Crested Butte fireworks poll shows split over event

Best suggestion: Hire William Buck to burn $1,000 bills!

The great Crested Butte fireworks survey is complete and the results definitely show… a split in the community over the issue. The survey was available on the town website for the month of September.

Fifty-four people took the time to answer the five-question survey and submit comments. Twenty-five people said the town should fund fireworks, while 26 said the town shouldn’t contribute the funds. Thirteen people said they would contribute personally to a fireworks show. Seventeen people said the fireworks display should alternate between Crested Butte and Mt. Crested Butte each year. Eleven said the fireworks should be only in the town of Crested Butte and 13 said fireworks belong in Mt. Crested Butte. Four people said there should be no fireworks.
Many of the survey participants included comments, and many of those were interesting. For example:
“If you really need to waste money, energy and scare all the wildlife in a 10-mile radius, go for it.”
“I like the town and Mt. Crested Butte having displays on different days—makes the whole holiday more festive.”
“Get with Mt. Crested Butte, stop acting like a bunch of spoiled brats, and have it in Crested Butte one year, the next in Mt. Crested Butte on July 4th and split the cost! Grow up!!!!!!”
“I personally think they are wasteful and disruptive [noise pollution]. I think a laser light show, fire twirlers, music would be a great alternative.”
“Total waste of funds—to pay the Chinese to celebrate American independence???”
“It’s ridiculous to have both towns do fireworks. Money can be used for better projects.”
“Perhaps we could spend the money on an amazing laser light system that could be used over and over again to project from town to the flatirons of Crested Butte Mountain… We’d actually get more bang for the buck.”
“I don’t care where they are held just as long as visitors get to see one.”
“In these difficult economic times, spending $1,000 a minute to go up in smoke is irresponsible. $3,000 to keep free Nordic skiing on Town Ranch is a better use of funds—it will serve the community all winter.”
“I like having two displays. It’s twice as much fun and gives the many people already in town two shows.”
(Editor’s Note: This is my favorite) “Let’s hire William Buck to stand on Elk Avenue and burn $1,000 bills instead of fireworks. Think of the PUBLICITY! Good for BUSINESS!”
The Crested Butte Town Council received the survey results Monday night. “Well, this doesn’t clear up a thing,” commented Councilperson Jim Schmidt. “It’s pretty much split right down the middle. People are passionate on all sides. I don’t want to be the Grinch that stole the Fourth of July, but it sort of leans toward alternating years for hosting the displays with Mt. Crested Butte.”
“There are communities in Colorado like Avon that we don’t want to be like. They just launch them on the closest Saturday to the Fourth,” said citizen and fireworks aficionado Alan Bernholtz. “I do appreciate the effort the town has made to try to compromise with Mt. Crested Butte and hope you continue that effort. It looks funny to the public that we can’t seem to get along over this.”
“Maybe we alternate years whether Mt. Crested Butte does or not,” suggested Councilperson John Wirsing. “We can budget $5,000 every year and fire them off every other year.”
“There is still a lot to talk about with fireworks,” observed Mayor Leah Williams overseeing her last full meeting. “It looks like the new council can try to tackle it. There is no follow-up action at this time.”
“Maybe the town should get rid of the ordinance not allowing the public to launch fireworks,” suggested Bernholtz. “Then there could be a lot of displays all over town and it would be free. It’s just a suggestion.”
The results are available on the Crested Butte town website. Go to www.crestedbutte-co.gov/, click on the Town Council tab, town council then the E-Packets tab and there is a link to the results from the October 17 meeting agenda.