Fireworks display canceled

By Wayne Allen

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The Portsmouth Civic Forum exclusively told the Daily Times on Wednesday the annual Fourth of July fireworks display, which had been postponed until July 11 is now canceled and will not be rescheduled.

Civic Forum Spokesman Gene Arms said the display was initially delayed because of conditions of the launch site in Kentucky. Arms said conditions have not improved. In order to have the display is Kentucky, a permit has to be acquired. To move or reschedule the display now would require the Civic Forum to refile the permit.

“Kentucky has a 15-day waiting period on refilling the permit,” Arms said. “They are not going to be this Saturday, they are canceled.”

Arms said the decision initially to postpone the display was made on conditions of the launch site and some rough conditions on the Ohio side, where people typically watch the display.

“On the Ohio side (in Portsmouth), the access road to the stage is under water and there’s brush in there, that can’t be reached to be cut,” Arms said. “The city (of Portsmouth) has helped to get bleachers in place and the grass has been cut, it looks like a golf course.”

He said everything is nice and clean on the Ohio side of the river, but the river level is higher than normal.

“We’ve can’t get any equipment to the stage, so as of this weekend it is canceled,” Arms said.

The annual Civic Forum fireworks show began in the 1930s. The last time the show was canceled was 2013, due to weather and rising river waters. Before that, the display had only been canceled once before — in 1950.

Wayne Allen can be reached at 740-353-3101, ext. 1933 or on Twitter @WayneallenPDT

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