Majestic Fireworks Community Comes Together on July 4 Dunkin' Donuts
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The Calendar: Summer Afternoon lasts through December | Page 7 FRIDAY, JUNE 29, 2012 69 MAIN ST., COLD SPRING, N.Y. | www.philipstown.info Community Dunkin’ Donuts Comes Together Study Predicts on July 4 No Traffic Event has deep roots in Problems village tradition Historic Review Board sets By Kevin E. Foley public hearing on design ommunity Day 2012, the fourth in plans for July 11 a recent series of annual July 4 cel- Cebrations, is set to take place this By Liz Schevtchiuk Armstrong coming Wednesday. The event, however, does have deeper than recent roots with- new study predicts minimal in Cold Spring tradition. impact on traffic from convert- Begun anew in 2009 as an initiative of A ing the Elmesco car garage into then Mayor Anthony Phillips, Communi- a Dunkin’ Donuts franchise, complete ty Days go back in time to the 1960s and with drive-through service window, at ‘70s as events that brought people togeth- Cold Spring’s Foodtown Plaza complex er for fun and games and fireworks and on Route 9D. “No significant delays to just sharing some relaxed good times. traffic on Route 9D, or in the local road “I remember putting together Commu- network, are projected to result from this nity Days when I was a member of the project,” the study declared. Philipstown Jaycees,” said Cold Spring But the report, prepared by Tim Miller Deputy Mayor Bruce Campbell, once Associates, Inc. of Cold Spring, does not again charged with organizing duties. discuss how Dunkin’ Donuts traffic will “We had a huge parade in ’76,” he recalled maneuver inside the plaza after turning Photo courtesy of Majestic Fireworks about the national bicentennial year. off 9D. Instead, the document looks at Campbell speculated that the event de- “site access in detail and … intersection clined in part because the same people Majestic Fireworks operations in the vicinity of the subject were responsible for putting it together. site.” Bielby has designed will take place over “People burn out,” he said a little rue- Clinton couple plans In the project, Ken Elmes, a Hopewell the course of the next 10 days, primar- fully, underscoring the need for more Junction resident who owns Elmesco ily in New York with a few scheduled in people to be involved in the planning fireworks display for Citgo Inc., a gas station and auto-repair Pennsylvania. Though a show may only operation, seeks to convert his garage Community Day last 30 minutes, Bielby invests countless into both a Dunkin’ Donuts outlet and hours to plan, choreograph and set up By Mary Ann Ebner convenience mart, while retaining the the fireworks presentations. At the close gasoline-pump sales. The doughnut shop of the 2011 season, Bielby spent weeks re- oan and Ed Bielby share an un- would be next door to a building housing viewing the latest fireworks shells, color derstanding. As a happily married an existing carry-out coffee-and-pastry arrangements and new DVDs showcas- couple as well as business partners, shop, the Main Course, and nearly on top J ing enhanced elements of fireworks dis- they strive to keep things exciting. The of the Foodtown grocery (which also sup- plays. Though some competitors may secrets to a lasting marriage may remain plies carry-out food), as well as a stone’s beat them on paper, the Bielbys boast throw from the coffee-dispensing conve- a mystery, but the Bielbys, owners of Ma- that “they never beat us in the air.” nience shop Daily Product at the adjacent jestic Fireworks based in Clinton, N.Y., What may look seamless to crowds Yannitelli liquor store–Drug World plaza. have mastered the formula to produce who gather under the stars to watch dis- The study says that such factors do not exciting fireworks presentations. They’ve play fireworks takes training, precision, come into play in local government de- lit up the sky with choreographed color caution and care to perform. According cisions about Dunkin’ Donuts, warning for nearly 35 years, and their pyrotech- to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Fire- that “the Cold Spring zoning code, simi- nics company returns to Cold Spring arms and Explosives, any person engag- lar to all codes in the State of New York, July 4 to share the excitement of a Com- ing in fireworks must obtain a Federal ex- addresses land uses, not land users.” munity Day fireworks display at Dock- plosives license or permit from the ATF. The garage conversion is being con- side Park. When a fireworks shell shoots out of sidered by two separate panels of the Trustee Bruce Campbell, Community The Village of Cold Spring awarded one of the launching pipes, it moves at Cold Spring village government. One, Day organizer