I agreed to the relocation of the fireworks firing site based on meetings with the Kingwood Country Club and the PyroTech Engineer. I knew that there was a risk but believed it was acceptable. I was wrong and I apologize for the disaster that resulted from that decision. We all believed that the higher elevation of the firing site would overcome the additional distance from the Park. I don?t know why we were so wrong and do not yet know the reason for the long delay in firing. I will work on understanding those in the next few days and update you when I know.

There was no malice in the decision either by ourselves or the Club. This was not a decision by the Club to rob the Kingwood community of the traditional display. At all times we tried to ensure that we could meet the needs of both parties. We didn?t and again I am deeply sorry. I understand the anger and disappointment of the community as I have worked over the past 10 years to help with producing the best quality events that we could with the limited budget available.

We will be reviewing the plans for next years event but I am not sure that we can come up with a solution. The Club are unlikely to agree to a return to the original site although we will of course talk to them about that. It may be that we each have to stage our own scaled down shows with limited visibility. That will be sad but may be inevitable.


I am very sorry that this happened but nothing I can say or do will fix it for the thousands who waited last night.

Tony Austin
Director
Town Center Park Association
July 5, 2017 

Can the Town Center Park Association raise money to put it back where it was? How much is KCC paying for the show each year? In the 80's guys like Rick Alspaugh funded it. Why does it have to be the Country Club? 

Can you use the Kingwood High School football field for the fireworks?

It seems to be a huge open area. It has easy access for the fire department. It is centrally located. Just a thought. 

Yes, how much did the CC pay to have the location moved? We all have a right to know, since it affected us all. Also, why do we need CC to "help" with the cost to begin with? We got along fine without them before, why the sudden need for their financial involvement? I know they have always been on the golf course, so why the sudden need to move the location?

Why wouldn't they let it be moved back to where it has always been? 

We all heard Tony's side. How about the KWCC? What do they have to say? I've heard some stories. But let's hear from the CC. 

The CC is not at fault. This is Tony's fault for not informing the public and the vendors that only the CC would see the fireworks.

It's hard to believe that any professional pyrotechnic (?) would not be able to calculate how high the fireworks would go and who would and would not be able to see them. I have a feeling they told Tony and it was probably too late/expensive for him to tell the vendors and the public.

Now we know, from here on out that as long as the CC is funding the fireworks show we will not be able to see them from Town Center.

Which is fine, I will use the money we normally spend on the vendors in Town Center on purchasing our own fireworks and light them off at the house. 

Like I said before, we don't know the whole story. Somebody got something for moving the location and cutting out the interests of the majority of Kingwood, in the process. 

It sounds like the pyro engineers made fully sure the fireworks would be visible to those who pays for them. They did their job for the CC. 

I think we are missing the point. Kingwood is a ?brand? and last night the brand took a serious sent back. My family moved to the area about 5 years ago specifically for the community. It?s amazing how great the schools are, the little down town area, greenbelts, and of course the people and businesses. Not one of these components make our community, but they all need to work together to be successful. The parade and fireworks are part of that equation. How many communities around Houston have both the Mayor and Sheriff out to their parade?

Yesterday thousands of people came to Kingwood to ?check us out?, buy our goods, eat at our restaurants, listen to music, and maybe ?? look to purchase a home in our community. They did these things in anticipation of the advertised fireworks (not because it was 100 degrees). Just a few below:
*http://www.khou.com/news/community/fourth-of-july-your-guide-to-celebrations-in-the-houston-area/452514360,
*http://www.towncenterevents.com/july4th.html,
*http://365thingsinhouston.com/calendar/july-4th-festival-fireworks-kingwood/
*https://kingwoodonline.com/news/dont-miss-kingwoods-july-4-festival-fireworks-show

Families chose to spend their day with us, and Kingwood - we let them down!

Wrongfully, I assumed that the community (in some sense) paid for the event. It really has no business being paid for by the Kingwood Country Club (let them have their own event). What happened was horrible. Quite frankly, this was not an accident and someone knew (or should have known) what was going to happen (either the contractor or the staff member is incompetent), and the community needs to replace them (on principle alone). Basically we let down thousands of families that could have gone to any of the other fireworks displays in the area. All I know is next year, when the elitist Country Club members drive their golf carts in the parade, I?m going to boo and heckle (a little). Something I learned about Texan?s, we don?t forget. 

I'll tell you who knew, PyroTech Engineering knew. It's their job to know where, how far, etc fireworks can be seen. They KNEW KWCC would have a good view.(They paid for it after all. ) They probably even mentioned the "risk" that Tonyaust mentioned that others in the community would not be able to see the show. They KNEW the community viewing would by iffy. It's PyroTech Engineering's fault. Perhaps that is who we should send letters to? It was a sad holiday for our community. Most will probably go to Humble Turner Stadium to celebrate with a sure thing next year. Truly a loss for Kingwood. 

How is it the Pyrotech's fault? I am sure they had to work within budget and safety constraints. Someone said that they had to have a certain clearance to setoff larger fireworks. I don't see how the 18th hole green has more clearance than the driving range.

It's more likely he told Tony that with their limitations the fireworks would not clear the trees. And Tony went with the philosophy of it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. 

They country club got what they paid for. So did the rest of us...lol. 

I have no clue if this is correct, but even at the CC they seemed very low. Wondering if is more to do with the display than the new location.

Again - no clue if correct or not - would be interested to hear if someone knows. 

From Tony:

"The Town Center fireworks are always at the end of the Festival in the Park at around 9pm. And always on July 4th.

