On behalf of Viking Fest Corporation and the community of Poulsbo, we would like to thank Liberty Bay Auto Center and Port Madison Enterprises who very generously donated $10,000 and $7,500, respectively, to co-sponsor the 3rd of July Celebration in Poulsbo last week.

We also wish to express our appreciation to Central Market, the sponsor of the entertainment at Kvelstad Pavilion during the celebration and a major sponsor of Viking Fest last May. Please let these organizations know that you appreciate their support of this community celebration. Without them, the fireworks show could not have happened.

The community owes an enormous “thank you” to Robert Nitz and his company, Aurora Fireworks. It’s not difficult to imagine the stress he endured following the accidental destruction of all of his fireworks just a week before our show. He lost Poulsbo’s 3rd of July pyrotechnics as well as those for Bainbridge Island’s Grand Old Fourth and Silverdale’s Whaling Days. The magazine also contained fireworks he had accumulated over the last few years that were intended for other shows later this year and into 2013 — a total loss of at least $80,000 and perhaps over $100,000.

Despite the loss, Rob persevered, re-purchasing the necessary fireworks out of his own pocket and staging a beautiful show, synchronized to music and simulcast by KITZ Radio. We are asking everyone to please join your neighbors in making a donation to enable Rob to replace the fireworks lost in this disaster and ensure his firm will be around to do these superb shows for many years. You can donate by sending a check made out to “Fireworks Fund” and mailing it to: 3rd of July Fireworks, P.O. Box 1125, Poulsbo, WA 98370. Or you may go to the “Please Donate” page on our website, www.thirdofjuly.org and contribute via PayPal.

The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps played a big role in the celebration. Our principal speaker at the opening ceremony was Capt. (select) Chris Carter, executive officer of Naval Base Kitsap. Navy rock band “Passages” played throughout the evening and two Military Police and 10 U.S. Marine Corps members from the Bangor Security Detachment helped the Poulsbo Police Department direct traffic, resulting in the smoothest traffic flow and speediest exit anyone can remember. The advance planning by the Police Department certainly contributed to keeping traffic flowing. Also contributing were the shuttle buses from Agate Pass Transportation that carried nearly 400 passengers back to their cars at North Kitsap High School, Cascade View Medical Center, Olympic College, and Home Depot (all of which donated the use of their parking lots).

As they did during Viking Fest, the Civil Air Patrol cadets from the Peninsula Composite Squadron provided the Color Guard for the opening ceremony and kept the booth area and the Waterfront Park clean throughout the celebration. After the fireworks were over, they helped tear everything down.The crews from Poulsbo’s Public Works Department did a superb job in cleaning the City and trimming the roadsides before the onslaught of visitors. They deployed and retrieved many dozens of traffic signs and barricades and had Muriel Iverson Williams Waterfront Park looking beautiful both before and after the fireworks.

We also want to express our appreciation to Mayor Erickson and the City Council for their support and cooperation that made the planning of the celebration go smoothly. And a thank you goes to Bill Austin who created and installed the 3rd of July banner that spanned Front Street, donating much of the cost. He’s a great asset to the Poulsbo community!

And last, but certainly not least, I want to thank the members of Viking Fest Corporation who put countless hours into planning, organizing, setting up and conducting the celebration as we marked the 236th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The success of the celebration was a direct result of the efforts of this small cadre of unpaid volunteers.

Ron Krell
President
Viking Fest Corporation