By Meg Peters
Review Co-Editor
Sitting at the Lake Orion Boat Club, after a year’s work came to fruition, Carl Cyrowski watched his grandson ‘ooh? and ‘ahh? at this Independence Day’s 35 minute firework show came raining down.
‘The grand finale felt like it was coming right down on you,? he said.
He’s said it before, but Cyrowksi, the Lake Orion Firework Association (LOFA) President, said this year’s show by Ace Pyro was the best yet.
Using 8-inch shells this year, it was evident when the bigger rockets exploded in the sky.
‘A lot of people around the lake were showing me their pictures the next day of their favorite ones, and several people said they could really tell the difference.?
The show was also shot higher in the sky, he said, so people around the lake all had a better chance to see it.
All in all, LOFA raised just over $35,000, enough to pay for the show with a teeny padding to start off next year’s escapade, which Cyrowski will start planning for in the next couple weeks.
‘It never stops, we go year round,? he said.
No major incidents were reported for the 4th of July fireworks show as people spread out blankets, propped up chairs, and danced with LED lights at Green’s Park and along streets in downtown Lake Orion.
Lt. Harold Rossman, of the Lake Orion Police Department, said the show was a very nice display, and said a couple thousand people came into downtown Lake Orion.
‘The majority of the people were orderly,? he said, but one firework related injury’where a large firework was thrown from a moving vehicle at a pedestrian on N. Andrews’sent the victim to a hospital for ear pain.
Other than that, the show was smooth sailing on Lake Orion, with lake residents prowling after dark in their vessels, along with residents who were aboard the Grand Princess.
Cyrowski said offering week long events aboard the Princess took LOFA above its goal of $35,000, but that it’s the community members from the LOFA database that donate at least 25 percent of the non-profit’s firework funds every year.
The rest is sponsorship from local companies, big and small.
‘I’d really like to say thank you to all of our sponsors, our committee, and our volunteers that helped each event, and especially Mike Gingell and Chris Barnett who really went out of their way helping to get donations from some of the bigger companies. It just came together, like the community always does.?