and deputy mayor the fireworks contract to Majestic Fire- 300 miles per hour. Accidents do hap- the Historic District Review Board, has Photo by L.S. Armstrong works, Inc. for an encore presentation af- pen in the industry, but prevention is scheduled a public hearing on the contro- ter a successful first run in 2011 that was preached like a religion. Majestic Fire- and execution. versial project at 8 p.m., Wednesday, July celebrated on a rain date but ultimately works typically assigns a team of three Beginning at 3 p.m., when this year’s (Continued on page 3) illuminated the local sky with vibrant men, though they do employ a few hus- parade steps off on Chestnut Street (per- displays. band-and-wife teams, to administer a haps fittingly in front of the controversial “This is our second year in Cold show comparable to the Community Day Butterfield Hospital property), the seven- Spring,” Joan Bielby said. “The excite- fireworks display in Cold Spring. hour program includes something for ment never goes down, and each show Pyrotechnicians on site wear helmets Maloney Wins just about everybody who enjoys spend- just gets better. My husband puts all our with face masks along with ear protec- ing time amidst the people with whom tion. They also wear flame retardant Primary Race they share life in Philipstown. shows together, and I tell him that if I’m clothing and follow safety protocols. While a Cold Spring Village sponsored ever bored with a show, I’m retiring, so (See page 5) Once launching pipes are loaded with event, Campbell emphasized in an inter- he has to make every show exciting.” shells, the equipment stays loaded until view that all of Philipstown and visitors As he heads into a busy “Fourth of (Continued on page 2) July” season, nearly 85 shows that Ed shells are lit. If (Continued on page 2) Community Day Fireworks Sponsored by Philipstown.info Wednesday, July 4 See schedule on page 2. 2 June 29, 2012 The Paper www.philipstown.info | Philipstown.info Schedule of Events Majestic Wednesday, July 4 Fireworks (from page 1) COMMUNITY DAY a show is set up and a downpour of rain moves into the vicinity, company policy JULY 4, 2012 holds that technicians will delay a show, but that the show must go on as the ac- SCHEDULE OF EVENTS cident rate is substantially higher when loaded shells are removed from launch- ing pipes. Once pipes are loaded, Ed and Joan Bielby will not allow shells to be 3 p.m. Parade starts on Chestnut Street by removed. Chestnut Ridge Apartments and “If we are set up and get a downpour, proceeds down Main Street to the we wait because once they are loaded, we bandstand go. Everyone who works for us is certified and federally and state cleared,” Bielby 3:50 p.m. Opening announcements said. “All of our guys have been with us forever, and we have been accident-free 3:55 p.m. Donald MacDonald, town historian, for 35 years.” honored at the bandstand When the community gathers July 4 at Dockside Park, bursts of colors, streams 4 p.m. Bicycle decorating contest of sparks, showers of stars, and fireworks 4:10 p.m. Hudson Valley Shakespeare to perform fountains will grace the night sky. The Bielbys manufacture a few of their own on the dock designs, but the company imports most 4:25 p.m. Hudson Valley Dance Studio to perform of their willowy trails of glittering stars from China, as the Bielbys acknowledged on the dock that fireworks designs from China large- 4:30 p.m. Reading of the Declaration of ly surpassed most of their own. Some of their show elements may be Independence imported, but Majestic Fireworks deliv- 4:35 p.m. Jason Gisser (funky acoustic soul rock) ers homegrown choreography. Bielby opens with a big splash of color, and af- performing at bandstand ter a star-studded opening moves into the body of the show, which produces AT DOCKSIDE PARK plenty of crowd reaction. The mid-show echoes with bursts and booms and rages 3:30-7:30 p.m. Tsunami water slide with color, and this is when many Majes- 5-10 p.m. Purple Kniff tic crowds often think the show is nearly over. But the choreographer is merely Walrus building momentum. He pops back into Work of the Weavers the body of the show producing foun- Six Stories Told tains of light and throttling explosions. The Grand Slambovians The show then erupts with the excite- ment he saves for last. A large display ex- 9 p.m. Fireworks plodes in the center of the air show, while smaller finales burst on each side. With each finale Joan experiences in their family business productions, she VENDORS puts off retirement. “Your little heart just gets pumping,” Bielby said. “The finales Cold Spring Lions Club Beer and wine booth are simply amazing and they’re still my Friends of Philipstown Food favorite part of the show.” Haldane Football Assoc.