Watching The Sky Come Alive

Growing up in Sun Valley (just over La Tuna Canyon), I remember how excited my sister and I would be as Independence Day approached and my dad would take us to the local stand to buy fireworks. “Safe and Sane” and “Red Devil” are two descriptions that come to my mind when remembering what we were looking for when choosing our fireworks.

There were boxed sets that you could buy that included “Piccolo Pete” that would scream with a high pitched whistle when lit or a “Roman candle” that would spout colored sparks. I remember lighting the tail end of a “snake” that unfurled and smoked and ended up leaving black marks on our brick patio. And there were the sparklers that you held in your hand while dancing around, usually singing the “Star Spangled Banner” while your mom told you to be careful.

Back then to enjoy a professional display, you’d have to travel to the beach where there was a pier that would shoot them off or maybe head to Anaheim and hope to see them near Disneyland.

When I married Steve in 1981, we discovered that if we went up to the Pinecrest area of La Crescenta, on a clear July 4th night we could see the fireworks at Dodger Stadium. If we were adventurous, we’d drive close to the Rose Bowl and watch the display from our car.

Nowadays, though, we don’t have to travel all that far to see some of the best fireworks around. For the past several years, the Crescenta Valley Fireworks Assn. has organized a phenomenal show right here at La Crescenta Elementary School. The display, which starts at dusk, is high quality – comparable to a show you’d find at Dodger Stadium – and affordable: presale tickets are just $7; $10 at the gate. In addition to the fireworks, there’s live music, food, games and the chance to relax and visit with your friends and neighbors. It really can’t be beat.

The folks who are on the Crescenta Valley Fireworks Assn. are all volunteers – they do this for the love of their community. Organizing an event of this magnitude demands a lot of love – and time. They freely give that. But we as a community also have a responsibility to step up and offer financial support.

For the last two weeks, inside the Crescenta Valley Weekly you found an envelope in which you could send a donation to the CV Fireworks Assn. to show your support and your appreciation for the countless hours it takes to get the insurance, hire the pyrotechnics, arrange for the food trucks, organize the carnival, etc. to bring this show that we’ve come to enjoy each year to the foothills. You might be thinking, “Darn! I wish I had sent that check in, but I forgot.” Good news! You have another opportunity to send that check in because in this week’s Crescenta Valley Weekly is another donation envelope.

As you can imagine, it takes thousands of dollars to put a show on of this scope and Crescenta Valley Weekly is proud to have a part in getting that money to the association. Please take a minute and send a check for any  amount to show your support for this community event.

And hopefully I’ll also see you at the show on July 4th as we join together to celebrate living in this nation – and in this community.

  robin goldsworthy