Wonderful stories of entrepreneurial Fun (and beauty)!

'Twas the night before the Fourth of July, and all through the city...

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” –Margaret Mead

Well, Muskegon, I must say, I’m impressed. This fireworks fanatic was ready to use her imagination if the first grassroots Fourth of July display didn’t quite reach the bar set by Muskegon Summer Celebration … Turns out, it blasted right past it. A 25-minute show with a great variety of colors, sizes, shapes, and sounds … Love the ones that make a whizzing sound while showering the sky at the end…

I do not have any pictures, as my Droid decided it needed a day off, but if you were anywhere in the Muskegon area, you would’ve heard the sounds of fireworks, and if you looked outside, chances are you saw the sky lit up … We didn’t even have to wait for the Heritage Landing display to see some big boomers, and the show didn’t stop 25 minutes later … It just migrated to the neighborhoods around the city. I know it’s a bit scary, and some regulations probably are needed, but I enjoyed the most-likely-one-time Fourth of July fireworks citywide show in surround sound and sight … Seriously, everywhere you looked, colorful blasts were painting the sky…

There also was a huge, orange moon lighting up the city … and I heard the sunset was amazing (no surprise there).  I missed it to stake out a good spot, and in the process, watch the 360-degree fireworks show going on around me…

So it’s the weekend and what now? Well, you can choose your own adventure on the amazing beaches, in the life-affirming woods, on one of the gorgeous bike trails, at a friend’s bonfire or at one of the local nightspots … or you can join Indiana Jones on his last crusade on the LST 393. (Who else is loving the idea of an Indiana Jones movie involving the LST?) The LST’s “Movies on Deck” will bring you the exciting sights and sounds of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade right after this:

Yeah, this is a good movie preview.

An awesome movie classic right after a gorgeous sunset over the water? I’d say that’s a good follow-up to the fireworks and orange moon … And a good sequel to the Movies on Deck experience (which happens every Friday) would be this:

Not a bad theater ... So big!

That’s right! There’s another Movies on the Beach Muskegon event scheduled for July 28, so mark your calendar – and go and vote on which movie you’d like to see at MOTBM’s Facebook page.

The best part about all these events – other than the fact that they’re awesome and unique and community-focused – is that they all started with one person’s enthusiasm and love and hard work for Muskegon - and imagination! - and the group of equally enthusiastic and loving and hardworking people each of these people inspired to help make them happen. County Commissioner Bob Scolnik led the effort to raise over $27,000 for the fireworks, with generous contributions from community members and the Community Foundation for Muskegon County; Bob Garretson of Waddel & Reed spearheaded the downtown Muskegon planning and investment firm’s underwriting of the entire “Movies on Deck” 2012 series; and Muskegon resident Kerry Halloran dreamed up “Movies on the Beach Muskegon” and brought together a local church (Renovate Church), performing arts center (Frauenthal Center for the Performing Arts), the City of Muskegon, the community foundation, and a host of people who Love Muskegon to make it happen…

Kinda makes you wonder what cool thing you could organize, doesn’t it? Just writing that paragraph got my wheels turning … For now, we can all just enjoy these events (for free! though donations really will help) and be thankful we live in a place with such innovation, thoughtfulness, caring, and community spirit…

See ya at the movies.

--Imaginer