Freedom will

ring and the candy will fly this year at Peachtree City's annual July

4th Parade.

The City Council

has declined a suggestion to ban the throwing of candy from floats as

a safety precaution. Instead, council suggested to city staff that large

floats be required to use walking escorts to make sure kids who run in

the parade route for candy and other freebies don't get hurt.

A host of options

were considered at a workshop before last Thursday's council meeting.

But the easiest solution better parental supervision of children during

the parade can't be legislated, council decided.

The idea to

possibly ban candy throwing from floats came from city staff who noted

several "close calls" in last year's parade where youngsters

chasing onto the parade route for candy were almost run over by floats.

The possibility

didn't ring true with eighth-grade students at Booth Middle School, who

debated the issue as part of their recent mock council meeting with Councilwoman

Annie McMenamin.

The students

said they wouldn't attend the parade if candy wasn't thrown, McMenamin

said.

Local resident

Kim Morrison had suggested the city support a movement for parade participants

to donate the money they would have spent on candy to a charity instead,

in light of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11