Community celebrates Independence Day

Wednesday, July 8, 2015
Fireworks exploded over the Desert Canyon Golf Course during an annual show hosted by the Mountain Home Fire Department. One of the largest of its kind in southern Idaho, the show is made possible through donations raised during the year.

Triple digit temperatures didn't discourage people from gathering in Carl Miller Park on Saturday as the Mountain Home community came together to celebrate Independence Day.

One of southern Idaho's largest fireworks displays capped off a day filled with music and an assortment of entertainment and fun.

Across the community, the patriotic spirit came alive that day as households across town displayed American flags in their yards or on their houses.

Lilli Hollis and her sister, Aaliyah, perform during the Little Miss El-Whyee Pageant.

Events in the local park officially launched the city's Fourth of July festivities as the El-Wyhee Business Association hosted its annual festival. According to Bill Bamber, one of this year's event organizers, the park festival drew approximately 5,000 people throughout the day, which is about average for this community gathering.

The park celebration officially began as members of the Mountain Home Fire Department raise the flag above the park. Nearby, members of the The Air National Guard Band of the West Coast performed the National Anthem.

Based out of Channel Islands Air National Guard Station, Calif., the band made a stop in Mountain Home as part of the group's visit to communities in southern Idaho. During the afternoon, two of the band's ensembles showcased their unique musical abilities.

The Air National Guard Band of the West Coast headlined this year's entertainment lineup in Carl Miller Park. They also performed at the Desert Canyon Golf Course prior to the fireworks show.

The concerts began early in the afternoon as Global Strike performed a range of traditional rock 'n' roll, contemporary rock and country hits. Salsa, Cumbia, Mambo and Latin Rock then echoed across the park as the Latin ensemble, Fuego Azul, took the stage.

The concerts were a hit with those seated in the audience. Among them was April Lahti, who met with Master Sgt. Erin McPherson to share her love of music with the musician.

The youngster told the sergeant she was especially fond of the song "Let it Go" from the Disney animated film "Frozen." The child then began to sing the tune with the sergeant singing along as well. The youngster admitted to the sergeant that the movie is also one of her personal favorites.

As people listed to the music that afternoon, a number of them were checking out the dozens of classic cars, vintage street rods, motorcycles and souped up vehicles on display during this year's "Wash and Shine Car Show." Each year, organizers present roughly a dozen awards to the top vehicles in competing in various categories.

Before the judges arrived to evaluate each vehicle entry, people like David Archiega put a final bit of polish on their vehicles. With a rag in his hand, he buffed the surface of a 2008 Mitsubishi Evolution to bring out the mirror reflection from the car's red paint.

The car show drew a number of car enthusiasts, including John Lathrop and his sons, John and Clay. Among the cars that caught their interest was a street rod version of a 1931 Chevy, complete with a heavily refurbished engine.

"I love old cars, and I also live with two car 'junkies,' " Lathrop said, referring to his sons.

Bill Riley walked away with top honors following the contest, winning best of show honors for his work to restore a 1945 passenger bus. Meanwhile, Barry Nye earned the people's choice award for his 1985 Ford El Camino.

The Independence Day celebration featured other forms of entertainment throughout the early afternoon. More than two dozen youngsters representing Mountain Home High School's cheer camp took the field as they showcased their dance steps during a cheerleading demonstration.

Ranging in age from 5 to 13 years old, the aspiring cheerleaders marked their first official public appearance on Saturday. It followed a very compressed rehearsal scheduled that included a trio of two-hour rehearsals earlier that week.

Among the day's main highlights was the Little Miss El-Whyee Pageant, which drew 18 contestants, including a number of preschoolers. As each contestant stepped into the spotlight, these young girls offered a glimpse of their talent. A few chose to sing while others demonstrated their dance moves.

Hailey Hannah was the first contestant to take the stage and sang "Someone Like You" by Adele. She spent a week practicing the song, including a rehearsal the night before the pageant and another just before her family left their house to head to the park.

While most of the competitors stood in line waiting to perform, Marley Rodney was busy practicing her moves. Spinning a hula hoop around her waist, she then used her arms to raise it up to her neck, where she continued to keep it spinning.

The eight-year-old, who learned to use a hula hoop about three years ago, admits that her talent comes naturally.

"It's all in the hips," said her mother, Sarah Rodney.

The movie "Frozen" was a personal favorite for pageant contestants like Lilli Hollis. She sang the song "Let it Go" while her sister, Aaliyah, danced by her side.

The song, which plays a prominent role in the film, is one of Lilli's favorites, she said. It took her just a few days to memorize all the words, which she played repeatedly on her computer tablet before she sat down and wrote down all the words to help her master the song.

All of the contestants came away as winners of a sort with each of them receiving a crown, trinkets, food and other gifts.

While people continued to enjoy the festivities in the park, a team of nine firefighters from the city fire department were busy preparing for the evening's fireworks show. At a cost of roughly $29,000 funded entirely on donations, the show featured close to 2,200 shells ranging in size from three to four inches across with the largest ones measuring a foot in diameter.

Tying everything together was a 1,000-foot network of green and brown wires connected to a display panel to fire everything on cue.

Putting the show together represents a "labor of love" for these firefighters, said firefighter Alan Roberts.

"It's 103 degrees outside, and no one is ready to quit," he said.

However, he added that the temperature was definitely a distraction since his team didn't have a canopy or trees to block the sunlight.

Roberts got involved in the fireworks show more than 20 years ago when it was held at Eastside Park before the junior high school was built. The show then moved to the golf course after some fireworks landed on the roof of the newly completed school, he said.

As part of a well-rehearsed routine, the firefighters started to set up the display racks and launch tubes on Friday and returned at 8 a.m. Saturday to start loading the pyrotechnics.

Pointing to the racks of fireworks, he pointed to a row of 120-shot Roman candles. When triggered, they were expected to produce a row of "Xs" for the audience to see.

Roberts then walked over to a separate row of tubes buried in the ground that contained the 10- and 12-inch shells, which made up the display's "high show." These fireworks are capable of reaching 650 feet before exploding into a rainbow of assorted colors. But they also come at a premium since they're also the most expensive -- $1,200 each, Roberts said.

Because of the heat and dry conditions around the launch fire, members of the city fire department watered down grass, brush and trees within 500 feet of the launch site. They focused their efforts on dousing areas filled with "cheat grass" since it's more flammable than other forms of vegetation, according to Roberts.

Hours before the show, local residents were already camping out across the local golf course with some choosing to get as close as possible to the launch site. A number of them had seats positioned along the entire front nine at the golf course while others chose to take up position next to the seventh fairway near the canal that separate the front and back nine holes.

Originally restricted to the first fairway next to North 18th East Street, a review of local safety guidance four years ago emphasized that people could get closer to the show while remaining well clear of the safety perimeter established around the launch site.

Despite those front-row seats, people like Randy Schwitters and his family decided to stake out an area along North 18th Street to catch the show.

"They're the best seats in the house," Schwitters said, who added that they were also close to his car, which was located nearby.

Following the 21-minute display, applause broke out across the golf course as the final shells exploded and faded from view. Youngsters like Olivia Henry were hoping for an encore.

"That's cool. Let's do it again," the four-year-old said.