Residents enjoyed celebration despite rain
By: Michelle McGuinness
As residents relaxed with their families and friends by the shore of Manalapan Lake in Thompson Park and watched a small fireworks display flickering over the tree tops, the sky over them exploded into red and blue.
Excited spectators had gathered hopefully at the side of the lake at 9 p.m., sneaking a glance at a smaller fireworks display taking place just over the tree tops across the lake. Rain that started at 6 p.m. and never let up had many wondering if the fireworks show scheduled for Jamesburg’s Fourth of July celebration would happen at all.
But when the display, put on by International Fireworks of Pennsylvania, did start, it did so with a boom that grabbed the attention of everyone gathered. The opening display illuminated the cloudy sky and far outshone its competition across the lake.
After the thunderous opening to the show, rockets swiveled upward with a high-pitched scream. Giant gold fireworks that looked like spider webs spreading across the sky produced a series of small, popping sounds reminiscent of the rain that soaked Thompson Park all afternoon. Some of the explosions created patterns that seemed to arch near enough for the crowd to reach out and touch.
The grand finale of the show involved a burst of color intense enough to read by. When it ended just after 9:30 p.m., residents cheered and whistled.
For many, the fireworks were the highlight of an afternoon they had hoped would be both sunnier and drier.
"It’s kind of hard to be in good spirits with the rain," Judy McCann, who was selling lemonade at the event, said. "Last year I’d say there was at least 10 times the people here."
She said her lemonade stand saw much less business than she’d expected that day because of the rain.
"Everyone is very nice here, very courteous. I just wish the weather was nicer," Peggy Posselli, who was also selling lemonade at the stand, said. She said the warmer temperatures they’d expected would have brought in a lot more customers.
Besides lemonade, the event featured inflatable slides, pony rides, tarot card readings and a variety of food stands offering everything from pretzels to butterfly fries to funnel cake.
The multicolored inflatable slides were paid for by the township and supplied by Party Perfect Rentals in Manalapan, while pony rides by All American Ponies on Texas Road cost $4.
The event also featured live music by Flip Side, a local band that plays at outdoor events, parties and similar venues and can be found at flipsiderocks.net.
The band played four sets under the gazebo. Its sets included traditional patriotic songs such as "God Bless America" and as well as less common selections like Avril Lavigne’s "Girlfriend."
Drummer Jeff Nelson, of Jamesburg, said the group saw a pretty good crowd.
"Everyone ran away when it started to rain the first time," Mr. Nelson said between the group’s second and third sets. He added that for the second set the crowd had built up.
Lead singer Laura Meems, of Staten Island, N.Y., said the group enjoyed the event during the down time between sets.
"We have all our families here," she said. "Too bad it’s not a nicer day, but it’s still a good time despite the rain."
The group also includes two guitar players, Bob Homoky and Tom DeCandia, and a bass player, Bob Suchcicki. The performance included covers of songs by Kelly Clarkson, Janis Joplin, the Stone Temple Pilots, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.
"We try to please everyone," Mr. Nelson said.
The Friends of the Jamesburg Library also attended the event with the hope of raising money for the library through cookie and tote bag sales. The group brought a petition for attendees to sign that will be sent to Gov. Jon Corzine. The petition will ask the governor to allow library spending to be exempt from a 4 percent tax cap so the library can stay open.
Carole Hetzell, president of the Friends of the Jamesburg Library, said the items they were selling were donations, which means all proceeds will go directly to the library.
The Jamesburg Borough Council is considering placing a referendum on the November ballot that would ask voters for approval to end municipal support for the library. The council cannot reduce or end its library subsidy without approval from voters. If it were approved, Jamesburg would end municipal support without having a county library system to fall back on. A second, non-binding question would ask voters to close the library.
However, the persistent rain caused the group to leave the event earlier than planned and with fewer donations.
"We didn’t sell as many cookies as we’d hoped, but the people that did buy them were generous," Ms. Hetzell said. She said the group also got a number of donations to be put directly toward its cause.
While the rain may have persuaded some to skip the celebration, residents who did attend didn’t let a soggy day ruin the holiday for them.
When the fate of the fireworks show was still uncertain, many created their own shows by setting off sparklers and firecrackers. Dry benches and picnic tables were packed from as early in the afternoon as 2 p.m. through the end of the event at about 9:30.
Mr. Nelson said his band enjoyed entertaining during the event.
"It’s a good place to celebrate the holiday," he said.

