January 28, 2005

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Publication Date: Friday, January 28, 2005

'Bring back the fireworks,' says commissioner

A Pleasanton resident wants to put the firepower back into the city's Fourth of July celebration.

Since the fireworks at the Alameda County Fair were cancelled after a shooting at the Fair on July 4, 1998, a committee of volunteers has organized a community celebration at Lions Wayside Park. The old-fashioned family event features picnics, speeches and the Pleasanton Community Band playing patriotic songs, plus the Lions Club sells hot dogs and sodas for just 25 cents.

But the city's celebration is missing something, says Kurt Kummer, a member of the Parks and Recreation Commission and organizer of the Bernal Block Party last May.

"I want to see fireworks again, and it bugs me that we don't have them," Kummer said. "I can't think of a more American town than Pleasanton and we're missing out."

Before 1998, residents could opt to be at the Fair for the Fourth of July, or watch the fireworks from another vantage point around town. But now if they want to see professional pyrotechnics on Independence Day they must go to San Ramon or to Livermore.

"We would love to have fireworks back on the Fourth because we feel it's a great community asset," said April Chase, marketing manager for the Fair. "But we feel it's in our best interest, and the best interest of the public as well, to follow the recommendation of the Alameda County Sheriff's Department."

"The fireworks are no problem," said Lt. Jim Knudsen of the Alameda County Sheriff's Department. "We've learned we can't handle the large crowd."

He said the fireworks had been phased out at the County Fair during the 1980s for this reason but were reinstated until the shooting took place in 1998. A 23-year-old man was arrested after a shooting spree in the carnival that night which injured eight people. A rock concert by musician Peter Frampton had taken place that day, but the fireworks were cancelled after the shooting.

"Clearly the individual didn't care about fireworks," Knudsen said, adding that he is in prison for 30 years.

"On the Fourth of July at the Fair, young folks were coming from all over," Knudsen recalled. "It became the place to come and do your thing. The fireworks aren't until dark, usually about 9:30 at that time of year. At that time a lot of the displays are closed, they all go to one area, and the crowding gets to be too much."

Chase said that Fair attendance of 40,000-45,000 on one day is considered very large, but it would draw up to 65,000 people on the Fourth when it had fireworks. "It would peak drastically," she noted.

She said that every year they have safety meetings with the fire and police departments and the Sheriff's Department to look at ways to increase public safety.

"It comes up every year, the possibility of having fireworks on the Fourth of July," Chase said, "and the recommendation of the Sheriff's Department is to have the fireworks on opening night." It also becomes a greater liability for the Fair Association.

"As long as the Sheriff's Department can't guarantee security it means the insurance company won't cover it," said Kummer.

He wants to explore other options within the city, and he received the support of his fellow members of the Parks and Recreation Commission at their last meeting to bring the idea to the City Council.

"It's unlikely, given the timing, that it would happen this year," said Jim Wolfe, director of Parks and Community Services. "It's more to see what interest the council would have in actually doing a fireworks display."

According to the staff report for that meeting, the Fairgrounds has made great efforts to modify its activities on July 4 to attract families and promote it as a "safe place to be." The Fair does not allow any admittance after 6 p.m. that day.

Kummer suggested the Bernal property as a possible venue for fireworks. But the report noted the open area was near homes plus presented logistical problems such as parking and freeway traffic; it recommended on-going discussions with the Alameda County Fair Board about resuming its fireworks on the Fourth of July.

The cost of fireworks shows such as those in San Ramon and Livermore is in the $27,000-$33,000 range, but the addition of costs to provide fire inspections, security and cleanup raises the cost to $70,000, according to a report from the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department.

Nonetheless Kummer intends to continue his quest. "How can we get a fireworks display in Pleasanton somewhere, some way?" he asked. KKIQ provides a music program that both the Livermore and San Ramon shows coordinate with, and he wants Pleasanton to be included.

"We should have fireworks and John Phillips Souza marches," he said.

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