Fireworks are always the main event of any Fourth of July. How could we celebrate independence without them? Waitinf for the sky to darken, (around 9:30 p.m.) the crowd will be entertained, beginning at 7 p.m., by a live band. The Dadz will play throughout the evening. Stage announcments at 8:00 followed by a real treat. If you missed th Patriotic Sign (held on July 3rd at the Britton gym) you'll have another chance to hear schoolchildren sing your favorite American songs.

As the crowd "Oohs and Aahs" to each exploding firework effect, few are aware of the work involved in producing a 4th of July show like Morgan Hill's. Tim Gall, a local Morgan Hill resident of the Fireworks Committee Chariman for Independence Day Inc. (IDI), which is the non-profit organization, staffed completely by volunteers who provide for all of the events each year. Tim is responsible for coordinating all aspects of the fireworks show, working closely with other IDI committee members, the pyrotechnicians, and the local Fire and Police Departments.

Several months before the 4th of July, members of IDI meet with the fireworks contractor and discuss the overall needs of the show. This meeting includes setting the fireworks budget, discussing the shooting site requirements and establishing safety guidelines with the Fire and Police Departments to ensure that an exciting program can be shot while ensuring the public's safety.

Three to four months before the 4th, the fireworks contractor "builds" the show, selecting from thousands of possible pyrotechnic devices to create a unique show that will look great over Morgan Hill's Community Park. IDI's fireworks contracter is Fireworks America. Each yar their staff travels all over the world testing and purchasing some of the most unique pyrotechnic devices available. Tonight's show will feature fireworks from Germany, Spain, China and Japan, as well as several domestically (many California) manufactured products. Also serveral months before the show, Fireworks America dispatches a licensed pyrotechnician to survey the firing site and provide additional input on product selection. Jim Acker, a San Martin resident, has worked as the Master Pyrotechnician for the Morgan Hill show, with the help of local pyrotechnicians Roark Diters and Mike Froess, both residents of the south County. The three men have assembled a team of pyro-assistants that have worked to produce fireworks shows for Superbowls, Olympics, Major League Baseball, Football, Hockey events and large rock and roll shows.

A month before the 4th, the equipment is finalized and checked. Racks for shooting the shells are inspected. Final pyrotechnic equipment counts are confirmed. On July 3rd, the equipment is laid out where it will be used on the following day. Measurements are taken and distances ar checked. The script for the show is run through to be sure that everything is where it should be. On the morning of the 4th, the pyrotechnicians arrive with the fireworks. Each and every firework has a specific numver and each of them are carefully laid out into a specific location for firing. While some fireworks displays are still shot by using a fuse that is lit with a road flare, the Morgan Hill show has been fired electrically for several years. Each firework has a small wire connected to a central computer control that launches each firework with split second accuracy.