Additional Fireworks Info

      Prior to this Saturday’s meeting the board would like to provide the  membership with information we recently obtained. Northstar, the company that provides the fireworks show,  requires 8-10 hours to prepare and during this time they are required by the State of Vermont to provide a safety zone with a radius of 420 feet around the site. This would essentially require closing the rail trail beginning at noon on the day of the fireworks.  We contacted the Vermont Agency of Transportation, the department which manages the rail trail, and they will not permit us to close the trail for that length of time. The options we are left with are to either provide a detour onto Route 15 or locate another acceptable site for the fireworks. The Board of Directors feels initiating a detour would entail incurring significant additional expenses but more importantly result in potential serious unacceptable safety issues.

     As I indicated, the prescribed safety zone is a circle with a radius of 420 feet. An exception can be made if the fireworks are launched from near the shoreline and angled over the pond. In that situation, the requirement would change to 280 feet behind the launch site.  Some have inquired if we have contacted Northstar yet to investigate alternative sites, but the board felt it prudent to wait until the question of even proceeding with fireworks is decided at our meeting.     

      Again I would encourage everyone to attend this Saturday’s meeting when we anticipate making a decision of the future of fireworks.

 Joe Hebert

President  JPA