In an attempt to piggyback off the success of last year’s extravaganza, West Penn Township will once again be hosting fireworks.

The township’s board of supervisors discussed fireworks in conjunction with America 250PA at Tuesday morning’s meeting.

Resident Howard Pryda, who will once again produce and organize the event, encouraged the board to pass a motion to pay for the insurance.

Pryda asked whether the township planned to do any fundraising like it did for last year’s event.

Board Chairman Tony Prudenti said that they planned to raise money for emergency services.

Last year’s event was held at J.E. Morgan Memorial Park.

Prudenti said the problem with holding the event there is the parking.

A professional pyrotechnician, Pryda said he already has a vendor who expressed that they would like to come back.

Prudenti heaped praise on Pryda for his work with last year’s event, which was held July 5 at J.E. Morgan Memorial Park.

“It was pretty amazing,” Prudenti said. “It was like a professional show.”

Pryda said his donation is essentially the show, which he estimated is basically worth close to $10,000.

“We had the whole place packed,” Prudenti said. “They were stopping on (Route) 443.”

Prudenti said they should look to schedule a meeting with the park commission.

Supervisor Kyle Kester said he believes J.E. Morgan Memorial Park is where this year’s event should once again be staged.

Prudenti said that Andreas Sporting Club also reached out about possibly hosting this year’s event.

Pryda noted there are very few neighbors at that location.

Prudenti explained that last year a neighbor whose property is on the Carbon County line and has a horse was worried about the noise.

As a result, he said the township ended up getting in contact with an individual who owns a horse boarding facility, and they picked up the horse, which was kept there overnight until the next day in an attempt to try to appease the neighbor.

“Besides that incident, it was a success,” he said.

Pryda admitted that J.E. Morgan Memorial Park is wide open, and therefore better for fireworks.

Supervisor Tom Ackerman said he believes the event should stay in the township.

“It’s West Penn,” Ackerman said. “I think it should be at (J.E.) Morgan (Memorial) Park.”

Kester said he agreed with Ackerman’s assessment.

The matter was then tabled until the park commission had a chance to look into the situation.

Afterward, supervisors agreed to purchase insurance for the fireworks display.

The idea behind last year’s fundraiser was to encourage other local businesses to take part in the event in several different manners.

They could either advertise their businesses with a banner, vend their products or services, or set up information tables.

Additionally, they could send a donation to West Penn Township, or send a gift certificate that the township could raffle off at the event.

Or, they could become a sponsor, and the township would provide a customized banner to be displayed at the event. Sponsors also got recognition at the event over the public address system and on the West Penn Township digital sign along Route 309.

Pryda, who along with his friend Tony Cseplo do fireworks shows together, agreed to give the township two years of a free fireworks show.

All the money raised from last year’s event went to police, fire and EMS.