Juneteenth Colors To Adorn Clark Bridge As Full Holiday Lighting Schedule Develops

ALTON - The first official decorative holiday lighting display on the Clark Bridge may be here sooner than expected, with a green/yellow/red color scheme set for Juneteenth next Wednesday, June 19, 2024. City officials are also set to consider an expanded schedule of holidays and corresponding colors.

City Council members on Wednesday passed a resolution setting an official holiday lighting schedule for the bridge on certain holidays, though Alderman John Meehan noted the initial list was “very limited.” It included a red/white/blue color scheme for Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, and Labor Day, as well as orange/purple for halloween, red/white for Alton High School graduation, and blue/white for Marquette Catholic High School graduation.

Following the recent lighting test at the Clark Bridge, Alderman Raymond Strebel suggested a change to the Alton High School color scheme - rather than red and white, Strebel said the bridge looks “much more striking” in an all-red color scheme. He amended the resolution to make the AHS lighting color scheme entirely red, which passed unanimously.

Alderman John Meehan said the public was very excited following the recent bridge lighting test, but added some constituents were concerned the bridge wouldn’t be lit up on other major holidays, such as Christmas. He suggested expanding the list to include all federal holidays with the following color schemes for each:

• Red/white/blue:
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day (third Monday of January)
• President’s Day (third Monday of February)
• Memorial Day (last Monday of May)
• Flag Day (June 14)
• Fourth of July
• Labor Day (first Monday of September)
• Columbus Day (second Monday in October)
• Veteran’s Day (Nov. 11)
• Green/yellow/red:
• Juneteenth (June 19)
• Red/green:
• Christmas Day (Dec. 25)
• Orange/purple:
• Halloween (Oct. 31)

City Attorney Tonya Genovese suggested an updated resolution be sent to the Committee of the Whole for their next meeting to reflect the list expansion. After Alderwoman Stephanie Elliott pointed out that Juneteenth is rapidly approaching on Wednesday, June 19, 2024, an update was made so that the bridge will be lit up in a green/yellow/red color scheme for this year’s Juneteenth.

While Strebel’s amendment regarding the Alton High School colors was unanimously approved, the expanded holiday lighting schedule will now go to the Committee of the Whole on June 24, 2024.

A full recording of the June 12, 2024 City Council meeting is available at the top of this story, on the Riverbender.com Facebook page, or on Riverbender.com/video.

All Alton City Council meetings can be watched live on the Riverbender.com Facebook page or website, or on demand with your smart TV on the Riverbender.com ROKU channel and on theRiverbender.com YouTube channel.

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