Bizarre Accident Explodes Towns' Fireworks in Advance--But Show Went On

I thought it must be a hoax, but no--a freak accident exploded the boxcar-sized container full of the fireworks shows for two towns here in the Northwest, on the eve of Independence Day.

One of the shows is a favorite of ours, the July 3rd display in the Norwegian fjord community of Poulsbo. We go there every year by ferry, and stake out a viewing spot with the thousands who enjoy live bands, carnival food and booths on the shores of Liberty Bay. But this time, the much-anticipated festivities were weirdly placed in jeopardy.

Here's what happened: Poulsbo and neighboring Bainbridge Island contracted with fireworks aficionado (a mortgage specialist by trade) Robert Nitz to put on their shows. According to the Los Angeles Times, Nitz does the sideline because "I love fireworks," and last year even lost $1,366 on the displays. This year, he'd invested either $30,000 or $80,000 (news accounts differ) of the two towns' money in his cache, which was stored on a spare corner of a car-wrecking business in the town of Belfair. Depending on which accounts you read, either two male employees or the yard's owner and daughter, all of whom remain, curiously, unnamed, then did something bizarre.

The father and daughter (or two employees) decided at 1 am June 25 to go into the yard and try out a new rifle. Wee-hours target practice, you might say.

The story is that a bullet aimed toward a wreck ricocheted off into the room-sized metal fireworks storage container, setting off the entirety of both shows.

The fireworks container, after it had flipped over twice from exploding

It felt like an earthquake lasting a full minute to neighbors several miles surrounding. It "shook out of bed" the wife of Jeromy Hicks, the Mason County Fire District investigator immediately called to the scene. The explosion also burnt out cars and ignited a large pile of tires nearby. In fact, mortars were still going off when firefighters arrived, and they had to employ a huge claw to pull the still-erupting, flaming mess apart. Squelching the conflagration took them five hours.

Reporters can't say this, but I can: What kind of idiot shoots rifles next to a packed cache of fireworks? At 1 am, to boot? Could there have been some, uh, celebratory imbibing involved?

Show producer Nitz scrambled to put together replacement pyrotechnics, albeit without his showcase addition this year, called "water shells." He succeeded, and last night my family again enjoyed the brilliant display over Liberty Bay.

Poulsbo readies for its July 3 celebration, 2012

And the unidentified car-wrecking yard owner? Well, as far as known, while his insurance covers wrecking cars--and in this debacle some were indeed wrecked--it doesn't cover stray bullet-destruction of fireworks.  According to Poulsbo festival organizer Ron Krell, "He readily admits it. He knew the container was there, he knew the container contained fireworks, he accepts responsibility." But producer Nitz covered the extra cost, though viewers in the many boats gathered to watch the show were asked to contribute cash into fishing nets offered their way.

Happy Independence Day...

Fireworks on the Space Needle

Today my husband and I were taking some visiting friends on a tour of Seattle, and despite dreary drizzle, decided to orient them to the surrounding neighborhoods from atop the Space Needle.  We were unprepared for what lay ahead.

Built for the 1962 World's Fair, the Space Needle remains the quintessential symbol of Seattle, distinctively separate on the skyline, allowing its 360-degree view of Puget Sound, Lakes Union and Washington, and the city, surrounded by the Olympic and Cascade mountain ranges, and Mts. Rainier and Baker.  On a clear day, there's nothing more magnificent than watching cruise ships boarding for Alaska, ferries shuttling cars to the San Juan islands, sea planes landing close by, and bridges carrying scurrying cars north and south.

On this damp July 4th, undeterred tourists waited near the elevators clutching their $18 tickets, many accepting digital photos with a costumed Lady Liberty and Uncle Sam. A holiday air, perhaps enhanced by the International Beer Fest at the Needle's base, defied the ominous weather. 

After the 30-second elevator ascent, we passed through the noisy indoor exhibits out to the circular balcony.  Our friends were awed by the view, strolling the perimeter, listening to my husband's encyclopedic descriptions of neighborhoods, landmarks and history in each direction.  About two-thirds around, a young man approached, reverently asking my husband if he was, indeed, the talk host he most admired.  Thrilled, he and his young lady asked for a photo with my husband, which I gladly took.  We engaged them briefly in conversation, discovering Eli is a recent police academy graduate who works as a ranger on Blake Island, a forested Washington State Park in Puget Sound, clearly in our view.

