The Observation Deck

We all know that fireworks are sometimes troublesome, sometimes expensive and
sometimes it's grand. 2014 was grand! This marked Fire Chief Scott Gilman's 32nd
fireworks show. His first was the infamous show where everything went off at once! This one
which was reported to be over $33,000 went off perfectly, and Mayor Mike Summers will
be remembered not for the year that didn't happen, but the year it was perfect.

Here are some photos, and at the end, High Definition video of the entire show. City Hall
brought their A-Game and so did we. Thank you to everyone that made this possible.



As the parade arrived, Pyrotechnico out of Newcastle PA, was in their second day putting the show up.


Avoid trucks with this sticker!


Lots of tubes!




By the time I got there, this was all that was left to do.


The 4" shells. A shell travels roughly 75 feet per inch around.


Length of tube also matters.


Seems like not a lot of fire fighting capabilities!


Loaded tubes.


Ready to go...


...on a perfect summer evening!


Oooooooooo, ahhhhhhh-- wait that is just neighborhood works!





















Oh, what is the purpose of photos. Video is better for this, so we recorded the entire show in high
definition color, without any obstructions.

Mayor Summers, City Hall, Lakewood Fire and Police did such a great job, let's roll the
video!

Part 1


Part 2


Part 3 - The final 9 minutes and finale!!!


Thank you, City of Lakewood, Mayor Michael P. Summers, Lakewood Fire and Police, all
of the volunteers, Melissa Garrett, and everyone for a great day in Lakewood!

Thanks Jim. Great pics & video

A couple years ago I did a short piece about how many people watch Fireworks in Lakewood,
and how far away our visitors come in from. Another interesting angle was how many places
people in Lakewood watch the fireworks from.

I have seen viewing parties in Lakewood as far away as RTA on Lakewood Heights. I have tried to
watched them from in the mayor's box, to a boat, to the roof of the Caryle, to I-90 with a
spotting scope. I have had the pleasure of enjoying the show with people at parties in yards,
parking lots, roofs, Giant Eagle, all over. Last night people were lining up chairs on Detroit, Madison
Park, filing the stands at Kauffman Park all having fun waiting for the show.

And before each year The Lakewood Project plays, and fills the air with great band music covering
4th of July standards to the music the High School Band likes to play. The impact on Lakewood
cannot be measured. The parade, the cookouts, the parties, the music in the air, and of course
the fireworks.


Ten seconds of the Lakewood Project from 4 blocks away from the park.
Lakewood was alive!.

I know there are often comments about cost, how the city does things, why? how? Yesterday
Lakewood came together. The Mayor was mayoral, his crews were professional, the fire and
police were on their game, and the residents of Lakewood opened their streets, hearts, and
good time to visitors from all over for some hometown fun.

When Lakewood is on its game, it is spectacular.

Thank you all.

Party on.

My family is fortunate to have friends who live pretty much right across the street on Lake. So we have a great time every year with other friends, and friends of friends, co-mingling. I'm sure thousands and thousands of other Lakewoodites have long-since figured out good ways to take in this spectacle. And outsiders whose communities don't offer such a spectacle.

And what a show! Best I've seen here since 1985 when my wife and I moved into our first Lakewood apartment. It's hard to overstate how something like this brings so much positive attention to Lakewood. Too bad the "national media" didn't bother to attend. Tunes might have changed and the small sacrifices needed to pull something like this off would not have been just understandable, but much appreciated.

I could not believe the mass of people streaming by the place after the show. It took us 30 minutes before any of us could move our car, but nobody complained! Not before, not after....

Kudos! It was a great day for the City.