Unsung Heroes #390

We’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: Westport’s fireworks are the best party of the year.

But — like any party — it doesn’t happen without tons of work.

Planning takes months. The day of the event is long, hard and very stressful.

And even when the party is over, the clean-up work continues.

Our annual celebration seems to run like clockwork. This year’s was especially flawless. (A record may have been set: only 2 lost children.)

So how did it happen?

A lot of groups worked a lot of hours. With a lot of collaboration.

Thanks go to:

Parks & Recreation Department. They’re the front lines — and the back room (and everything and everywhere in between). The fireworks are an all-hands-on-deck event, and everyone from director Erik Barbieri (overseeing his first one), deputies Rick Giunta and Carm Roda (definitely not their first rodeos), down to the lifeguards and newest summer employees, pitched in.

From parking assistance and emptying trash all day long, to reuniting those 2 lost kids with their parents, Parks & Rec did it all. Special thanks to the clean-up crews, who went to work the moment the first revelers left after the last firework, leaving behind mammoth piles of chairs, tables, towels, flip-flops, food and other garbage.

By dawn the next morning, it was all gone. A kerfuffle ensued on Westport Front Porch, when a Westporter wondered why the clean-up had been so efficient that when she went back the next day to retrieve her stuff, it was gone. I’m paraphrasing here, but you get the idea. No good dead — or pristine beach — goes unpunished.

An early trash pick-up, long before the big crowds arrive. (Photo/Dan Woog)

Police Department. This was Dave Farrell’s first fireworks as chief, and his men and women nailed it. They too were everwhere — in cars, on bicycles, on foot and on the water — with constant smiles, and an eagerness to help. They were assisted by officers from other towns. And, it seems safe to say, they returned the favor on other days, for those colleagues’ pyrotechnics.

Fire Department. You never know what might happen, at an event that draws 10,000 people. But the presence of so many firefighters — with all their equipment — was reassuring to all. They were not called on for anything major, so they had plenty of time to offer little kids up-close look at their gleaming trucks, and toots on the (very) loud sirens.

Emergency Medical Services. Our paid and volunteer staffs were all over the place too. They are sometimes overlooked — particularly on a day that was as incident-free as possible — but we would be nowhere without them (and their ambulances, parked strategically and ready for everything).

First responders, smiling but ready if needed. (Photo/Laurie Sorensen)

Westport PAL. They’re the beneficiaries of the parking permits. The money they raise helps fund sports and scholarship programs that impact thousands of youngsters. But PAL volunteers work hard, before and during the fireworks, to earn their donations. Congratulations to PAL president Corporal Craig Bergamo, and his crew, for their part in the party.

Melissa and Doug Bernstein. They’ve sold their toy company. But as devoted Westporters, they continue to pay for the show — out of their own, personal pockets. If there’s a better way to show your love for this town, I’d like to hear it.

Thanks to all I’ve mentioned (and I sure hope I haven’t missed anyone).

The 2025 fireworks are now now just a memory. But we would not have that memory — or the smiles on our faces — without you.

Doug and Melissa Bernstein. (Photo/Dan Woog)

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