all these people involved. He wanted to thank Middlesex Water, Provident Bank, Buckeye, and Tropical Cheese who have been sponsors from year one. “None of this would have happened without Barry Rosengarten with his vision and his drive. He has pulled this event off even if there were obstacles. He started out with having an assistant named Roxana Troche, now he has Yolanda Flores and Noelia Colon on his team.” He acknowledged that it is good to work with Mickey Gross again. “No matter what, Barry always comes through.”
Yolanda Flores made remarks. She pointed out that the sunflower is Ukraine’s national flower. There was a small tree on display with packages of sunflower seeds on them. She invited people to take those seeds and plant them. She recently bought some shoes and when they arrived, she noticed they came from Ukraine. “In the box was a picture of a man. They didn’t fit, but how can I return them?” She thanked Lakeland Bank for the check they gave today, and Center State Engineers, one of our first sponsors and also our representatives from the 19th District. Rosengarten came back up to finish his speeches by again thanking Yolanda Flores for all her hard work.
Later that day, we attended a fundraiser (JEMMS) in memory of a young woman (Jennifer Metzger) who lost her life in a car accident. On each table was a big glass vase with sunflowers in it. At the end of the evening, it was announced that anyone having a birthday closest to December could take that sunflower display home with them. I happened to be that person.
Some of the attributes to sunflowers are happiness, optimism, honesty, longevity, peace, admiration, and devotion, and that is what part of what our Independence Day Celebration represents. The United States is known as the Melting Pot where people from all over the world come here for a better life and freedom. On July 4th, I am an American – not a hyphenated American. I hope others feel the same way and I love to hear good old fashioned patriotic music, and of course, the day would not be complete without seeing the sky lit up in fireworks. C.M.
