With any luck, Friday morning found Nederland Bulldog fans energized, U.S. veterans duly honored and many boxes of fireworks expended. Folks at Bulldog Stadium could have even tipped their hats to the Founding Fathers on Thursday night.

The city of Nederland has endured some rough luck in 2018 when it came to their fireworks contract, with bad weather or the threat of bad weather postponing scheduled fireworks shows first on July 4^th and then on Veterans Day, both appropriate occasions for bright lights and loud noises. Alas, despite good intentions, bad weather threatened or the forecast proved uncooperative and both occasions fizzled. Not to worry.

City Manager Chris Duque said Thursday’s rescheduled fireworks show — it was intended to punctuate a pep rally for a football playoff game against Fort Bend Willowridge — was no desperation measure. The contract for a fireworks show extended until July 3, so there were lots of holidays and festive occasions left on the calendar. No need to set them off on a holy day or on Darrell Bush’s birthday or at the completion of the Nederland Avenue project.

“The school district has always been a great partner to our veterans,” Duque said. “They always have choir concerts and band concerts for them. They are as happy as they can be to be part of it all. Being able to honor the veterans is something that we knew we still wanted to do and we knew the district always has a pep rally when the Bulldogs make the playoffs, so we made some calls and the district agreed.”

Fortunately, Thursday’s forecast suggested a cool but clear night and, with the high school’s football team in the playoffs, a joyous occasion. So letting the pyrotechnics go Thursday was wholly appropriate. It’s a good thing for a city to have so many celebratory occasions when fireworks might be appropriate.

The city reminded Nederland residents of that in a prepared statement to announce the rescheduled fireworks show.

“We hope to see you Thursday night as we kick off the Bulldogs’ playoff run and salute the brave men and women who have sacrificed so much for our freedoms and the way of life,” the city’s statement read.

Here’s hoping the Bulldog offense can keep the fireworks going Friday night, when Nederland hosts the Willowridge Eagles at 7:30 p.m. That might be cause for more celebration.