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New Community Fireworks Event Debuts To Cheers

    Umatilla saw its largest fireworks show in memory debut on New Year’s Eve.  Running at over a half hour and synced with music, the show was the brainchild of Kent and Robbie Merrill and hosted on property recently purchased by the First Baptist Church of Umatilla.
    The event, hosted just after dark, welcomed a large crowd.  While not officially a project of the church, the event featured an opening prayer by minister Brooks Braswell and refreshments offered by the church’s Trail Life program. 
    Kent Merrill has for years welcomed friends and family to shows at his home on Fletcher Road, but this event, hosted on the shores of East Lake across from the Umatilla Health Department, was a new experience, and far beyond any traditional home program.  Instead, guests, who some estimated at over 1,000 people, enjoyed a show that equaled, or even surpassed, those seen at shows hosted by area cities.  With four launching platforms, the show provided nonstop action, choreographed to songs ranging from the Star Spangled Banner to praise music, to rock and roll.
    Both Merrill and church representatives this week said the partnership is expected to continue next year, with hopes of growing the event into an even larger celebration.