The city has crafted a draft ordinance that would ban all fireworks – except for pro-grade, permitted displays – on the island in time for the 2010 Fourth of July.
There’s a public hearing on the proposal this Thursday at City Hall.
While I was gathering information for a story on the proposed ban, which you can read here, Bainbridge Fire Marshall Jared Moravec mentioned a YouTube video that shows Bainbridge teens detonating homemade explosives Moravec said were likely built with legal fireworks and are the type used to blow apart a number of port-o-potties last summer.
In the video, the teens blow up buckets, toss firework grenades, launch homemade mortars and fire a hand-held 10-barrel roman candle. You can see the video below. There’s some swearing, so hide the kids.
There is already a ban on “illegal” fireworks. Banning the safe and sane stuff is nothing but a “feel good” action. This may force some to cross the dreaded Agate Pass bridge to uncouth land to enjoy the excitement of 4th of July celebrations.
They have been going on in the rest of the country for over 200 years.
Bainbridge Council always expresses this pretension that they are part of a special land — not Kitsap County and not USA — but perhaps Periclean Greece with grand oratory (and plague).
Another example of BI Nanny-State mentality. Yes, we can eliminate all risk for cars if we a) ban all cars or b) make the speed limit 5 mph. At what point does the nanny-state urge become silly and breading of further disrespect for the rule of law.
As I recall, COBI Council in their diminished wisdom outlawed all signs in public right-of-way without permission of adjoining property owners ( a clearly unconstitutional law) yet COBI has not enforced their own silly law.
The year people will celebrate July 4th as they have and COBI will look like a fool, impotent and silly.
Pro grade permitted displays are available all over the place.I don’t really understand them,but they exist for those that need this type of entertainment. At least they take place during a supposedly short time period under safe ? conditions so that birds and animals,both wild and domestic are only terrified out of their minds for a little while.Those arrested development types who like to make those homemade bombs do not appear to appreciate just how far an individual sparkler from one of those bombs can imbed itself into their eye and/or brain.”Look Daddy,a human porcipine.Is it sleeping?” “No honey.It is dead.Now go get me another beer and then stand over there while I blow another bucket up.”
Knoblock is intent on regulating fireworks. The council majority is intent on controlling every moment of your life. Trust them, they are the government. This is a very sad place. The mayor and the entire council must be replaced.