Fireworks over Boothbay Harbor are an iconic sign of summer as a cacophony of colors creates some of the town’s most popular events. The shows have also inspired a group of young minds to think about how what comes up must come down.  

April 14, Boothbay Harbor selectmen received an unusual inquiry from Boothbay Region Elementary School students. In a letter from Jessica Lessner’s third grade class, students asked what happens to the firework debris. "Is it cleaned up? How do you help take care of our planet?” they wrote.   

A few days later, the board had an answer by way of a hand-delivered letter from Police Chief Doug Snyder and Officer Larry Brown. The board thanked the children for their interest and explained the fireworks displays are performed by licensed professionals from barges in the harbor. They wrote that the spent shells remain on the barge and are professionally disposed of, and the parts of the fireworks that explode in the sky burn until they are gone.  

The letter went on to affirm the board’s work towards environmental stewardship, including efforts to plant vegetation, maintain parks and natural spaces, restore shoreline erosion, and keep public spaces and roads clean.  

Lessner said the students had been learning about the environment and Earth Day and were concerned about the effects of fireworks when the subject came up. She wasn't sure of the answer, but she knew who to ask and saw an opportunity to engage elected officials. 

“We spent a lot of time studying Maine in our natural resources,” Lessner told the Register. “(The students) really connected that a lot of their families are lobstermen and fishermen, and they work downtown. And if we pollute our water, we're hurting our own families in a way, and not just our planet."

She said the children were thrilled when the officers came to the class and showed a clip from the meeting, when the students’ letter was read to the selectboard.

In a reply to the board, she said the kids were very excited to receive the answer on the official town letterhead delivered by the policemen. She said it made them feel like they were part of the community and their voices mattered. 

“They really felt like, 'Wow, we're important. Our voices are too,'" she told the Register. “There was definitely cheering as we read the letter, and they were excited that we weren't hurting the Earth, and that we can enjoy the fireworks.”