人気ブログランキング | 話題のタグを見る

No.299 オリジナル英文

----------------------------------------
Fireworks Show Will Go on in Massachusetts Town, Thanks to Local Businesses
----------------------------------------
Lowell, Massachusetts used to be a wealthy town.

You can see that in the grand city hall, built during its prosperous days as a textile manufacturing center.

But the mills began to close in the early 1900s, and this latest recession - with its foreclosures and layoffs - has severely cut down Lowell's tax base.

"Well, because of budget constraints, we could not fund the fireworks this year."

Mayor Bud Caulfield couldn't justify the $45,000 price tag.

"We have laid off 48 employees.

Had we had the fireworks, we would have had to lay off 49 employees.

And it just morally wouldn't be right to do that."

But it also didn't seem right not to celebrate America's birthday, at least to Rich Bolton, who runs the Lowell Cooperative Bank.

Bolton doesn't blame the mayor.

In fact, his bank's bottom line is not where he wants it to be either.

Some local construction companies went out of business recently and defaulted on their loans.

"The $45,000, I wish I was a big enough bank that I could write the whole check and just make it happen.

'Cause that's the way I felt at the time."

So Rich Bolton did some quick math, counting up the number of banks around town, the number of big businesses.

And he made out a check for five thousand dollars and gave it to the mayor for fireworks.

"I said, 'Hopefully, that's enough money to get things going.

We're the smallest bank in town, OK?

Everybody else should give more.'

And I said, 'That should get you there.'"

It did.

"When I heard it was on, it was extremely exciting."

Lowell resident Nancy Crocker says people here need the Fourth of July celebration.

So this weekend, down at the pavilion by the Merrimack River, there will be hot dogs and popcorn for sale.

The Lowell High School Band is going to play a mix of Broadway tunes and patriotic numbers.

And the city will burn through $45,000 worth of fireworks in about 45 minutes, a blazing reminder to residents who need a better economic outlook that they still live in the land of opportunity.

For VOA News Now, I’m Curt Nickisch, in Lowell, Massachusetts.
by danueno | 2009-07-08 14:00 | オリジナル英文


<< 「熟語」といわれている語句につ... No.299 SIM音読用英文 >>