By CATHERINE DONNELLY
Special to the PRESS
Ginny Stapleton looked up at a spectacular fireworks display about 12 years ago and thought she’d like to do that as a hobby.
In her lifetime, she has taught kindergarten, worked as a fundraiser in the non-profit sector, attained her real estate broker’s license, and attained both her special effects and flame effects licenses before buying The Upper Deck Hotel & Bar on South Padre Island. Other hobbies include karaoke singing and fencing, but she considers pyrotechnics the most exhilarating of her current hobbies.
“The sad thing is that buying a hotel makes it hard to keep up with my pyrotechnic pursuits,” said Stapleton. “This is the first year that I haven’t done any jobs shooting fireworks.”
Before that, she put on the 4th of July fireworks show for the City of Columbus, Texas, each year. In Texas, each county can allow fireworks to be sold during the following holidays: 1. Fourth of July, 2. New Year’s, 3. Texas Independence Day, 4. San Jacinto Day, 5. Cinco de Mayo, and 6. Memorial Day, according to the Law Offices of Vic Feazell.
Stapleton can design a fireworks display, be a shooter, or both. She has choreographed a fireworks display to sync with a couple’s wedding song on their special day. She has done private parties. She’s shot fireworks from a barge over the water, which is common for our area.
The field of pyrotechnics is heavily male-dominated. That being said, the exact statistics of how many women work in the field are elusive.
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