Last year's Ringwood Highlands Festival, which turned out to be an overwhelming community-wide success, was nearly washed away by two days of rain. But weather may not even be a factor this year, as the Borough Council voted down a $7,500 budget item to support the festival at its meeting Tuesday night.
In accord with aggressive plans to form a tight 2007 municipal budget, the Republican-led council denied the borough's financial backing of the event, which it had supported the previous three years.
"We've invested $30,000 into the festival;" said Mayor Joanne Atlas. "I think once you've invested that amount of money, the event should be able to stand on its own.
Both Deputy Mayor William Marsala and Councilwoman Linda Schaefer expressed similar sentiments, pointing to the borough's difficult financial situation as the reason for the popular event's apparent doom.
"I would like to get through the (2007) budget process first" said Marsala.
"While $7,500 is not a lot of money with a budget of our size, things start adding up. When you add the little things up, it comes out to a big number."
According to the festival's co-coordinator, Anita Yarossi, last year's event cost $17,000 to put together and raised nearly $6,500. Though the $6,500 is available in a fund to help pay for this year's celebration, it falls short of the $17,000 expense.
So Yarossi and the rest of the festival's volunteer committee were counting on the borough's support to match last year's success.
Now the event may be lost unless it receives significant financial help.
"The funding was voted down," said Yarossi. "So I can only draw the conclusion that the borough doesn't want it. We weren't asked to be a committee, and we don't have a date, so we don't have a festiva1."
Held by Shepherd's Lake, last year's festival was hugely popular, as evidenced by the estimated 3,000 people and nearly 100 vendors, businesses and community groups that attended.
The original event had been held annually for many years but was discontinued around 1990, according to Yarossi.
The Democrat-led borough administration resurrected the idea three years ago with hopes of keeping it going every year.
Led by Yarossi and co-coordinator Eileen Manley, the committee has been organizing and funding the event through private sponsors in hopes of building a permanent day of celebration into the borough's annual calendar.
Yet without the borough's financial support for at least a few more years, that dream may be crushed.
Councilman Bill O'Hearn acknowledged the plight of the possibly soon-to-be-defunct committee.
"For these scheduled events to work over time, they need a multi-year commitrnent" he said.
"Eventually we'd like them to be self-sustahiing, and I think they've made good progress in their fundraising and the businesses they've brought and attracted. When you start one of these things and you break the chain, you lose a lot of momentum that you've generated from the first couple of years.
None could debate the merits of the festival.
It brought together in one special day the nonprofit organizations in town, the Chamber of Commerce, the local business community, artists, vendors, performers and, most of all, Ringwood's families and friends from the surrounding areas, said Yarossi.
Atlas had praised the event in her opening speech when she was reelected mayor earlier this year, calling the festival Ringwood's "third and most successful event!'
Yet she also said that community endeavors, such as the festival, should be run under independent citizens' organizations.
Although Yarossi pointed out that the committee has been able to increase its profits over the past three years and was hoping to become financially self-sufficient as
Atlas had insisted with continued support from the borough, it was to no avail.
Councilwoman Wenke Taule, who was largely responsible for bringing the event back in 2004, expressed her concern over the borough council's change of heart.
"I feel bad for the committee because they signed on thinking it was a borough event and it has been for three years," said Taule.
"I don't know what happened. It's depressing to me that it's become a political football. It's a day that we're supposed to celebrate our community and our kids"
Yarossi reiterated her frustration, citing the council's strong political ties as a possible reason for its lack of support.
"It would be a shame to let politics override something that's so good for this community," said Yarossi.
Tim Fox's e-mail address is
foxt@northjersey.com