The annual Freedom Festival, Pahrump's Fourth of July celebration, may not have a host yet but the town is still set to see some fireworks on July 5 now that the Pahrump Town Board approved a contract with Zambelli Fireworks Internationale.

The agreement came only after some discussion, however, centered around the benefits the town receives from Zambelli Fireworks in exchange for having the show on a day other than the official Independence Day.

The board, which has $25,000 budgeted for the pyrotechnics, had discussed holding the show on July 4 at a previous meeting.

Chairman Laurayne Murray pointed out that because a full Zambelli crew would not be available for the Fourth, the town would be responsible for additional costs (such as security, transportation and storage) that exceeded the budgeted amount.

In addition to the logistical savings, the town has also received more fireworks, and consequently the 20-minute or longer shows Pahrump is known for, than $25,000 would buy.

For example, Jon O'Brien, head pyrotechnition and coordinator of the show for the past 17 years, told the board last year the town paid $25,000 for a 22-minute show that in actuality had a total cost of $57,200.

"Every year that I've shot the show, I have taken care of security," O'Brien said. "I have taken care of equipment. I have taken care of the room and board of all the people who shoot the show ... I put these people up at my own expense."

He stressed that some of the crew came from as far away as Idaho to ignite the fireworks.

"All the time I've shot this show, I've done so at no cost to the town of Pahrump," O'Brien continued. "The town of the Pahrump in the last couple of years has paid only for product and, in the last couple of years, the shared insurance cost."

In addition, the pyrotechnition said many of the backdrops for Pahrump's show were built by him personally during his spare time and he stressed the show was how he "gave back to this community."

The contract presented to the town board for a slightly belated show July 5 (which was later found to be the stock contract the company uses for all its clients) lacked specifics and left Vice Chairman Jon McDonald with some questions about the number of fireworks, or shells, that would be shot off and the length of the show.

O'Brien answered that until he knew what music would be chosen for the show and had begun to formally choreograph it, he had no way of knowing how many more fireworks than were listed in the stock contract would be shot off.

"Until I sit down ... and actually work out the timing and the sequence of the show, we don't know how long the show's going to be," O'Brien said. "Twenty minutes? There's a pretty good probability of that."

O'Brien also explained that on July 4, the company did not do shows for under $35,000.

When McDonald asked bluntly if this year's show would be the equivalent of last year's show, O'Brien retorted that since he contributed a lot of his personal finances to the show, he doesn't know yet.

"Sir, I gave you more than $25,000 last year," O'Brien said. "If you ask me what I'm going to give you this year, I don't know what my bank account says as of right now. I know you're going to get that $25,000 show (in the contract) and more, but ask me what I'm going to give you, I guess I take a little offense to that."

O'Brien reiterated that until the show was finalized he did not know exactly how long the show would be but did say the town would get additional fireworks from his company as well as Zambelli.

"What I would suggest is if you people want to see what a real $25,000 show is with all the additional expenses, contract with another company and I'll go somewhere else," O'Brien said. "And I'll see how disappointed everyone here is."

Ultimately, the board approved the contract as presented with the understanding Pahrump would once again put on a worthy show.

Fall Festival Chairman Bob Irving responded to some residents' complaints the show would not be put on during the actual holiday.

"I hear a lot of comment being made about why July 5 and not July Fourth," Irving said. "This is called the Freedom Festival. So consequently it can fall on any day of the weekend."

Irving said O'Brien deserved a hand for all the hard work he had done, which was duly given through applause by those in attendance.

Jon Davey, however, wasn't satisfied with that response.

"Our holiday is the Fourth," Davy said. "And when I was growing up as a child, the Fourth was the holiday no matter what day of the week it fell on. And it's been a long time since we've celebrated the Fourth of July on the fourth of July here."