by Steven Felschundneff steven@claremont-courier.com

The city of Claremont is cancelling all official Fourth of July celebrations due to continued restrictions on public gatherings imposed by both the state of California and the Los Angeles County, according to a news release on Thursday.

“Staff made the decision this week to cancel the parade and flag raising amidst County and State announcements that physical distance and restrictions on large gatherings will continue through the summer,” the statement read.

In April the city notified residents that the 72nd annul Independence Day celebration would be altered, eliminating the popular fireworks display at Pomona College as well as the Freedom 5000 5K race and the day-long festival in Memorial Park. The traditional parade would continue with the addition of a flag raising ceremony. However, as of this week it became clear that even the truncated observance was not feasible.

Instead, the city will be developing a virtual Fourth of July celebration for Claremont residents.