May the sun in his course visit no land more free, more happy, more lovely, than this our own country. (Daniel Webster)Aliso Viejo, California is a comparatively small city with less than 50,000 residents. It is small enough that it can be called a town. In fact, in 2009 Forbes Magazine called it one of the "Best Towns to Live in America". It’s amazing to me how beautiful this city is. We have 42 miles of coastline in the OC, and several cities that border the Pacific Ocean but none of them could match what Aliso Viejo can offer an individual like myself - an indigent litigator. One of my favorite places in the city is the Grand Park where sometimes during a long week I could be found napping under one of the park trees. It's a great place for moments of contemplation where during the afternoon different species of birds flock to fill the air with their melodic serenade.
Sundays are usually short days for me, meaning that I don’t work late at night. The Neighborhood Cup closes at 5PM on Sundays, which gave me a chance to stroll around the city and let off some of that pent up energy - the residue of all that coffee I consumed. I arrived at the Grand Park to find some activity, people preparing the area for this year's 4th of July celebrations.
It was already getting dark when I wondered upon a team of pyrotechnic experts setting up the fireworks array for the show. With the distances those projectiles travel, you would think that it would require the use of artillery-like pieces. But to my surprise, it wasn’t anything like I imagined. What I saw were micro-cannons made of three-inch diameter pipes that they’ve cut out to about a foot tall. Some were made of plastic and some were made of very hard cardboard. They were clustered like batteries in square steel crates and lined up along the edge of the park.
The man I spoke to estimated there will be approximately 1500 shells sent off into the sky for this evening’s show. He also told me that the explosives will cost anywhere between $5.00 to $20.00 per shell depending on how elaborate the explosions. At $12.00 average per shell, the fireworks alone will cost approximately $18,000.00. Then, you have the live entertainment, the exhibitor’s booths, the portable bathrooms, the trash bins and all the other things that go along with community events. City Hall meeting minutes available on the web had budgeted $23,618 for the pyrotechnics and $3,000 for musical entertainment for the year 2010. It may cost more or less this year. Having seen last year's show, that actually seems reasonable.
Now for the long wait until sundown, which we expect to be at 8:05PM.
Happy Birthday to you America. May you be forever free.
