By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporter
Williston City Council members met in emergency session Thursday and voted to substitute the traditional fireworks display at Horseman’s Park for a spectacular laser show on July 3 after circumstances left them no choice.
The city hired LaserNet, a Miami-based company that performs laser shows for the likes of the Miami Dolphins, Tampa Bay Lightning, and cruise ships, to perform on July 3.
A crew of three LaserNet technicians will project full-color lasers over the crowd at Horseman’s Park, using the laser beams to draw waves, tunnels, fans, and beams to choreographed music.
The show will end with a 30-second fireworks display. A four-story inflatable screen will show graphics and can be used to recognize sponsors or others involved in organizing the show.
Residents should be aware that they may not be able to see this show from a distance. In the past, some residents preferred to watch the firework show from a school parking lot or from the airport.
LaserNet will do a run-through of a portion of its laser show on July 2. Residents will get an idea of whether they can see the show from their favorite spot.
“Everyone will have to be at Horseman’s Park to observe. They are going to do a rehearsal the night before so you can probably tell whether you can see them far enough away or whether you need to come,” said Council President Debra Jones.
“If you want to see the show, go to the show,” Councilwoman Darfeness Hinds added.
Jones said the city’s fireworks that were to have been fired off at the July 3 show, as well as those ordered by other cities through a Chinese supplier, were apparently lost in transit aboard a container ship.
Jones said the city’s longtime fireworks company, Skylighters of Florida, indicated last Sunday that the fireworks were “stuck somewhere” and wouldn’t be available to the city until mid-July.
Skylighters canceled its Williston July 3rd fireworks show and returned the city’s deposit. Jones checked with other cities that were known customers of Skylighters and confirmed their fireworks shows were also cancelled.
The city scrambled to find another fireworks company. They found an alternate fireworks company that would do the show for $15,000. Skylighters had been planning to shoot off the fireworks for $9,500. An anonymous donor offered to cover the difference in price.
But the promise of a show from the second fireworks company went up in smoke almost as soon as it was made. Jones said the company called back hours later last Tuesday to say it couldn’t get the fireworks. The company originally said it had the fireworks on hand.
Frustrated by the loss of its fireworks and the inability to find another fireworks company, Jones, City Manager Jackie Gorman and City Clerk Latricia Wright began searching online and through their contacts to find a fireworks company.
They heard through former Sheriff Ted Glass that a Bronson man who sold fireworks in Williston for a company called Black Cat Fireworks might have connections with someone who could do the show on July 3, but Jones said she never got a call back from him.
When all seemed lost, Wright received an email that she opened on Monday, June 14 from LaserNet offering to perform a laser show for $24,000 on the night of July 3.
In a conference call, Jones, Gorman and Wright told a LaserNet company official that the city would provide a band, a sound system, and a stage for the performance. LaserNet then lowered its price to $12,785. The anonymous donor was asked if he was okay with a laser show rather than a fireworks show and he agreed to support the change and give the city $4,000. Total cost to the city is $9,500. Part of the $4,000 will cover the living expenses and travel expenses for the LaserNet crew.
Jones said the city felt that a show of some type was needed at Horseman’s Park to draw a crowd for the food and merchandise vendors.
“We just felt we couldn’t expect our vendors to come to the park and set up their wares and expect people to come with no fireworks,” Jones said. “It’s either this or nothing…I think if we bill it as unique, something different.”
Mayor Jerry Robinson said he didn’t entirely buy the explanation that the fireworks were lost somewhere on a ship, but he said he thinks a spectacular laser show will work as a replacement for this year.
“There’s more to it than not being able to ship fireworks. I won’t get into that, and it is extraordinary circumstances,” Robinson said. “I think for this year, one time, hopefully, next year, it’s back to normal. For the people, and not having had anything last year, I say knock yourself out and let’s go for it.”
Last year’s July 3rd fireworks and parade were cancelled due to COVID-19.
This year’s parade starts at 5 p.m. on July 3rd on Noble Ave.
The laser shows starts around 9 p.m. after darkness falls.
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City of Williston Special/Emergency Meeting June 17, 2021; Posted June 17, 2021
