Donations, community efforts keep Central Coast fireworks flying

Independence Day just isn’t a holiday without some spectacular explosions, and this year, fog permitting, the skies above Santa Maria and Lompoc will get a spectacular red, white and blue display.

The annual shows in Santa Maria and Lompoc have been in danger of fizzling the past few years due to lack of funding. But thanks to some large corporate donations and community effort, this year both shows will sparkle.

Last year, the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce, the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians Foundation and numerous other donors, including the Santa Maria Times, stepped in to save the show.

This year the Chumash Foundation and other contributors are putting on the fireworks, said Yvonne Biely, public relations manager at the Fairpark.

“We were able to get the funding we needed with the community supporting it. We had some seed money from last year, and we did a campaign asking for donations,” Biely said. “It’s a community effort.”

Donations this year came from the Chumash Foundation, Daniel and Glenna Mahoney, American Perspective Bank, Smith Electric, Rabobank, Santa Maria Valley YMCA and Steven and Marie Will.

The show at the fairpark actually begins before the sun sets, Biely said. The 1960s rock band Unfinished Business will entertain in the main area beginning at 5 p.m., with the fairground gates opening at 3 p.m.

Biely said everyone is invited to bring a lawn chair and enjoy the music. There is no charge to attend and the fireworks show will start at 9 p.m.

Fourth of July celebrations in Lompoc date back to 1918 when a $50 donation was enough to pay for the show.

Over the past 40 years, both the Lompoc Firefighters Foundation and the city have served as major contributors or organizers. But two years ago, when city budget constraints forced it to cut funding, it took an act of faith to keep the fireworks flying.

Donations from the city’s churches saved the show, according to Parks, Recreation Urban Forestry Department Manager JoAnne Plummer.

Last year, as the city’s churches focused their support on needy families, Plummer said the Chumash Foundation paid for the entire show.

This year, Celite Corp. and the Chumash Foundation each contributed $10,000.

“If it weren’t for those two donations, we wouldn’t have this show,” Plummer said, adding it displays the only legal fireworks in the city.

 “Safe and Sane fireworks aren’t allowed in Lompoc, so if somebody wanted to enjoy fireworks they would have to leave town and we don’t want to force our residents to leave town if we can avoid it.

Odd calls to Pismo Beach police, May 29-June 4 | What's your ...

4:55 a.m. Sunday | 280 Wadsworth Ave. | Suspicious circumstances Alcohol born killer

An employee of the Edgewater Inn and Suites asked police to check the welfare of a man sitting in the lobby. The man, who was staying at the hotel, told the employee he was a killer and asked the employee if he was ready to die. Officers checked on the man, who had been drinking, and escorted him back to his room.

Three men were seen doing a faith/prayer ritual in the grass area at the Pismo Medical Plaza. They were possibly Muslim. When a citizen asked if they were OK, there was no response. Then another, younger teen male acknowledged him. The citizen asked police to check the area and was going to e-mail cell phone pictures to officers.

A resident said a black and white snake – possibly a king snake – was in the garden. He was afraid to let his children outside, and asked for an officer to respond. The resident then said the snake was coming toward his home. An officer arrived and said one snake was detained. The officer then drove to Price Canyon to relocate the reptile.

Someone stole a surfer’s towel and car keys.

A citizen said a suspicious subject was seen in front of Scolari’s. He had possibly started walking toward the back of the business. The man was carrying a white duffel bag. The citizen said the man was not doing anything suspicious, but gave her a strange feeling before she went into the store. The store manager would not do anything about it. Officers talked to the man, who was waiting for a ride.

A man in a purple shirt was pretending to bowl in the middle of the street.

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