CENTERBURG – The Heart of Ohio USA Days Association is the little festival that could!
This year had more blindsides thrown in its path than ever before — and most of them within just weeks before it is to take place.
First, it lost the parking field. That is covered with school buses shuttling from the high school this year, but a new field is being seeded and will be ready for 2022.
Then it lost the amusement rides. At the last minute, a company whose event had been canceled became available. When it looked like there would be no rides, suddenly they had rides.
In conjunction with losing the parking field, they also lost the fireworks launch site.
The association’s secretary did some scouting around and found two probable spots for launching. Launching must be 100 feet away for each inch of shell, so a five-inch shell would need to be 500 feet away from any structure. Both sites meet that criteria, with extra distance.
The fire chief has approved both, and now the Hamburg Fireworks Company will have the best idea as to which one will work the best. Hamburg has been with us all 16 years, and the committee has never had a complaint — just the opposite, in fact. Year after year, they hear nothing but compliments on the wonderful show Hamburg provides.
It should be another wonderful show this year, no matter which site is chosen.
