RVRGIRL
Taurus
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Poopsie Bubble Buns
 
Lake Havasu City, AZ
Posts: 2,220
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Post Rank: 29
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Posted: Feb. 18 2007,9:30 am |
Post # 12 |
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Thousands gather for Winter Blast
BY TONY RAAP
Saturday, February 17, 2007 10:47 PM MST
July Fourth, eat your heart out.
Several thousand people on Saturday converged at SARA Park for the 18th annual Winter Blast fireworks show. The crowds, which began filling in several hours before the show, took even the organizers by surprise.
“It's insane,†said Russ Laurie, president of the Western Pyrotechnic Association. “It's pretty crazy. It's packed.â€
The city implemented several rules to cut down on traffic gridlock and congested parking that plagued last year's event. On Saturday, no RVs were allowed in the parking lot during the show. Motorists also could not park on the shoulder of State Route 95.
But even with the changes, parking still was far from perfect. By 5 p.m., SARA Park's parking lot was nearly full, forcing many motorists to park across the highway along the hillside. By 6 p.m., traffic was backed up to South McCulloch Boulevard.
“Even with all the extra traffic controls, it still needs some tweaking to get it right. We've got (WPA) members out there that can't get in,†Laurie said.
Don Smith arrived shortly after 5:30. Traffic was so ensnared he and his wife had to park a quarter mile away, he said.
“We thought we could get in, but they don't have enough parking space,†he said. “There's so many people that come now, so there's always going to be a shortage of parking.â€
Several police officers stood at both of the park's entrances directing traffic. A dozen Community Emergency Response Team, or CERT, members helped with crowd control and security detail.
Spectators began setting up several hours before the show. By 4:30 p.m., the grandstand at Havasu 95 Speedway was nearly full, with crowds spilling out into the surrounding ball fields and parking lots. A sea of folding chairs was seemingly everywhere you looked.
Many adults stood in clusters and chatted while eating barbecue or drinking beer. Several children played hacky sack or threw Frisbees while waiting for the show to start. Two were seen playing hand-held video games in the trunk of a car with the top up.
The fireworks began shortly after 5 p.m. when a voice announced over a loudspeaker that a beige minivan was parked in the fire lane.
“They're not going to tow it. They're going to blow it up instead. Who wants to see the beige minivan blown to hell?†the announcer said.
Seconds later, there was a thunderous boom as laughter rippled through the crowd.
Richard and Julia Petersen watched the show in the parking lot just outside the grandstand. Both were celebrating their birthday.
“This is their birthday present,†their daughter, Monica Urban, said.
Despite some grumbling from other spectators, Urban said she liked the new parking rules.
“You get here early enough and it's fine,†she said. “It's a lot better that the RVs aren't allowed to take over everything. Last year, they all parked here and you couldn't see anything.â€
Farther down, Ron Schuler stood next to his pickup truck as his granddaugher, Samantha Newman, sat on the tailgate. Schuler didn't seem to mind the new parking rules either.
Last year, he brought his toy box and shuttled across the highway in his golf cart. This year, he left the toy box at home and came a few hours earlier.
“It's all good,†he said. “We're close, we're here on the lot, everybody looks like they're having a good time.â€
Saturday's show was Schuler's sixth Winter Blast. He said the “fireworks spectacular†keeps him coming back. Last year's display was “unbelievable. Without a doubt the best fireworks show I've ever been to,†he said.
Winter Blast wraps up tonight at SARA Park. The show will be dedicated to the soldiers who have died in the Iraq War. It will consist of 3,700 titanium salutes, one for each fallen U.S. soldier. The show begins at dusk.
You may contact the reporter at raap@havasunews.com.
 Thats "MRS" RVRGIRL 2 you..... "When life hands you lemons, ask for tequila and salt."
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12-24-2025 Three Word Post.....The Next Generation.... (Rep.#20,034) from: GoFastRacer
Point the camera as far to the right )south) as possible. Might see some "glow".... 
He's in bed sleeping. 
