Lebanon
This year’s Fourth of July fireworks display, previously launched from Storrs Hill Ski Area, would be moved farther south to a site with higher elevation, making the show easier to see.
But they forgot to factor in the trees.
“When you go to a fireworks display, you expect to be able to hear them,” Lebanon resident Morgan Perrone said. “It just seemed like we were watching them really far away.”
Residents like Perrone who turned out for Monday’s Fourth of July fireworks have complained that the show was obscured by trees. As a result, city officials have promised that future fireworks displays will be launched from the original ski area site.
Perrone said the display — what she could see of it, that is — was “lackluster” and “really short.”
“They were pretty, but they didn’t have a lot of pizzazz to them,” she said.
Bruce McDowell said his family usually watches the fireworks from home, which is located near the ski area. They did the same on Monday, but when the fireworks began, there was a noticeable delay between the sound of each launch and resulting “bangs.”
“For me, it was a distraction,” McDowell said.
The distance between the downtown area and the fireworks also was noticeable, he said, and the fireworks appeared to be much farther away.
“If I want a really big fireworks display, I’m going to go up to Montreal for the international fireworks competition,” McDowell said. But it’s also nice to be able to see a hometown Independence Day show, too, he said.
McDowell and Perrone weren’t alone in their criticism of the city’s fireworks, which is contracted to East Montpelier-based Northstar Fireworks for about $5,000. Commenters took to Facebook to discuss their disappointment, saying the show was short, hard to see and “the worst fireworks display Lebanon has ever had,” according to one post.
“Obviously we apologize for it,” said Tom Swenson, Northstar’s operations manager. “We tried something new (and) it didn’t work out.”
During the winter, Northstar approached city officials and asked to use the Storrs Hill launch location to train its employees. In return, Lebanon would be treated to free fireworks shows, city Recreation Director Paul Coats said.
However, Storrs Hill Ski Area was open at the time, and fireworks would have interfered with winter operations. So, the decision was made to move the launch site to nearby Tomapo Farm, which sits at a higher elevation than the ski area and was thought to allow for better viewing.
To test the theory, Northstar sent spotters out shortly after to report on viewing given the location change, Swenson said.
“The viewing from all over town was great,” he said, and the results encouraged city officials to give the new venue a try for the Fourth of July show.
“We shot this (show) this last weekend and heard it wasn’t so great,” Swenson said.
The results surprised him, because the crews used larger shells, which produce bigger fireworks.
Ultimately, both city and Northstar staffers failed to take summer foliage into account, Coats said.
As a result, the upcoming August summer celebration and future Fourth of July fireworks will be launched at Storrs Hill, he said.
Across the river, people on Facebook praised Hartford’s display at Kilowatt Park.
“It’s a great location. It’s easily visible from the Lebanon side and a lot of people are out on their boats,” said Scott Hausler, Hartford Parks and Recreation Department’s assistant director.
Like Lebanon, Hartford contracts with Northstar. The town traditionally has spent about $10,000 on its Fourth of July display. When its fireworks budget was cut by about $4,000 this year, Springfield (Vt.) Buick GMC general sales manager Luke Mattern donated the additional funds needed to pay for the show.
Coats said the two communities have discussed combining their fireworks shows, but Lebanon hasn’t been able to find a location on its side of the river suitable for such a venture.
Tim Camerato can be reached at tcamerato@vnews.com or 603-727-3223.