Front Page News
June 8, 2011
Balloons To Fly, Fireworks Grounded Submitted
By: The Pittsfield Rotary Club
The Pittsfield Rotary Club is busy putting the final plans together
for our 30th Annual Pittsfield Rotary Hot Air Balloon Rally on
August 5th, 6th, and 7th, 2011. We are extremely proud of this
annual rally and feel strongly that it is one of the best family
events in central NH. Pittsfield receives great recognition from
this weekend of fun as people visit from all over New England and
beyond to witness what makes Pittsfield such a wonderful place to
work and live.
As we all know, this annual balloon rally has been blessed with one
of the largest and best fireworks displays in New England for the
past several years. A local donor, along with pyrotechnical expert
Bob Depoutot, has made this colorful extravaganza possible. The
Pittsfield Rotary wishes to thank these individuals for their major
contributions to our successful rally. Although these fireworks have
grown to be one of the highlights of the weekend, we must report
that fireworks will no longer be possible at the Pittsfield Balloon
Rally.
The reason for this change is several local community members
have been dissatisfied with the display being shot off from the
cemetery across the river from Drake Field. They feel strongly that
it is not an acceptable use of this privately owned cemetery.
Despite efforts by the Rotary Club and Bob Depoutot to adjust
several things to meet their demands over the past two years, the
cemetery owners were put on notice recently that further legal
action may ensue if these fireworks continued from this site. The
owners have notified us that they cannot allow fireworks to be shot
from the cemetery.
Effort has been made to find an alternative site from which to
shoot fireworks but no site offers the proximity to the field along
with the proper safe distances from buildings and roads. Therefore,
it is with deep regret and sadness that the Pittsfield Rotary Club
must end the tradition of offering fireworks to conclude the
Saturday activities at the Pittsfield Balloon Rally.
The 30th Annual Pittsfield Rotary Hot Air Balloon rally will
bring the same 18 beautiful hot air balloons to the skies around
Pittsfield and carry on all the other traditions that this event has
brought to Pittsfield for the past three decades. The Rotary Club
plans to continue this annual event and we hope to add activities
that will attempt to replace the fireworks but certainly will have a
hard time topping the spectacular show that we have come to expect
on Saturday night.
The Rotary Club wishes to thank the entire Pittsfield community
along with our neighboring communities for their continued support
of our balloon rally and all the activities we perform in Pittsfield
and the Suncook Valley area. Our small club is committed to
continued service to the towns in the area and to uphold the Rotary
motto of “Service Above Self.”
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