We offered to take a snapshot of Eli and his girlfriend, Melissa, just the two of them, with the panorama of Seattle as backdrop.  As he handed me his camera, he whispered in my ear, "I'm going to do something special."

At that, Eli dropped to one knee, pulled a small box from his pocket, and asked Melissa to marry him.  I kept pushing the shutter as, taken aback and clearly moved, she shed a tear and eagerly accepted.  Still on his knee, Eli slipped the diamond onto her finger, to the applause of gathered tourists.

In a chorus of congratulations, Eli and Melissa shared some private words, then blended once more into the throng sharing a moment in the clouds. And we went on to enjoy a rainy July 4th illuminated by fireworks and the stirrings of the heart, both patriotic and personal.

Rich Enough for Fireworks

It caught my eye: a fireworks display taking up most of the page of the Wall Street Journal today. The article said 40,000 pounds of fireworks are set to explode over New York City in commemoration of Independence Day.

The show, this time on the Hudson River, will feature ten thousand more explosions than last year, with eight times more fireworks shooting higher than 600 feet. The show will be computer-choreographed to "American River Suite," an original piece by Tony Award-winning composer Stephen Flaherty, performed by the New York Pops symphonic orchestra.

Here in Seattle, we won't get up-close-and-personal with the fireworks, as they start just as Shabbat is concluding, but from our view-point we'll get to see fireworks illuminating Lake Washington, rather closely, from Renton's Coulon Park, as well as along the skyline. Downtown, Lake Union will be teeming with viewers for its spectacular, computer-synched to traditional anthems broadcast on a special sound-system. If it weren't Shabbat, our family would probably watch from downtown Bellevue Park, where the local symphony orchestra provides the accompaniment to yet another computer-synched show.

What does all this suggest to me? With an unemployment rate of 9.5%, and car makers receiving welfare; with many taking hits in their paychecks, with housing prices depressed, and loans nearly impossible to obtain--our nation is still wealthy! Not just in the spirit that motivates cities to spend these big bucks for fireworks displays--not the most essential of expenditures--but in the actual dollars to pay for them. Yes, generous corporations (hooray for big business!) sponsor the displays, but cities also fork over, if only for the maintenance of facilities where the patriotic crowds gather, later leaving their garbage mark.

Even with all the cuts we hear about, even with all the complaints and whining, we still manage to make gorgeous and enthralling fireworks displays in nearly every municipality. Ivar's, the famed local fish monger and restaurants, used to sponsor an additional extravaganza on Elliot Bay, having stepped forward one year when the city couldn't foot the bill. But this year they demurred, committing to other local charities, for the simple reason that there were so many other displays within just a mile or two, so their particular contribution was no longer needed. That's how rich and blessed we are in this nation.

No wonder our founders suggested we celebrate our nation's birth with illuminations--we have existed these 233 years in the light of wisdom and unbounded gifts from the Almighty. Happy Independence Day!

My Fourth of July

The fourth of July has always been my favorite holiday, mainly because it's in the beginning of the summer, with all those lolling, luscious days left to anticipate. Since moving here to the northwest, it's even more coveted as July 4 is known as the first day of summer, the day after which we deign to get some sunshine. Well, it hasn't happened yet--today is solidly overcast and dreary--but that didn't dim my thrill watching the fireworks from my own patio on Friday night.

This year, as July 4 fell on Shabbat, I felt I wasn't going to get much of a celebration. Usually we attend some fun event as a family--often the big party given by a radio station--or at least go to our nearby park, crowded with jolly revelers picnicking in anticipation of the big fireworks display choreographed to a performance by the local symphony orchestra. It's true, I lost that, as I had to spend the day, as I do most every Friday, cooking in preparation for Shabbat. We planned to have guests both Friday night and Saturday for lunch, and of course that means planning, shopping, and cooking the entire day before. If I don't get my challah up by mid-day, then it won't rise to my satisfaction and become the yummy doughy confection my guests expect. There's nothing like delicious challah, fresh out of the oven, on a Friday night.

At least I'd celebrated the night before, when we'd gone with dear friends to the traditional July THIRD fireworks at the Norwegian fijord port of Poulsbo. To get there, you have to take a ferry, and the wait in line to board was about an hour and a half, which made the anticipation of our fireworks all the more intense. When, at 10:30 pm, the sky lit up with those ever-more-creative displays, we were delighted. And by night's end, zonked.

