Staring into the black Independence Day night from a stretched-out Indian blanket, the sky was set on fire.
Erupting with brilliant showers of colored light accompanied by shock waves of bursting sound that echoed across the City of Norwich, I was brought back to fond childhood memories of fireworks on the 4th of July.
Always fascinated with the displays and longing to launch one off myself, I contacted Majestic Fireworks Inc., in anticipation of this year’s show to see if I could get a closer look.
The company’s owners, husband and wife Edward and Joan Bielby, were brave enough to invite me down to the Chenango County Fairgrounds this past weekend as they set up 1,153 fireworks used in Norwich’s show.
Arriving at around 2 p.m., with two extra crewmen, it still took the couple nearly five hours to set up.
“Why do I do it?” said Ed, repeating my question in a tone to make me feel like I had asked a stupid one.
“The thrill of it, the feeling of being on the edge – the show to me is the best part,” he said.
“We always joked that if he got killed doing this, he’d die doing something he loved,” said Joan, who darted a comical yet concerned look at her husband, who responded with a glance and a grin.
Obviously, a couple after my own heart.
I had my own illegal experience in my youth with setting off our own fireworks purchased over the border in Pennsylvania. When I first contacted the couple, I imagined a giant streaking rocket cutting through the air with sparks of ignition gnawing at my back as I pulled away from lighting a three-second fuse just a little too late. This was not the case and like usual, New York State looking out for the welfare of the public ruined all my fun.
“Can I see that?” I asked, after Ed revealed an 8-inch diameter explosive charge that was to be one of three to highlight Saturday’s display.
Again, repeating in that tone, “Can you see it?” said Ed, “No, no you can’t. You can’t light them or handle them, it’s the law. We could lose our business and these things are dangerous if you don’t know what you doing.”
Joan pulled me aside and explained. Fireworks are classified as 1.3 in New York State on the scale of licensed explosives. 1.1 is for dynamite, 1.2 for black powder, 1.4 are common low level fireworks like sparklers. New York State forbids all the above to the public without a proper license.
Majestic Fireworks, based in Westmoreland, is a large operation in central New York and employs 45 workers, many certified to handle fireworks. They have been coming to perform the Norwich show since it began and they also put on the annual display at the New York State Fair. Joan and Ed founded the company 30 years ago.
