I just got off the phone with the special events department that holds our permit. They have not been given official word yet. They are having a meeting at 4:30 and should have official word by 6:00 pm. He feels comfortable with my announcing all of this and that it’s a pretty sure bet that all shows for Friday are cancelled and weather-permitting will be Saturday so people may start to make plans, but he stressed that he had not been given official word yet.

There are a few stipulations regarding the Saturday show and the storm as well. All governing and permitting parties must agree that every step of the procedure is safe to be carried out under weather conditions. The barge is supposed to be loaded Friday. It is supposed to leave dock Saturday at 9 a.m. and travel the waterways for about nine hours to get in place in the bay. Conditions must be safe throughout that time period. As always, this is a fluid situation, as all hurricanes are, and as soon as I have official word, you’ll have it. We’re all in this together. Plans C and D are also in the works, so rest assured we will have our explosive day!

There is concern about the projected path of Tropical Storm Arthur. Representatives are working with the fire marshal, public safety, Virginia Beach special events, the Coast Guard and the city manager’s office on safe and manageable alternatives. Additionally, the fireworks vendor is working very hard to establish backups to even the backups in place should we need them. One way or another, one day or another, this show will go on–safely for everyone. Shore Drive doesn’t let storms ruin our fun! Please look for updates here on our website, the Ocean Park Facebook page, and in your personal emails if the civic league has your address for upcoming information regarding the fireworks show. In the meantime please keep up with weather updates and make sure you’re personally battened down and safe.

Ocean Park Civic League

General Membership Meeting: May 8, 2014, 7:30 p.m.

Ocean Park Volunteer Fire & Rescue Squad

AGENDA

Meeting called to Order

Pledge of Allegiance

Presentations:

Crime Report – Officer Marcus Johnson, 3rd Precinct
Summer Enforcement
President’s Remarks

Establishment of Quorum

Minutes of March 6, 2013 Meeting (Kristie Zeiler) – Approval

Treasurer’s Report (Todd Parker)

Old Business:

Audit of Accounts
Update on Crab Creek sand stockpile
New Business:

Vote on $10,000 Naming Rights donation to CBF
Report from Ad Hoc Committee on Governmental Affairs & Zoning – Scope of Activities
Nominating Committee for 2015 Officers
CBF Report: Christy Everette

Committee & Liaison Reports: As Needed

Announcements:

Next Meeting – September 11, 2nd Thursday due to Labor Day
Adjourn Meeting

Hello neighbors,

Ron Silva at VA Pyro, our fireworks vendor since we started doing a professional show, sent the attached letter of explanation for the delay in the finale.

Here are the answers to several other questions that have come up as a result of this year’s show:

Could there have been some kind of announcement made at the time to let the community know what was happening?
There has been a suggestion that we might have minimized the disappointment by somehow announcing what was wrong in real time. Unfortunately, due to the crisis-management nature of the situation, the answer to the cause of the delay, approximate time it would take to pull together a finale and whether or not it would even work, an announcement in real-time was impossible. It was a very fluid and evolving situation and the outcome at the time was not evident.

Was the company the same we’ve used in the past?
Yes, it is the same company as always, but different shooter on the barge.

Why did the location change? It looked like it was closer to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel than expected.
The barge was in the exact spot as last year, as determined by landmarks and GPS coordinates. I walked down just to make sure. It’s always directly in front of Rookery Way in Aeries, Ocean Park. It’s the dead center GPS point of the three communities. It is also far enough from the Bay Bridge Tunnel as determined by numerous permitting agencies. The distance from shore is determined both by permitting agencies and the tide/draft of the barge. The barge was further east in the afternoon and then moved into position after the yacht was moved by marine police.

Do we compare prices and look at the recommendations of other shows around the area?
Yes, of course. While we have a track record of this company working well with our community, the best interests of the community are always the main priority, from financial, safety and satisfaction standpoints.

Did the company, at any time react in an inappropriate or unsafe manner?
The fireworks show requires many permits from many agencies before getting final approval by the fire marshal and the city. All requirements were met or exceeded by the company. In addition, I am aware of the stringent emergency response training voluntarily required by the company. They use many of the same experienced shooters and staff year after year, so the employee turnover is minimal while the employee experience is increased every year. After viewing footage of some of the shows throughout the country that had major issues, I feel even more grateful that we have a barge instead of a land show. The barge puts it safely out of range of the viewers and is clearly worth the extra cost. I will add that I have seen the photos of the incident, and because of the way VA Pyro sets up a barge show, only the one rack was affected. Unlike other shows with malfunctions throughout the country, the damage and possible malfunction of other racks of shells was eliminated. Because of that, the crew on the barge was able to assess the situation, recoup and provide a belated finale for our show.

Please take the time to read his letter of the explanation of the experience. While I am sorry and saddened that some neighbors were disappointed in this year’s show, I do understand that explosives, like weather, are sometimes unpredictable. In this case, there might be a larger picture that still needs closer examination as to the cause. That being said, we can only learn from this experience and continue to try and outdo last year’s performance.

In closing, it’s difficult to top last year. We have set a very high standard. This is the way I see it: we had gorgeous weather, a perfect start time, the fireworks were enjoyable until the fire, I got to watch them with my favorite people, I didn’t have to drive anywhere or deal with parking hassles, no one was seriously hurt and although there was a gap, we had an incredible finale. The only way I can look at it is positively and improve based on what was learned. The fireworks vendor agrees, and is learning more as the days go on. There will likely be more information to share and I plan to have a complete report in the September newsletter. I will share information at the September civic league meeting as well. Additionally, Ron Silva, the company owner, has expressed a willingness to participate in a community follow-up meeting, should we request one.

Thank you for this year’s support and for supporting future shows in the best community in Virginia Beach. Happy belated Fourth of July!

Jill Doczi

Use the PayPal button above to make contributions to the Shore Drive Civic League’s fireworks committee. The goal, for a major fireworks show on the 4th of July, 2014 is $10,000. The last four shows were spectacular and were enjoyed by some of the largest crowds ever assembled on our beach.

The 2014 fireworks display will be held on Friday, July 4th at 9:15 PM.

The Shore Drive Civic Leagues Fireworks Committee is a small group of Shore Drive residents who are trying to organize a professional fireworks show on our beaches to celebrate our Nations birth. We have the support of all three civic leagues from Lesner Bridge to JEB Little Creek.  This show will be for Shore Drive residents, paid for by Shore Drive Residents and businesses. This show will obviously be open to anyone who has access to our beaches, but the show will not be advertised outside of the Shore Drive corridor.