Mark Jansky is getting his fireworks ready for Kimball Days. For the fourth year in a row, he will have the task of filling the sky above School Section Lake Friday evening with an array of breathtaking colors and patterns. “For this year, I am going to try a red, white and blue theme,” Jansky said. Jansky, who has worked at Powder Ridge Winter Recreation Area as an outside manager for the last 13 years, is no amateur when it comes to fireworks. He obtained a Minnesota state pyrotechnics license six years ago. “We used to do fireworks every year at Powder Ridge (for New Year’s) and we had a guy come out to set off the fireworks. But the laws got stricter and the state fire marshal required a licensed pyrotechnician,” Jansky said. “I was the candidate (to get the license) because I like fireworks.” In getting the license, Jansky had to attend a fireworks shooter school, take a test at the state fire marshal’s office and pass a background clearance check. In addition, he has also attended seminars at shooter schools; the most recent was this spring in Crookston. The fireworks Jansky will use are ones that are legal in Minnesota. But before he got them for Kimball Days, Jansky had to first obtain a permit through the county insurance and establish a proper place to set them off. When finding a proper location to shoot fireworks, fire safety is a big concern. “In the winter, I don’t have to worry so much because of all the snow,” he said. “As far as Kimball Days, I’ll do it in front of a body of water (School Section Lake) so I don’t have to worry about fires.” For this Kimball Days, Jansky will fire up mainly mortars and artillery shells that range anywhere from 2 to 6 inches in size. Anything bigger than 6 inches needs to be shot electronically, something Jansky isn’t too keen on doing. “I’m not that far and advanced to use electronics, and I don’t like the electronics stuff so much,” Jansky said. Jansky sets his fireworks off by lighting them with flares on sticks. For Friday, Jansky has an arsenal of 300 shells ready. Two of his favorite kinds of fireworks are Finale boxes and Salutes. A Finale box sends anywhere from 25 to 100 shells into the sky, depending on the size of the box, when the fuse is lit. The Salute is the popular type of fireworks that create big “booms.” Jansky has a couple of each in store for Friday’s display and is confident it won’t be disappointing. “I’ve never heard any complaints, but usually with fireworks, no one complains,” Jansky said. One thing for sure is that he knows he won’t disappoint his two children. Macy, 6, and Mitchell, 4, are big fireworks fans. But for all his effort, Jansky won’t be able to see how his fireworks display turns out. “I will be too busy lighting them and trying to keep the sky full of fireworks so there is a shower in the air all time,” he said. Maybe he’ll get to hear how it all turns out from Macy and Mitchell. Catch the fireworks display over School Section Lake at dusk Friday.
