Clarification: Councilmember Dan Hahn was acting in his capacity as council liaison to the Lander golf course board when he informed the Lander City Council this week that the golf course board had decided to cancel the July 2 event.
Lander is no longer planning to hold a community event with fireworks on July 2.
Lander City Councilmember Dan Hahn said the event was canceled “because of the controversy” that arose after the public learned that the city wasn’t going to help fund the Lander Old Timers Rodeo Association July 4 rodeo and fireworks show this year.
Mayor Monte Richardson clarified during a meeting this week that LOTRA “is still having their event” on Independence Day.
“There was no talk about canceling the Fourth of July,” he said.
He added that the July 2 event was supposed to be held in addition to the July 4 festivities, but news about the planning “went out way too early” and prompted “misinformation” to spread.
“I don’t know how it leaked,” he said. “That was just an additional event – not canceling the Fourth of July. … We never said that we were canceling the Fourth of July or moving it.”
Apologizing for the “misunderstanding,” Richardson said he and others who had been planning the July 2 gathering “decided just to back off of it.”
“Hopefully that’s settled,” he said.
For more information call the City of Lander at 332-2870.