July 1997

Osborne sets on 5th of July Date: 07/07/97 Category: NEWS Page: 1B Erin Gibson, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Caption: Photo by Chris Johnson, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Hundreds of boats gather Saturday night on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs to view the Osborne family fireworks display. HOT SPRINGS -- Seven-year-old Matthew Buie of Bentonville sat on the banks of Hamilton Lake Saturday night, peering across its black water and waiting as patiently as he could. "I wonder when the fireworks will start?" he asked. "I can't wait to see them." About 20 minutes later, young Matthew got the thrill he had waited for. A few loud crackles and a bright blanket of color lit the sky and proved that this year's crowd-pleasing Independence Day celebrations didn't stop on the Fourth of July. Fireworks sponsored by Arkansas philanthropist Jcnnings Osborne soared over Lake Hamilton and reflected in choppy water thick with spectators' boats. The red and green lanterns on the boats bounced hundreds of tiny lights on the lake, adding star-like twinkles to the spectacle. The Osbornes watched from their boat, while thousands more gathered with friends and family on the shore and cooed over nearly 6,000 flashy fireworks. "I liked the end and all the colors together," said Matthew, who watched with his parents and two younger siblings. The fireworks Matthew liked in the finale cascaded over the lake, with bright, sparkling fingers of every color that fell in umbrella shapes more than 100 feet long. Some other young children nearby clapped and waved to the fireworks from their fathers' shoulders, while an occasional "wow" and "awesome" slipped from the lips of older onlookers. Osborne said the thousands who came to see the fireworks were his reason for sponsoring his sixth July 5 fireworks display over Lake Hamilton. "It's a pretty sight," he said. "Everybody's out there ooh-ing and ahh-ing. It's nice to make people happy." Osborne has received attention nationwide for his dazzling holiday celebrations, including several fireworks displays and a Christmas display outside his home off Cantrell Road in Little Rock. The display featured some 3 million lights and animated displays at its peak in 1993. The Arkansas Supreme Court forced Osborne to tone down the display in 1994 after six neighbors filed a lawsuit to halt the display, which drew enough traffic to cause severe congestion on neighborhood streets. Many of Osborne's Christmas lights now are displayed at the more crowd-friendly Walt Disney World in Florida. But Osborne said his elaborate fireworks shows will stay in Arkansas. The fireworks are for those who could never afford a trip to Disney World, he said, adding that all Arkansans should be able to see such fantastic sights. That's why he could never charge admission to his famous fireworks display, Christmas lights or other events, he said, although he joked that the graduate school tuition for his daughter, Breezy Osborne, burned up with the fireworks Saturday night. Osborne wouldn't say how much the 6,000 fireworks cost, but said the price was worth entertaining so many Arkansans on the holiday weekend. Getting ready for the massive fireworks show was serious business. Tom Daniels, owner of Arkansas Pyrotechnic Productions Inc. that designed the show, said when last week's temperatures neared 100 degrees, two employees, including his son, sought medical attention for heat exhaustion and dehydration. But Daniels, a Hot Springs native, said putting on the show in his hometown was worth the sacrifice. "The Osborne family goes first class," Daniels said. "Their ultimate goal is to please people -- to make people happy. We try to make every fireworks show that we do for them special." To make the show unique and exciting, Daniels said he tried out creative, new ideas with a large palette of fireworks types and colors. He even traveled to Utah to buy fireworks that have never been seen in Arkansas, he said. The rare fireworks were laced throughout the show, with several in the grand finale. That's the part of the show people remember, Daniels said, and where he concentrates his fireworks design efforts for the Hot Springs show. "It's home," he said. "And whenever it's home, you always want to outdo yourself."

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