Barbara Lawlor, Nederland. On Saturday, during the busiest part of the traffic day, firefighter-boot-carrying volunteers stood at the entries into the Nederland roundabout and did whatever they needed to get the attention of the drivers. Firefighter Jim Harrison kindly created the signs and provided boots and a good laugh during the Boot Drive.

Some of the women attempted a can-can dance at the west entrance, but the synchronization was short-lived. One firefighter hefted the boot like a bloated rubber machine gun and drivers were quick to roll down the windows and empty their pockets into the suddenly benevolent boot.

All of the volunteers waved and smiled and most received honks of approval. Some travelers kept their windows rolled up and looked straight ahead as the drove through town without giving up a cent.

Although organizers Deb D’Andrea and Barbara Hardt of the Peak to Peak Healthy Communities Project have been accumulating donations since the beginning of the year, the push is now on to reach the $17,500 goal to pay Tri-State Fireworks to put on the show. In 2012, the fireworks display was postponed until Miner’s Day weekend because of fire danger and for the past two years, the event was cancelled.

Fireworks over Barker Reservoir have long been a Nederland Fourth of July tradition and when former Fire Chief Udo Sille stopped to drop some money into the donation boot, memories of past pyrotechnic productions took him back to his childhood and then to the early days of Nederland Fire Department’s down-home small-town hands-on way of lighting up the sky.

Growing up during the 50s, he said, included a fairly complete exposure to blowing things up. Popular Mechanics had numerous plans for the building of homemade cannons, the clearing of tree stumps with explosives, and even plans showing the construction of flintlock rifles. Of course, these endeavors all required the use of black powder, a commodity not available for sale to a 13-year-old kid.

A bit of library research and subterfuge made it all possible. The chemistry kit contained saltpeter and sulfur and charcoal was easy enough to get from the art department at the five and dime. Put them all together and “we had gunpowder for our homemade cannons.”

In the early 90s, that 13-year-old kid is now an adult and a volunteer with the Nederland Volunteer Fire Department. “I remember riding the trucks, tending to the hurt and participating in many a mundane task, but the most exciting task was shooting off those big rockets and bombs every Fourth of July.” That thirteen year old kid was still around.

Every spring, the Fire Department began the process of gathering funds to buy explosives. A large portion was always allocated by the Town from a yearly grant. The balance was gathered by the Fire Department. The Chief and an officer would make the rounds of every business in the area, begging the owners for funds. When begging and calm persuasion didn’t work there was always the threat of an “inspection.” That always worked. Donation jars appeared, and when the weather finally broke, the members of the Department could be found at the town’s intersections stopping traffic and proffering their fire boots for cash donations. “Somehow, our financial goal was always met.”

Flash (Mark) Friedman, NVFD Chief at the time, would ask for volunteers for the Fireworks Pit Crew. Many would volunteer and a few were selected. The week before the Fourth was the start of intense activity. Flash, with two other firefighters, would take a truck and drive out to Rocky Mountain Fireworks’ warehouse to pick up the order.

Boxes of explosives, fuses, and steel mortar tubes were the makings of a show. The explosives were sorted, bagged into groups, and numbered with their place in the choreographed show. The mortar tubes were strategically half buried in rows, size and angle of launching carefully calculated by Flash.

Personnel were assigned their duties in the show. “As a newbie to all this I was given careful instructions in my duties as a loader. My job would be to gather each group of rockets in order, insert them into the appropriate mortar tubes, and then get out of the way of the person responsible for lighting each fuse with a road flare.” The Pit Crew was divided into two teams, each of whom was responsible for half of the mortars. While one team was loading the other team would be firing their tubes.

Finally, the evening of the Fourth arrived. The valley would start filling with tourists and locals, each commandeering a spot for picnicking and, most important, taking in the show. By nightfall the town and the surrounding hills were packed with people. Total darkness was the signal and the show was begun. “We loaded, we fired, we got confused and misfired – but best of all, we hooted and laughed.” Over all this was Flash, the conductor of show.

He yelled, pleaded, and mostly cursed and the show went on. The crowd would cheer and some would join their bottle rockets and firecrackers to the spectacle. The Grand Finale was the final act. The two main fuses were lit, the crew would fall onto their backs, faces to the sky and experience a bliss not easily duplicated. The sky would erupt into a confusion of colors and sparkles, accompanied by the roar of non-stop explosions, overpowering all of our senses. Then the cheers would start, coming from all directions, louder and louder, and we knew that all was good.

“Some years later, I became Chief and the responsibility fell onto me. Everything that Flash taught me was now important. We worked, then hooted and laughed, Fourth of July after Fourth of July, and all was good.”

For two hours on Saturday the boots were out and within that time, $2,021.44 was raised. A few people even dropped in $100 bills. This year, on the Fourth of July, after the annual parade at noon, a day of fun and games will take place at the ball field next to the Teen Center.

Parade participants are asked to meet at the ball field at 11 a.m. Following the parade, the Nederland Fire Protection District will host the annual multi-agency water fight: firefighter teams will challenge each other to move a barrel strung on a cable by force of water from the fire hoses. This is a hilarious wet event, a great spectator sport, especially on a hot day.

This year, on the Fourth of July, after the annual parade at noon, a day of fun and games will take place at the Guercio Ball Field and the Teen Center.Music and snacks will be available until dark, when the show in the sky will begin.

The Carousel of Happiness will donate all of its proceeds this Saturday, June 20, from noon to four to the fireworks, so people can find their joy and help pay for the Independence Day celebrations at the same time. There is still time to donate to the cause and to make the return of fireworks to Nederland as special as when they first exploded chrysanthemums over Barker Reservoir.

Tadasana Yoga will do a couple of donation classes on Tuesday, June 30, for the fireworks. It will be the evening classes at 5:30 Vinyasa, and 6:45 Yin Yoga.

Additional fundraising efforts will be printed in The Mountain-Ear in upcoming papers.

Monday evening, Heath and Gavin Dillon brought in a donation of $1,000 and thanked organizers for their continued efforts to bring back this family festival to Nederland. “It’s part of my childhood,” declared Heath. “We need to bring it back.”

To donate now, send check or money order to Peak to Peak Healthy Communities Project, PO Box 668 Nederland, CO 80466. In the memo line please write “4th of July”. All donations are tax deductible though the nonprofit 501(c)3 organization. You can also donate directly at Centennial Bank. The tellers have the Fireworks account numbers.