History

In the 1960s, Norm Klave started shooting an annual 4th of July fireworks display for family and close friends on the sandbar in front of Klave’s Marina. Over the years, various people participated in this event, making a trek across the state line to purchase fireworks that were unavailable in Michigan. Norm’s old houseboat was commissioned as command central. Torches and lighters were utilized to blast rockets into the sky. Shouts of “Fire in the hole” and “All fingers accounted for” were heard as men and boys, in frenzied glory, splashed from the houseboat to the makeshift launching devices, lighting fuses and dashing away. At some point, Norm’s homemade cannon was used to signify the commencement of the display. Word of mouth and the rumor mill were the only means of notification for this clandestine festivity, since these displays were not legally permitted in Michigan. However, blasting rockets and large booms are not activities prone to secrecy, and many people had an innate desire to be part of the fun. Each year, more and more people came forward with offers of donations or expressions of a desire to be part of that inner circle.

By the late 1970s, businesses including King’s Service, Cottage Inn Pizza (now Riverside), Portage Lake Trading Post, Newport Beach Club (now Portage Yacht Club), and Three Kegs Party Store became involved. Each year, a T-shirt was designed and sold at these businesses to raise funds, and Norm or Klave’s Marina stepped in to pick up the tab if donations were insufficient to finance his passion for explosives. Norma Dentler, née Klave, at Klave’s Marina served as the unofficial treasurer, collecting donations and T-shirt proceeds and keeping track of funds. Gary Locher, the service manager for Klave’s Marina, began working side by side with Norm and various other crew members to shoot the displays.

Through the 1980s, there was still an effort to limit publicity due to the liability and legality concerns of an ever-growing but loosely organized event. Nevertheless, word-of-mouth communication and the growing number of “inside the circle” individuals inspired an ever-increasing parade of boats cruising into Portage from the lakes up the river. Around this time, Norm befriended Ken Graham, who became his supplier of bigger, better, and louder fireworks. Ken was a legal supplier, and Norm possessed a Federal Firearms License, so permits were filed to legalize the display.

In 1991, sewers were being constructed. Ray Smit, a partner and project manager of the sewer installation at Portage Lake with McNamee, Porter and Seely, Inc., the engineering firm that designed and inspected the project, and his wife Donna were living on Portage Lake Avenue. They were members of Portage Yacht Club, and they approached Tom Ehman about the possibility of MPS contributing to the fireworks. They wanted to host a party for their contractors and believed their contributions could not only save the financially struggling display but also make it bigger and better than ever.

In a letter to their contractors seeking donations, Ray Smit wrote, “For as long as I remember, Klave’s Marina and, more recently, Tom Ehman’s sailboat marina have sponsored the Fourth of July fireworks display. During more recent years, they have sought additional contributions from residents and businesses and sold T-shirts to help out. Because of recent increases in the cost of production, they wrote earlier this year that the event may not be possible. Their cost, I understand, is about $4,000.” Ray went on to suggest a $250 donation from each contractor. (As a sidenote, the Ann Arbor fireworks display was canceled that same year due to lack of support.)

Tom Ehman and Donna Smit contacted Charlotte (“Char”) Schiller, née Klave, at Klave’s Marina about organizing a Michigan Domestic Non-Profit Corporation (ID 800928538, completed 05/05/2011), which now has an IRS 501(c)(4) classification. While the Portage Lake Area Community Service Organization was being formed, Donna Smit and Charlotte Schiller handled fundraising, opened an official checking account, and administered the funds. Due to their efforts, $8,050.82 was collected; the display was bigger and better than ever before, and a small balance was carried forward to help secure the next year’s event while fireworks displays around the area were falling by the wayside due to rising costs and lack of support. Ray and Donna Smit moved away the following year, but their contribution to energizing the event will always be appreciated.

Throughout the years since, the organization has faced many challenges, including new regulations, rising prices, and increased liabilities for the businesses involved. After the 09/11/01 terrorist attacks, the Treasury’s ATF&E Division took national control of explosives. New requirements included background checks and certification for pyrotechnicians, additional permits, a computer-based firing system for this class of fireworks, and ATF&E-approved shipping and storage facilities. The fireworks crew somewhat begrudgingly adopted safer technology. However, when the switches were flipped on that first automated display, the entire show shot into the sky in a five-minute, boat-rocking explosion of rockets and shells—it was awesome but brief.

Other challenges included determining how many layers of plywood and deck understructure were needed to keep a pontoon barge—made from an old pontoon boat—from submerging when a 12-inch shell was launched from inside a sand-filled 55-gallon drum on the deck. Currently, PLACSO maintains nine barges, with their decks replaced on a staggered schedule. Many stories are best left untold but are remembered in bouts of laughter when old crew members gather.

The year 2020 brought the COVID-19 pandemic and the inability to secure permits, causing the first cancellation of the display. It also introduced other challenges. Ken Graham retired and would no longer supply fireworks or choreograph the show. New suppliers had to be secured, and Gary Locher, Matt Bertram, and Howard Joll took on a more active role in designing the show. Klave’s Marina was being sold, and it was uncertain whether the new owners would participate at the same level as the Klave family and employees. There were also liability insurance issues. It was not until late spring 2021 that PLACSO was able to pull everything together and move ahead with the fireworks. Many thanks go to the crew for assembling the show without Ken’s expertise, with new vendors, new products, and an entirely new plan for launching, moving, and storing the barges and fireworks in such a short timeframe.

The original PLACSO officers—Tom Ehman (President), Charlotte Tackmann, née Klave (Secretary/Treasurer), and Gary Locher (Pyrotechnician)—maintained their commitment through PLACSO’s twentieth anniversary in 2021. With the sale of Klave’s Marina, Char turned over the Secretary/Treasurer role to Matt Bertram. Matt and Howard Joll, who joined several years earlier, became licensed pyrotechnicians alongside Gary. Matt, an accountant, had assisted Charlotte with tax filings and was a natural choice for treasurer. Melissa Kunnert, née Klave, joined PLACSO this year, bringing marketing expertise from her business, NautiMI on the River.

From the rowdy rabble-rousers of the early days to the dedicated group now at the helm, the Portage Lake fireworks remain a beloved community event. The organization continues to strive for improvement and welcomes comments, suggestions, and support. A special debt of gratitude is owed to Gary Locher—no one has contributed more time, effort, and dedication. He maintains the barges and equipment, attends fireworks demonstrations and training, applies for most permits, and works tirelessly before and after the event to set up and clean up. A small group has sustained this event for decades, and volunteers are urgently needed to assist with cleanup the following day.

While this all began with Norm Klave’s patriotism and fascination with explosives, PLACSO continues the tradition around July 4 as the nation celebrates the failures of Lord North and King George III, which led the colonies to declare independence from Great Britain and break away from a hereditary monarchy.

Finally, we thank the community for its continued support through both successes and challenges, and for helping keep the display safe throughout the years.

This History portion of the Website was created by Charlotte Tackmann, nee Klave, with some slight editions and will be updated as significant events occur.