So on Shabbat, which begins just before sundown, we were ready to start our meal just as the unanticipated happened--in addition to the fireworks illuminating the horizon shot off by families and municipalities near and far (and, being mostly far, appearing as miniature color-bursts), a town just across the lake began a magnificent show. My dear friend and I stood on the deck singing "Stars and Stripes Forever" as brilliant displays kept blooming and dripping and exploding before us. I was enraptured!

Unfortunately, my children were...hungry. They kept interrupting my joy to urge me to come in to say kiddush (the blessing over the wine that starts the Sabbath meal) so they could get some of that warm challah. No. No, I wasn't about to give up something that thrilled me! I stood and gaped. I wouldn't budge, as each daughter came and took me by the arm; as my son put his arm on my shoulder to steer me inside. No. No!! This was too wonderful, and right on my doorstep!

Then my husband came out and with his stern, paternal insistence, told me to come in. Am I a doormat? I just gave up my entire July 4th to make their food (spurned when I asked for help by the very children trying to stop my fun). But, unable to stand against their rudeness, I went in, turning toward the window as we sang "Shalom Aleichem" to welcome the Shabbat angels (who, I'm sure, were oogling the fireworks) and Ayches Chayil (which supposedly honors the woman of the house--HA!) and kiddush. And my husband allowed me (!) to watch the fireworks while the others ritually washed for motzi (elevating the eating of the bread)....and once I took that (admittedly luscious) bite of challah, I turned to watch (through the window) the most spectacular "grand finale" you could imagine, with a least a dozen bursting color-flowers in the sky, over fountains of stars shooting from the barge in the lake. Oooooooh, Happy Birthday, United States!! Aren't we the luckiest people in the WORLD!!

Blessed to Live in America--Happy July Fourth!

I'm hokey, and I'm proud.

What's so wrong with sentimentality? Nostalgia? July 4th associations: the early patriots, especially the imposing George Washington, festive neighborhood parades, burgers at picnics, fireworks displays ever more creative and spectacular.

And we appreciate the unique blessings this nation has received. Surely this place has been ordained by God and is sustained by God in a way that only one other on earth has enjoyed. I think that the unique protection and guidance shown the United States is a direct reflection of its founding circumstances and ongoing piety.

Unlike other nations, ours was founded on dedication to God. Protestant Episcopals, Puritans, Lutherans, and Catholics undertook the perilous Atlantic crossing in the 1600s with the purpose of free worship. Each small town across the land boasts one or more steeples on its town square. Not so long ago, "Blue Laws" restricted labor on "The Lord's Day." Prayer in public schools was de rigeur. It is only a distortion of our profound respect for each (atheist) person's view about religion that has meant the end of school prayer and the removal of crosses and Christmas trees. It is this consideration for others' faiths that allows Judaism to flourish in America, (and that now endangers us in our refusal to censure even violent Islam).

Our Constitution does not specify any separation of church and state; to the contrary, the First Amendment, which guarantees several freedoms, sought to prohibit the imposition of a national religion specifically to allow states do choose their own. Freedom in our new land was foremost the ability to practice one's religion unencumbered.

Thus serving God is the basis of America, and to the extent it remains first in importance, our nation remains strong.

I also believe that vast majorities of Americans welcome immigrants, as here, we are all newcomers; no one has more claim to this miraculous land than another.

The fact that this vast continent remained unexplored until just two hundred years ago is another reason for its success. Here, all entrepreneurs have opportunities. Here, invention and creativity are rewarded. Here, education through graduate school is offered to those with promise for free.

We have so many reasons to be grateful--in this breathtakingly beautiful land with so many resources and the intellectual capability to pursue them. This rests in our hearts; as we begin each baseball game with the National Anthem, half the audience chokes back a tear.

Yeah, it's hokey. The family gets together with a few friends and neighbors, puts some Sousa on the i-pod, and grills up the hot dogs to serve with potato salad and watermelon. What could be nicer, and more benign? Fireworks fill the heavens with color, our human imitation of the wonders of Hashem. The summer is young, our nation is young, and we display the youthful expectation that all can be redeemed.

So join me: be hokey and proud. Happy July Fourth! Put that big flag out in front of your house. Join your neighbors in sharing a home-baked pie. And offer a prayer in thanks that we were born and can live in this greatest nation on God's green earth.