A number of people have complained about the fireworks at Marina Bay and asked for more information.

The last of four shows will be tomorrow, Thursday August 27. The shows were originally scheduled for between 9:25 and 9:30, but the previous ones have been earlier, typically about 8:30 or shortly thereafter.

The fireworks are the culmination of four evenings of entertainment at the Ford point Craneway where approximately 4,500 female employees of Miki Prune, a Japanese prune company are being entertained. They have been transported from San Francisco via Hornblower Yachts.

Click here for the entire package approved by the City Council on July 28. Despite this being approved at a televised public City Council meeting on a public agenda, a number of people were taken by surprise and felt there should have been better public notice. According to the agenda packet information, “The general manager of Orton Development has contacted the president of the Marina Bay Neighborhood Council to address neighborhood concerns regarding the fireworks displays.” Apparently, some people called 911, thinking it was gunfire or an explosion, and others were particularly concerned because their pets were frightened.

I don’t know if an opportunity like this will come again, but if it does, I have taken note that we should make a more effective effort at publicizing it, perhaps using the phone alert system or buying a large ad in local newspapers. Nothing like this has been done here before, and there is always something to learn.

Other than the surprise and consternation, which we definitely need to work on, I remain pleased that Richmond was able to become the venue of choice for 4,500 foreign visitors to the Bay area (18,000 total visits, if you count all four nights).

This is quite an amazing achievement and bodes well for one of my long term dreams that Richmond will become a destination city.