We fire 6" shells which typically explode at around 300' so we do not expect any difficulty seeing them from all the usual locations. We did move to the 18th green fairway to accommodate the Country Club who contributed to the cost for the first time. The location is further South and West but is significantly higher. I think the other locations (Kings Harbor tonight and Overlook on Tuesday) shoot 3" shells as they do not require such a big protected area around the firing location. We did look at doing the same so that they would only be visible from the Park and the Club and we could have a longer display. But we decided to stick with the bigger shells that cost us around $1300 a minute!!"

I think they used the 3" shells, not the 6" shells he gloated about. 

We did look at doing the same so that they would only be visible from the Park and the Club and we could have a longer display.


Why would anyone even consider doing that? What is the motivation? 

Why doesn't the Town Center Park Association pull the 2018 permit today, basically "locking out" the Country Club for 2018. It doesn't look like you can have two displays so close to each other on the same night. Surely we have precedence. Let the elitist's celebrate another day. The permit process looks simple. 

Who pays for the fireworks on other years? 

Do they fireworks on New Years Eve? 

Who pays for the fireworks on other years?

good question - again not sure, but I think they have always been set off on CC property - so it may be more than just who pays - the CC may have some say regardless of money if using their property. 

I have no clue if this is correct, but even at the CC they seemed very low. Wondering if is more to do with the display than the new location.


That's the point. For the CC it did not have to be very high. They paid for their members to see the fireworks and no one else mattered. Who paid for the fireworks display in past years. It seems to me that Randles, Ace Hardware, HEB, and other local businesses paid for it in the past. If the CC wants to have a fireworks display they should not tout it as a display for the whole community. The community display and the CC display should be separate. If it is at the 18th hole of the CC next year I will be setting up my chairs in their parking lot next year.

Tony Austin
Director
Town Center Park Association

Who is Tony Austin? Is he a paid employee? If so, who pays his salary? I think he knew the fireworks display would only benefit the CC members. He needs to be replaced by someone who will make sure the whole community can see the fireworks display from the usual viewing locations around Kingwood. 

Do they fireworks on New Years Eve?

You don't live in Kingwood do you? 

That's the point. For the CC it did not have to be very high.

wasn't exactly my point. I think the new location is probably less than a mile from the old location.

My point was it may be more than just the new location that made them less visible from other locations. 

You don't live in Kingwood do you??

Not since 2010...and typically never spent NYE in Kingwood.


Seemed like a simple question... 

We all have a right to know, since it affected us all.

Really? What right do you have? Just because it affected you. So what. Plan better next time. Fireworks displays are not rights. The people who pay for them have all the rights. I have a plan for you. Get people together, organize, plan and pay for next year's show and put it where you want. See that solves your problem. 

I saw them AT the country club and I thought the show was incredible. Probably the best fireworks display I've ever seen. I feel sorry for anyone who missed out on such an incredible night. Im sorry for all the families who didn't get to enjoy it. My family absolutely loved it. We had many laughs and made lots of sweet memories. 

LOL 

LOL @ SML! Sounds like you're gloating. 

I'm guessing no on NYE fireworks... 

Where can we find out who paid for the fireworks in past years? I know names have been thrown out here but as guesses. It looks like the cost exceeds $10,000, based on the number Tony used. And that probably doesn't include insurance, permits and goodness knows what else.

How do we know for a fact that this was the first time the country club paid; where are the records that support this? Has there been any actual reason given why the country club changed locations? Again, there are a lot of assumptions here but nothing definitive. Tony didn't address that in his letter, just that he agreed to it. Why would he agree to it?

I'm trying to gather facts instead of relying on assumptions so if anyone can share sources that address these questions, that would be greatly appreciated. 

Well, here it is. This was a PRIVATE show. The skies aren't private, of course and thos who were lucky enough to see any fireworks were wel, lucky. Seems the Sponsors of Kingwood's Fireworks meant to keep them all to themselves after all.

http://app.info.clubcorp.com/e/es?s=1236288378&e=541262&elqTrackId=a57fecea5ea14f5b92a0118c771ad2bd&elq=848e151def924806962104c0cae7b5c9&elqaid=124887&elqat=1 

It looks like the cost exceeds $10,000, based on the number Tony used.

That's chump change when a lot of people and businesses throw in to sponsor it. Sounds like rude snobs @ KCC to me. 

ShawnMendesLuver --- 3 hours ago - quote - hide comments
I saw them AT the country club and I thought the show was incredible. Probably the best fireworks display I've ever seen. I feel sorry for anyone who missed out on such an incredible night. Im sorry for all the families who didn't get to enjoy it. My family absolutely loved it. We had many laughs and made lots of sweet memories.?


Next year, if the location is not changed, count on not being able to drive up to the club or even drive down the street or into the parking lot! We will all be there lawn chairs and all, enjoying the fireworks! How can a tow truck get down a completely blocked street? It can't! 

Dorothy Parker --- 7 hours ago - quote - hide comments
They country club got what they paid for. So did the rest of us...lol

Bingo.

I find it highly ironic that the ones whining are the ones who tend to complain about paying their way, then whining when they didn't get their free fireworks display.

The kingwood struggle is real. 

It's like a bad movie plot...lol. 

If the planners of the event wanted it to be a private event, I wouldn't have cared- just let us know in advance, so we don't drive out there, with no parking places, and get stuck until it's over, for nothing- 

The club has at least for the last 22 years had a special 4th of July celebration with dinner and fireworks. Members pay for the privilege and pay for the event the night of as well. I think in years past there were two shows. One in town center (I never attended) and one at the club. I could be wrong on that but seems like I remember two. 

Yes 

Lori at KCC is telling people that this is the first year that the merchants contributed to the cost of the fireworks!! Who's right?