Petaluma fireworks show saved

Thanks to a new, locally owned radio station group, Petaluma now has a fireworks show scheduled for the Fourth of July at the Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds on East Washington Street.

For the past several years, Petaluma has struggled to garner enough donations for the show, but always managed to get the needed funds. But this year, nearby construction at the new East Washington Place shopping center threatened to cancel the show before fundraising had even begun.

Initially, city staff said that because the fairgrounds were so close to the new shopping center, a full-scale pyrotechnics show was out of the question for safety reasons. Parks and Recreation Department Supervisor Jan Mandrell had said that moving the show to another location was not an option because of fire concerns throughout town.

But as city staff searched for a solution and suggested alternatives like an "old-fashioned" celebration with a barbecue and picnic minus the fireworks, Sonoma Media Group came up with a solution to save the show that typically draws 10,000 people to the fairgrounds each year.

The radio group - which purchased five local radio stations earlier this year, including Froggy 92.9, Hot 101.7, Mix 104.9 1350 KRSO and 97.7 The River - will pay for this year's revamped fireworks festivities

Assistant City Manager Scott Brodhun said the show was saved by moving the fireworks launching site to a different location within the fairgrounds that is further from the shopping center and by using smaller shells that do not present as much of a fire hazard to nearby buildings and construction.

"Sonoma Media Group's proposal to present a more robust afternoon and evening celebration, combined with their generous commitment to fund an aerial display that fits within the site, is a tremendous opportunity," he said. "We're thankful for sure."

Michael O'Shea, president of Sonoma Media Group, said that after meeting with a pyrotechnic expert from Oakland and the state and city fire marshal, changes were made in order to revive the then-cancelled show. O'Shea said that by using shells that only rise 1,200 feet in the air, as opposed to the ones normally used that rise 1,500 feet in the air, the show will still provide a spectacle, but will keep the area safe. He added that the final cost has not yet been determined, but estimated the show will be at least several thousand dollars.

"After looking at the site, moving the launching zone and using smaller shells, we were able to make it happen and it should be a wonderful show," he said. "We are working to partner with businesses in the area as well so that we can make this an ongoing staple. We don't want it to just be this year. We want it to happen every year."

The show, to be called Ptown4th, will begin in the afternoon on July 4 with family games and food and beer vendors, with live music set to begin at 6 p.m. and a fireworks display to start at 9 p.m.

(Contact Janelle Wetzstein at janelle.wetzstein@arguscourier.com)