HINGHAM, Mass. — The sights and sounds of the 4th exploded over Worcester on Thursday night.
But dark skies and silence are all that will be seen and heard in Hingham tonight after the town had to cancel the 4th of July fireworks for the 4th straight year!
“Disappointed yeah…but more like crestfallen,” said Mark Casale, President of the Hingham Lions, the group that puts on the annual show.
In 2019 they were canceled due to staffing, in 2020, COVID-19 canceled the shows, in 2021, it was COVID-19 again and then this year, it’s because of a bird. Well actually, six of them, according to an Audubon study.
Mark Casale is President of the Hingham Lions Club, the group that’s put on the fireworks for 25 years.
“There was an issue with federal guidelines on the island where the show is launched from. There was a migratory wildlife situation,” said Casale.
The bird is the American Oystercatcher, a species of special conservation concern, that is nesting on the Button Island. That’s the same spot in Hingham Harbor where the fireworks are launched. Casale is not the only one disappointed.
“This was a beautiful night for it so unfortunately because of the birds it’s postponed,” said Karen O’Neil who is originally from Hingham.
She and her husband Jack actually came to see the show.
“We grew up in Hingham. It’s been a tradition. It’s a 4th of July town, the parade, the road race and the fireworks right,” said Jack O’Neil who also grew up in Hingham.
But despite their disappointment, most folks were happy the American Oystercatcher will be protected. “Well I’m all in favor of conservation so I say yeah Hingham,” said a woman sitting on the beach.
Casale says the show will hopefully go on but not until September. That’s when there’s another celebration in town that the Lions are hoping to take part in and set fireworks off then.
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