KOLN doesn't give a source for the stat, but they say 30,000 people watched Sunday's fireworks show at Oak Lake Park. Wow. That is a lot of people. I used to be a fan of moving the show back to Holmes Lake, but now I'm not so sure. Is there any way Holmes Lake could support 30,000 people without causing one heck of a logistics nightmare?
There is another advantage I hadn't considered: bigger booms. Apparently, since the Oak Lake area isn't as densely developed the fireworks used out there can be bigger. Show organizers also don't have as limited a "fallout zone", so there is more flexibility with weather and that sort of thing.
KOLN implies there is a geographical, north vs. south side to the Oak Lake vs. Holmes Lake debate. They're probably right to a certain extent. It's sort of a weird reverse-NIMBY situation where people seem to want the noise and traffic closer to their homes.
Maybe one of these days the show will alternate between the two parks. That's what City Council member Jayne Snyder and others want to consider. From the perspective of community cohesion I'm not sure I like that idea. It strongly implies a your turn / our turn perspective that says the two locations are intended for two very different audiences. Do we want the city to support that sort of "the other side of the tracks" mentality?
But back to the original point: I'm very pleased that this year's show went well and that a whopping 30,000 were able to attend the rescheduled show. Bravo!
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It was awesome and I have never been that close to pro fireworks going off. LSO did a pretty good job as well.
I was fortunate enough to be on my bike and was back home in less than an hour and really enjoyed my front row view. The booms were big too. There were a lot of people, but it did not seem densely packed. I was able to carve my way near the stage with ease.
Back when I was a kid I remember my family parking their car on a grassy hill to the east of Holmes. Now that the area is so developed I have no idea where I would park, or if I would even try.
So….its okay to have it (noise/smoke) in the proximity of your home (south lincolnites) except when you don’t want it in the proximity of your home (my kids and their snap and pops/sparklers/ground flowers, etc). Ill make a note of that.
Maybe they should do two shows each year. One on the 3rd or 5th at one park, and one on the 4th at the other. Get private donors to pick up the tab for one as “sponsors.” Win/win.
All you fireworks haters can kiss my you-know-what. Hide under the bed with your dogs. I hate dog crap that your dog leaves behind in my yard, so you can put up with 2 nights of my legal-in-Lincoln fireworks.
Speaking of Lincoln and fireworks. IN THESE ECONOMIC TIMES, wouldn’t it be prudent to revisit limiting the sale to 2 days? Why let all those sales and tax dollars leave the city and go to Hickman and Bennett and Roca and Greenwood (and maybe Rockport)? Why not give it like July 1-4 and keep more of those dollars and tax dollars in the city?
Or at least why not look at it on a an annual basis and give some consideration to when the holiday falls during the week/weekend, etc.?
major midwest Dittoes brother.
How about new years sales too. Down south they shoot stuff during Xmas and new years.
I thought it was great when they allowed sales and fireworks in December of 1999.
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