Story posted Thursday, June 25, 2009
Better Luck Next Year
Heavy Storms, Salt Creek Flooding Put A Damper On RotaryFest, Parade Activities
Saturday's Hometown Parade was canceled due to a flooded parade route along Elk Grove Blvd. (Tom Wessell/The Journal)
By TOM ROBB Journal & Topics Reporter
Heavy rains and wind last Friday that caused Salt Creek to overflow its banks canceled Elk Grove Village's Hometown Parade and fireworks display for the first time in 13 years.
The wet weather and high-standing water that remained on Saturday also closed or curtailed much of the annual RotaryFest.
"It was devastating," said Village Trustee and Parade Committee Chair Nancy Czarnik.
The festival grounds at Elk Grove High School were saturated with water Friday as was much of the village's industrial park and old section near Oakton Street after three inches of rain deluged the area in a two-to-three hour stretch.
RotaryFest was canceled on Friday and carnival rides were able to partially reopen later on Saturday, Czarnik said.
RotaryFest was scheduled from Wednesday through Sunday. Traditionally, the fest sees its largest crowds for the fireworks display over the weekend.
Village Trustee Pat Feichter was at the fest working on Sunday and observed other Rotary Club volunteers who were in a less than festive mood.
"Those guys looked like they were beaten into the ground," said Feichter, explaining that many had toiled Saturday and Sunday to move attractions and vendors to salvage what they could of the weekend.
On Saturday, June 20, the scheduled day of the village's Hometown Parade, the sun shined bright after a day and a night of heavy rains but the parade route along Elk Grove Boulevard looked more like a river than a road completely under water.
The disappointment was evident in Czarnik's voice when the Journal discussed the weekend's unfortunate weather with her. Czarnik said several options were considered to reroute the parade down other passable streets, but none were found to be acceptable solutions.
Czarnik and Feichter both said the most devastating effect will be on the lack of revenue generated for the Rotary Club that is then returned to the village in the form of charitable contributions throughout the year.
Mayor Craig Johnson said flooding caused minor structural damage to one home near Oakton Street in the old section of the village and said a blackout in the same neighborhood only lasted a few hours.
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