Riverfest goes from hot to explosive

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Monday, September 7, 1998

BY MIRIAM SMITH and DANA DiFILIPPO
The Cincinnati Enquirer

The Toyota/WEBN Fireworks viewed from the Newport floodwall. (Ryan Miller photo) | ZOOM |

Cincinnati's annual summer-ending Riverfest fireworks exploded on cue Sunday to a wilted crowd that took most of the day to get to full strength because of the heat.

Still, Pam Deyo of Glendale shrugged off the 94-degree scorcher. "I love walking up Broadway with the mass of humanity," she said. "It's nice being with all your fellow Cincinnatians."

On the Kentucky side, Covington viewers still mourned the loss of riverfront trees.

Micah Zimmerman and Eileen Simon didn't need chain saws to carve out a good view of Riverfest.

After vandals last month felled three 30-foot oak trees along Covington's Riverside Drive -- apparently to create a better view for fireworks -- this pair watched comfortably, but sadly, from a sprawling Covington porch as crowds converged on both sides of the Ohio River for the Toyota - WEBN Fireworks.

Mr. Zimmerman, 31, of Erlanger, said it was "a crime" that someone would take such drastic measures. The vandals have not been apprehended, despite a $2,000 reward.

"If people want to see the fireworks, they should walk down another 5 feet as opposed to cutting down trees," he said. "I've been coming down here for years. It's a beautiful area. It's not that hard to get a better view."

The view from Riverside Drive in Covington. (Craig Ruttle photo) | ZOOM |

Especially when boiling temperatures kept a crowd that eventually reached an estimated 500,000 relatively small much of the morning and early afternoon.

The National Weather Service reported a high of 94 Sunday -- 7 degrees shy of the record high of 101 degrees set in 1954, meteorologist Diane Shade said.

That temperature was far higher than the normal of 81 degrees for a Sept. 6. A high-pressure system held the heat over Cincinnati; a cold front expected this afternoon should bring temperatures down to the mid-80s, Ms. Shade said.

The heat sapped many festivalgoers, who lounged on beach blankets and towels as they waited for the day to dwindle to 9:05 p.m. -- the start of the fireworks show. Beginning about 7 p.m., occasional bursts of fireworks were shot into the air to get the crowd in the mood.

But mostly, the mood was hot.

"Words can't really describe how hot I am right now," said Chuck Knippen, 21, of Norwood, who donned a giant, yellow duck costume to act as mascot for the FreeStore - FoodBank's Rubber Duck Regatta. Mr. Knippen, a Xavier University senior, was drafted to be the duck because he worked as a FreeStore-FoodBank intern this summer. He wore a water pack strapped to his back to cool down.

"I'm actually having fun," he said, as he danced with helper Karyn Isaacson, 22, also a Xavier senior.

Blankets and towels covered the steps to the Serpentine Wall as early arrivals camped out Sunday afternoon. (Saed Hindash photo) | ZOOM |

"This is my first time here and I will never come back," said Yolanda Broomfield, 28, Walnut Hills, a mother of three small children. "It's too hot and crowded and people keep stepping on my kids."

Nearby, Stacy Marshall looked longingly at the green currents that lapped against the Serpentine Wall. A contestant in WEBN's "Big-Hair Contest," Ms. Marshall sweated beneath a stiff cloud of teased, brown frizz.

"We didn't bring no money with us," said Ms. Marshall, who failed to win the contest's $100 prize. "But if they don't have that contest soon, I might have to jump in that river."

Tony and Shirley Garrett set up so close to the river they could almost dip their toes in.

They drove nearly two hours from Arcanum, Ohio, northwest of Dayton, and planted themselves just a few feet from the river's edge just off Riverside Drive.

They fought the fierce heat by ducking beneath beach umbrellas, where the barefoot couple sprawled on lawn chairs.

The Garretts had about six hours before the fireworks started, but they had no plans to leave this prime spot of real estate, especially when they had to dodge broken glass and brush to get there.

"We figured if we're going to be down here all day, we ought to go like it was the beach," Mr. Garrett said. "It's sort of like (the beach), except for the trash, the trees and the broken bottles."

Mrs. Garrett even brought along some summer reading: Jackie Collins' Sinners, and her shirtless husband planned to pass the time with his newspaper and boombox. The Garretts didn't need to venture back to the street for refreshments from the variety of vendors. They cracked the cooler dividing them to reveal fresh fruit, chocolate-covered peanuts and even fruit dip.

Regatta Duck Regatta workers try to get the ducks going in the right direction. (Yoni Pozner photo) | ZOOM |

As boats bobbed nearby, they could hear the crowd roar across the river at Cinergy Field while the Cincinnati Bengals played. "It's wonderful. There's nice weather to go with it," Mrs. Garrett said.

Brothers Brian and Craig Griffie, both of Blue Ash, and their cousin Craig Griffie, of Deer Park, headed for the Serpentine Wall at about 1:30 p.m. to stake out a superb sighting spot.

They passed the time until the fireworks playing Uno, people-watching and visiting vendors.

"This is the best seat in the house," said Brian Griffie, 22. "It's a little warm out here, but it's worth it."

Martha and Bob Hinkel sat on park benches along Riverside Drive to watch the parade of boats.

The Lakeside Park, Ky., couple wanted to clear out long before the area became packed with people.

The plan: Go out to eat, go home, watch the fireworks on TV and videotape the show so their daughter in California could watch. "It's too big and crowded for me," Mrs. Hinkel said.

Police logged dozens of citations, most dealing with alcohol and drug violations.

In Cincinnati, police arrested five people for fighting and disorderly conduct. They issued 44 citations, mostly for open containers at the alcohol-free event. They confiscated 162 cans of beer, two half-barrels of beer, one bottle of liquor, two bottles of wine, one wine cooler, 6 grams of marijuana, 13 illegal pills and one switchblade.

No Riverfest-related arrests had been made in Covington as of early Sunday evening, police said.

Paramedics with the Cincinnati Fire Division treated dozens of cases of heat stroke and heat exhaustion -- some aggravated by alcohol consumption -- several bee stings and several cuts from falls, Lt. Al Piening said.

Wind keeps duckies from finish line

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TRISTATE DIGEST
Wind keeps duckies from finish line