Each year since Council members Juan Garcia and Dorothy Rush pushed to have the city reinstate a July 4th fireworks show Scott Ward has been the pyrotechnician in charge, and each year he has a loyal crew that has shown up to assist.

The editor thought you should meet them all, or at least those she could round up for a photo. In the photo above are, front row left to right, Jesus Robledo, Jeff Crawford, Scott himself, Gina Hjorth, Joe Portera, second row left to right, Gordon Cox,  Brian Philbin, Devin Toner, John Toner, John Bobé III, Dallin Hjorth (in the multicolored shirt), and in the third row left to right, Tony Scazzuso,   Larry DeSantis, Doug Cox, Ken Baker, and John Bobé.

Some are former La Habra High students and others are friends Scott made at Verizon who also love to send rockets into the air to explode and delight crowds with the effects produced in the night’s sky.

This year was the year of the sons as John Toner and John Bobé brought theirs, and Larry Ganson brought his son Kimball, who he promised could join the fun when he reached 13 and this was that year.

Last year Larry helped with the July 4th show on his way to Vancouver, British Columbia, to begin planning for the 2010 Winter Olympics. Larry was in charge of the technical  production for the games.

“After a rough start beginning with the luge death and the cauldron not lighting, it went very well,” Ganson reported. One of the major successes was staying within the budgetary constraints set by the Vancouver committee. But all of that was eclipsed, of course, by Canada winning the gold in hockey.

Asked how he got involved in producing major extravaganzas, Larry said, “I was a freshman at La Habra High and helping with production for one of Mr. Dunton’s Scottscapades. Scott [Ward] would  come in each year and teach the crew how to handle the lights, set up the stages, and manage any special effects.”

“Then that summer he asked if I wanted to help with the La Mirada fireworks show. I did and began to learn that. Eventually he was working at Disneyland and I went with him,” he continued.