While people from all over Alaska and the world at large rang during the New Year with collective celebrations and fireworks thrones, the city of Kotzebue was literally out of the cold.
The night the community was informed on New Year’s Eve that due to strong winds and icy temperatures, the annual fireworks display would be postponed. Luckily, they didn’t have to wait long to celebrate, as the weather cleared up New Year’s Day, allowing sparks to fly over Kotzebue Sound.
There was no lack of excitement, despite the delay.
Rockets whispered and crowds cheered as explosions of green, red, white and blue colored the sky over Kotzebue. Cars were parked all over Front Street, near the shore, while people gathered on the sea ice to watch the show.
One of the spectators was Richard Atoruk. He says the New Year’s Day program was much better for the program than the day before.
“Not bad. Is good. No wind, “said Atoruk.” Especially that north wind. The north wind has been quite cold in recent days. But today it’s a good calm wind. “
That New Year’s Eve north wind hit Kotzebue at 26 miles per hour, resulting in a -38 degree Fahrenheit cooling. The calm winds and cold of -9 a day later were much more pleasant.
“Oh, it’s the right temperature,” said Alexander Burnor, a local from Kotzebue. “It was a little cold yesterday. But today is perfect. We were all excited and waiting for the fireworks. This is the first time I’ve taken my whole family to the fireworks. It’s quite special. “
And Burnor had a little more to celebrate when the sky exploded with bursts of color.
“I just got engaged to my girlfriend here tonight. I just proposed,” Burnor said.
And while Burnor and his fiancée Anita Monroe were celebrating with their children in a section of sea ice, there were many other scattered groups, excited to sound the new year.