CITY OKS JULY 4TH DISPLAY; FIREWORKS SHOW NEEDS SPONSORS.

Byline: Patricia Farrell Aidem Daily News Staff Writer

The city will host its first Fourth of July fireworks show this Independence Day and is looking for some help to meet the $35,000 price tag for a 10- to 15-minute extravaganza.

Opting for patriotism, apple pie and a flag-waving bit of Americana, the City Council overrode initial staff recommendations and approved the pyrotechnic show in a 4-1 vote.

``So many people have asked for a fireworks show, and I suppose a city this size should have one,'' Mayor Jo Anne Darcy said. ``But we're trying to keep expenses down. We're looking for sponsorships.''

The show will be held after dark at the Valencia Town Center mall. A professional will run the show from a lot across from the mall, behind the Santa Clarita Civic Center.

Councilwoman Jan Heidt cast the dissenting vote, unwilling to back what amounts to a city expenditure of $2,300 to $3,500 a minute.

``That's a lot of money for 10 or 15 minutes,'' Heidt said Wednesday. ``I don't think it's the responsibility of the city to put on a show.''

Heidt said she also was concerned about traffic on already congested Magic Mountain Parkway, Valencia Boulevard and McBean Parkway, which surround the mall.

``This is what life is like in an overcrowded city,'' she said.

At a council meeting earlier this month, city staff members had recommended against the city-sponsored fireworks in reaction to a plan to anchor the show at Hart High School.

But council members said the public wants a fireworks display and asked for options.

``There were a lot of requests that we have fireworks in a safe, controlled area,'' Darcy said. ``We'll try to pass this along in the future to make it a community-sponsored event.''