by Geoff Fox
On July 4, 2026, the United States will celebrate its 250th birthday with celebrations across the country.
Councilman David Kerns said he remembered the celebration in 1976 during the bicentennial year.
He wanted to know if the town was going to be doing something for the 250th celebration this year or “let it all go to Hagerstown.”
Kerns said he’d like to see something in Hancock so he wouldn’t have to worry about everybody running to Hagerstown for celebrations down there.
“We should be able to celebrate just like they do,” he said.
Mayor Roland Lanehart, Jr. said the town was given coins and thought all the municipalities in Washington County were going to be in Hagerstown on July 4.
The coins, he added, were for the municipalities to hand out at the Hagerstown event.
Kerns said he understood that, but he was wondering why Hancock couldn’t have their own celebration.
“If we don’t do our own, then we’re relying on everybody to go to Hagerstown and I don’t think we should have to,” Kerns said.
There’s enough history in the town that could support a celebration and if people would want to go to Hagerstown as well, they could do so.
The 1976 celebration was a big deal with patriotic pictures posted everywhere for “a long time,” Kerns said, and that’s why he was asking.
“I think it’s worth having that again,” he said.
He suggested having fireworks that weekend since the Fourth of July is on a Saturday this year. He said if the fireworks were available for Sunday, July 5, then the town should look into the costs for that night and have a big “shindig” that night.
Kerns said the idea was something for town officials to think about.
Town officials didn’t discuss if they would have fireworks for the Fourth of July. A month later, the town does have fireworks to close National Night Out.
In a text message last Friday, Town Manager Mike Faith said if the town were to do fireworks for the Fourth of July, they’d still have the National Night Out fireworks and the two shows would be separate.
