Who’s Behind the Scenes: Rose Edwards at the Catonsville 4th of July Fireworks

Catonsville Patch:  How long have you lived in Catonsville?

Rose Edwards:  We moved here in 1986 from the DC suburbs.  My husband’s job transfer brought us here.

Patch:  How did you become involved with the 4th of July Celebration? 

Edwards:  I worked for Birchie Manley in 1990, and then when Sam Moxley came on, I worked for him.  He sent me to a meeting of the Celebrations Committee to represent him and I never left.

Patch:  What different jobs have you done for the Celebrations Committee?

Edwards:  I was the treasurer from 1997 to approximately 2008, and then I was the co-chair for two years and the chair for two years.  Now I’m just a fireworks committee member and I try to help out a lot behind the scenes.  Recently I’ve been taking care of the food for the fireworks crew.  This year we have donations from Papa John’s, McDonald’s, Duesenberg’s, and Monihan’s Pub.

Patch:  What special training did you have to have to be involved with the fireworks?

Edwards:  You have to do an apprenticeship under a licensed pyrotechnician.  You take seminars from a fireworks company and then you take a state test with the state bomb squad.  Since 9/11, you also have to receive ATF [Alcohol, Firearms, and Tobacco] clearance if you’re handling explosives of any kind.

Patch:  What is involved with setting up and setting off the fireworks?

Edwards:  You don’t even want to know!  It takes a big group of people.  There are all kinds of preliminaries.  First we put out a contract for a company to provide the fireworks within our budget.  We have to arrange for a lot of permits.  The county fire marshal has to come out and approve the site.  Of course the police have to be involved. 

In Maryland, you’re not allowed to store fireworks; the company we buy from is in Pennsylvania. On the July 3, we drive up there and pick up a truckload of racks of fireworks; we bring them back and set them up at the high school on the ball diamond.  We hire a security guard for overnight. 

Then, on the July 4, we drive back up to Pennsylvania to pick up the shells, the explosives that actually set off the fireworks.  That group spends from 9 a.m. to p.m. loading and getting everything ready to fire in whatever wonderful weather we are having.  We have electric wire at the beginning of the show and the finale.  The body of the show is hand fired with a flare.

After the show, we pack everything up until about 2 a.m. or 3 a.m. and the truck has to go back to Pennsylvania.  Then they’re back at 8 a.m., sweeping the field like the police do for evidence, looking for any left-over debris from the fireworks.  There’s a lot of time and energy put into it.  So, it’s not me, it’s not our committee chairman; it’s all of us together bringing this forward.  It’s our passion and caring as a group.

Patch:  How have the fireworks changed over time?

Edwards:  They used to be held at the old middle school; they were shot off from behind the ball diamond.  They moved to the high school in 1963.  Our budget has changed too.  In 1947, the cost of the entire July 4th celebration was $1500; this year, our fireworks budget alone is $25,000-$30,000.

Patch:  Do you get nervous?

Edwards:  When I hand fired, that was scary.  I was okay with the rack in front of me but not when it was behind me.  So now I do the electric firing and I’m fine.  I love it too much to be nervous.   No, the only problem with firing is that you don’t get to see that part of the show.

Patch:  What’s your favorite thing about doing the fireworks?

Edwards:  After I’ve finished my little part, I like to lie back on the grass and watch those fireworks over my head and hear the crowd.  I’m telling you, it gives me cold chills just talking about it.

Patch:  What are you proud of?

Edwards:  We have such a good group of people who have been doing this job for so long, and they run it so smoothly and it all comes together.  It just all comes together.

Also, there are so many businesses in Catonsville which donate to support the celebration.  It makes me proud to be a part of Catonsville.

Patch:  What do you do in your everyday life?

Edwards:  I am a residential real estate appraiser and a real estate agent, but I don’t practice as an agent any more.

Patch: Where is your favorite place in the world, other than home?

Edwards:  You’re going to think I’m crazy, but it’s the Maryland International Raceway.  I have nine grandchildren and some of them are into drag racing; I have my own ATV.  We have a motor home and we spend a lot of time during the summer going to drag races.  It’s a blast; I love it.

Patch  What is your favorite thing about Catonsville?

Edwards:  In addition to the 4th of July Committee, I’ve been doing the Santa House since it started, 18 years ago, and I’m on the Catonsville Lions Club.  The people I’ve met and the friendships I’ve made, they’re priceless.

Patch:  What is your vision for the future of Catonsville?

Edwards:  I hope that no matter what happens to Catonsville, it never stops being the close-knit, home-town feeling community that it is now.