Photos by Charly SHELTON

By Mary O’KEEFE

About 5,000 people enjoyed a loud and colorful display of fireworks at the 11th Annual Crescenta Valley Fireworks event on Tuesday.
“I thought it was a great event,” said Steve Pierce, member of the CV Fireworks Assn. CV Fireworks Assn. is a group of volunteers that organizes the annual celebration. The event is paid for by donations from businesses and individuals and by ticket sales.
Several food trucks were on-site and the cooks were kept very busy, as was the face painter/tattoo artist, and inflatable toys like slides and bounce houses kept kids occupied until the fireworks show began at dusk.
The gates opened at 4 p.m. but for the 30-plus volunteers the day began much earlier as fencing had to be put in place, barricades erected and tables and chairs set up for a dining area.
State Senator Anthony Portantino was the master of ceremony for the events on stage, a role he has held for many years. Assemblymember Laura Friedman stopped by earlier in the day and Congressman Adam Schiff came by to wish everyone a happy holiday, something that he has done every year. After he stepped off the stage there was a long and steady line of people who wanted to talk to him about a variety of issues. He stayed to listen to those with concerns and opinions and posed for photos.
The music that kept everyone dancing and tapping their feet came from local bands. Eli Locke and his band kicked things off followed by Title Wave with Mike Perry. Locals saw a familiar face at the piano – former captain of the Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station, now retired, Dave Silversparre.
The national anthem was sung by Annie Blood, a 2017 Crescenta Valley High School graduate.
“She was fantastic,” Pierce said.
Between the activities, entertainment and food, there was plenty to keep everyone busy but it was the fireworks that everyone came to see.
“I am feeling good about [the show],” said Robert “Hutch” Hutchinson prior to the event. Hutch has overseen the CV fireworks display for the last several years.
He said that Fireworks America supplies the shells for the show and has never let him and his crew down.
“I don’t think people realize how choreographed the show is,” he added. “When [the music] sings red, white and blue, there will be red, white and blue in the sky. If it mentions golden waves of grain there will be amber in the sky.”
This year there were also shells that were intended to spell out USA. Some of those worked, but some were upside down or backwards.
“There are almost as many three-inch shells in the last 15 seconds of the show, in the finale, as there are in the [entire] show,” Hutch added.
There were also more “cakes” than last year. Cakes are the low-level fireworks, but they still go about 150 feet into the air.
“I think those are the most interesting. They don’t go quite as high but they are a payoff for the people who pay to see the show,” he said.
The event this year though was bittersweet as earlier in the day the news came that Warren Boehm had passed away.
“I thought it was ironic that he passed away on a day that was so important to him. He was our Mr. Fireworks,” Pierce said.
Boehm was a founding member of the CV Fireworks Assn. and still served on the board. In recent years he was unable to do any of the heavy lifting but was still at every event, always there to help with what he could, Pierce said.
Boehm was a strong community supporter who was on several boards and had served on Montrose Search and Rescue for many years.
“He was such a nice guy and he meant so much to our community,” Pierce said. “He never said one bad word about anyone … he was old-school and respected everyone’s opinion. You don’t find that much anymore.”
Pierce asked for a moment of silence from the audience for Boehm just before the fireworks began.
There were some downsides to the day’s festivities. Pierce said that some people had complained about the restrictions regarding bringing food and only chairs with rounded legs onto the field. The restrictions are issued by Glendale Unified School District and are required due to the artificial turf field and track. They are the same rules followed by athletes and their audiences during specific sport seasons.
Pierce said he understood these restrictions might seem extreme to some; however, if they did not agree to follow them there would be no fireworks. The restrictions were on the CV Fireworks website, on the tickets and shared in the media and social media.
The CV fireworks display used to be held at the La Crescenta Elementary School just east of Crescenta Valley High School but new construction prevents that location from being used for the fireworks show.
Members of the CV Fireworks Assn. will now take some time off but soon start planning for the 2018 show.

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