Bucks for the Bang

The Fourth was a perfect day for a parade and people watching. The crowds were huge and the parade was long… and calm. And then there were the fireworks.
The fireworks were great. Fantastic. Amazing. Dazzling. Fabulous.
And there were lots of fireworks. They were spectacular both on the mountain and in town. It’s amazing what a bucketful of money will provide. $27K brought us two fantastic shows. Which begs the question… like the guy who had a great time on Saturday night at the bar but woke up Sunday, perhaps with a smile on his face, but wondering where the cash in his wallet went… was that ultimately the best place to spend the towns’ cash? Two great shows? At least the individual citizens chipped in huge for the downtown show.
Frankly, either show would have worked to stir the patriotic pride of the valley and cap a pretty wonderful day. Each show was inspiring. And if we all have a bottomless bucket of money, let’s put on three shows next year. But I’d take one fun-tastic display and a discount on what I pay for my kids to play hockey in the town recreation program. Or I’d at least think about taking that money and using it to seed another weekend that really needs a little numbers help. July 4th doesn’t need numbers help but plenty of weekends between now and when the first real snow flies could use a jump-start.
Anyway, let’s see what the town leaders in Crested Butte and Mt. Crested Butte will do for next year… they have 52 weeks to figure it out. Both councils have mini-Fourth of July subcommittees in place to hash out the fireworks issue and the overall holiday weekend. I give a compromise about a 50-50 chance. In which case, we may get to enjoy two extraordinary fireworks shows again in 2011. There are worse things… but there might also be better, long-term, things.