Thursday, June 28, 2007

Fireworks' Obsession Makes Displays Routine, Annonying

4th of July fireworks celebrations?

Great fun and tradition.

3rd of July fireworks celebration in Milwaukee? A local quirk, but fine, because it allows for neighborhood events the following night.

But closing the new Lakefront State Park early 16 times to accommodate every festival that wants fireworks, too?

Overkill.

And a diminution to Independence Day traditions.

Details below from today's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel newswatch blog:

THURSDAY, June 28, 2007, 11:50 a.m.By Tom Held

Lakeshore State Park closing early tonight

The week-old state park sculpted from the island off the Summerfest grounds will close an hour early tonight and July 3 to accommodate fireworks displays.

Clarke Johnson, superintendent of Lakeshore State Park, said the bridge to the island will be open throughout the 11-day Summerfest run and the park will be open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., with the two fireworks exceptions.

During the summer, the park will close early a total of 16 nights for the fireworks displays launched from the island.

7 comments:

xoff said...

The worst part is that the fireworks easily could have been launched from a barge, allowing the park to stay open, but Summerfest pleaded poverty, played the Milwaukee media like a violin, and got everyone to cave in.

James Rowen said...

Summerfest has long behaved as if it were the only tenant in the neighborhood.

I'm sure the thousands of new downtown residents get sick of their windows being rattled every weekend of the summer, and then some, by the endless barrages.

Jim Bouman said...

It's all over.

I live a half mile from the Waukesha County fairgrounds. Every hillbilly music weekend and car show has its dose of fireworks.

I can ignore it, but it makes a quivering, hide-under-the-bed mess of our dog.

James Rowen said...

You got that right.

Anonymous said...

This is sounding fairly curmudgeonly.

But if Milwaukeeans didn't like the fireworks, the festivals wouldn't have them.

I live about a mile from the festival grounds and barely heard them last night.

Maybe it was because they are set off further away from me now that they are in the park. I live in Milwaukee's fashionable East Side.

And how many people would be using the park at night anways?

Anonymous said...

It is a tradition...why do people feel they have to always complain about something....If you don't like the fireworks wear earplugs and don't look up!

James Rowen said...

As I said, the 3rd and 4th are traditions.

But the other 12-14? I think not.