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A Birthday Boom
BY BOB GLISSMANN
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
Downtown Omaha was the place to be Saturday night if you liked
fireworks and music and owned one of those fold-out camping chairs with
the arms.
You could find plenty of all three in and around Heartland of America
Park, which was packed with an estimated 25,000 people, a sixth of the
150,000 total that officials estimated watched the show throughout
downtown and across the Missouri River in Council Bluffs.
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Fireworks light up the night sky as Omaha celebrates its 150th
birthday. The fireworks could be seen from all around the city and
also in Iowa. A crowd of more than 200 people gathered at the
Lincoln Monument in Council Bluffs, where this photo was taken
Photo by Josh Williamson/The World-Herald |
One thing you couldn't find - if you arrived late, anyway - was parking
anywhere near the park at Eighth and Douglas Streets. People heading to
Omaha's 150th birthday celebration were parking south of Woolworth
Avenue - 15 blocks south of Dodge - and west of Central High School at
20th and Dodge Streets.
Downtown sidewalks were packed with people during the 12-minute
fireworks show, which went off from two locations, with each a mirror
image of the other.
"We're down in the middle of it!" Dennis Fowler exclaimed as the
fireworks exploded, seemingly right over him but actually blocks away.
There were gold, swirling comets and weeping willows in purple, red,
green and blue. They had an enormous span, at times forming a nearly
solid wall of light. The blasts reverberated between downtown
buildings, the noise occasionally setting off car alarms.
"It was great!" said 6-year-old Janna Buckley. "Especially the big
ones."
Her twin sister, Janae, agreed. "Yeah, the best was
when they all shooted together," she said, referring to the strong
artillery finish to the display they saw with their parents, Janet and
Bill Buckley.
Folks still trying to find parking spots at the 10 p.m. showtime
instead watched the airborne blasts from their cars. They honked their
horns in approval at the booming end.
After the show, thousands of people hurried to leave the park, only to
become part of a human traffic jam. For most, the long trek back to
where they had left their vehicles took less time than the
bumper-to-bumper drive out of the downtown area.
The diverse, well-behaved crowd began to gather at the park in the
early afternoon, with spots across from the stage that was set up over
the lagoon filling up first.
The Jackson family set up shop farther away, on the northwest edge of
Heartland of America park. They staked out a picnic table and set up a
tabletop barbecue grill to cook ribs and hot dogs.
Deborah Jackson said she had parked near Omaha Police Headquarters near
15th and Howard Streets and walked over. Her sister, Tammie, said she
was happy with the pleasant weather and didn't mind that the family
wasn't able to see the stage, as long as they could see the sky.
The Matt Wallace Band kicked off the evening at 7 p.m. with a mix of
jazz, funk and Latin tunes. Wallace, an Omahan who toured for years
with jazz great Maynard Ferguson and will hook up with him again in the
fall, said before he went on stage that he was honored to be part of
the 150th birthday bash.
The Omaha Symphony started its part of the show at 8:30 p.m. The sound
was amplified through the park, crystal-clear in spots and faint in
others. But the crowd was enthusiastic, clapping or singing along to
patriotic and Broadway standards.
The symphony, under the direction of resident conductor Ernest
Richardson, delivered a 76-minute program that also included classical
selections.
Most of the pieces, despite their disparate origins, had one thing in
common - they paid musical tribute to important aspects of Omaha's
history or people.
"Take Me Out to the Ball Game" marked the city's long College World
Series tradition. "Come Home to the Sea" was featured because it was
written by local Mannheim Steamroller composer Chip Davis. Some pieces,
such as "All That Jazz" from "Chicago" or "Fascinatin' Rhythm" by
George Gershwin, didn't really have a connection to the city's history.
They were just upbeat, fun songs.
"Omaha has always had a passion for great performances of great music,"
said Omaha actor John Beasley, who narrated the show.
Earlier in the day, about 2,000 people came out for a picnic at Fort
Omaha. The family-friendly event offered old-time music, American
Indian dancers and recognition of historic Omaha families.
Myron and Maria Wijtek had attended Omaha's 100th birthday celebration
at Turner Park near 30th and Dodge Streets as kids. Saturday, 50 years
later, the couple, who have been married for 26 years, celebrated
another landmark Omaha birthday at Fort Omaha. After stopping at their
south Omaha home, they headed - like thousands of others - to the
fireworks show.
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Connie Ernst, left, and Heather Debor help decorate the giant cake
that will be served to the public today at Qwest Center Omaha. The
cake, which will be offered from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., is actually 450 full
sheet cakes, says Don Wilkens, director of bakery operations for Hy-Vee.
Photo by Josh Williamson/The World-Herald |
The birthday celebration continues today at the Qwest Center, where
people can get one of 39,000 pieces of Omaha's birthday cake starting
at 1 p.m., followed by a family festival at downtown Omaha attractions.
World-Herald staff writers Ashley Hassebroek, Michaela Saunders and
Kevin Cole contributed to this report.
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