Fireworks

COSTA MESA — The Fourth of July is growing in Costa Mesa. In a 3-2 vote Tuesday night, with council members Wendy Leece and Eric Bever dissenting, the City Council approved permitting the sale of fireworks a day earlier than last year and allowing them to be set off the weekend leading up to the holiday, which falls on a Monday this year. The move is expected to cost the city at least an additional $1,000 in cleanup, according to the council's staff report. There are potential costs from overtime for police or firefighters responding to incidents, officials said.

Deirdre Newman During the recent discussion on restricting the sale of fireworks, the rallying cry of the groups that sell them was "we need the money." But other cities have managed under total bans. The council on Monday passed a law and created a council policy restricting the sale of fireworks. Some of the changes include reducing the number of fireworks stands and limiting high schools to four stands each. City Councilman Mike Scheafer, who initiated the changes, is sympathetic to the fundraising concern.

Noaki Schwartz NEWPORT BEACH -- Five children who started their Fourth of July celebrations early with illegal fireworks unintentionally ignited a fire that charred 10 acres of an open field here Wednesday, authorities said. "This was an accident," said Newport Beach Police Sgt. Mike McDermott. "The kids tried to stomp it out. They were pretty scared." In this case, however, the cause of the blaze was much more than a simple sparkler. Three of the children, who were between the ages of 9 and 11, got their hands on an M-80 -- approximately a quarter-stick of dynamite.

Fireworks might still be legal in Costa Mesa, but the list of what you can set off is shrinking. "This year they pulled a lot, including Morning Glories, ground bloom flowers, basically anything hand-held," said Russ Davis, who sells fireworks for Vanguard University. The state allows the sale of fireworks, but only when local officials agree. Usually the approved vendors are community groups. All of Davis' profits go to Vanguard's women's basketball team, which he coaches.

In response to Gary Spencer's July 8 column ("Where was the help?"), here I am, another "senior," age 66, living on the Eastside of Costa Mesa, complaining about fireworks in the city. My question to Spencer is, aren't your parents and grandparents seniors as well? I guess my 50 years of paying taxes, serving my community and working and living in Costa Mesa doesn't give me the right to be against fireworks, either legal or otherwise. Not only does my dog shake, my frightened cats hide, and I am fearful and disturbed by the explosions.

Let me start off by saying that if you ever get the chance to stay in Florence for Easter, do it! Granted, it's crowded and the hotels cost more, but the celebration on Easter morning is definitely worth the extra trouble. About 10 a.m. Sunday morning, I made my way to the Duomo (the cathedral) where the festivities take place. I thought, knowing there would be fireworks, that I had plenty of time to catch the big show. You know, fireworks happen at night. However, I was wrong and made it just in time.

Deepa Bharath COSTA MESA -- If you think Piccolo Pete and Mad Dog are ex-convicts, you're probably not a big fan of fireworks. But those who enjoy those colorful sparkling showers, lightning flashes and hazy smoke lights sure flocked to local fireworks stands Sunday to stock their Fourth of July stash. More than 50 stands citywide opened their shutters at 9 a.m. Sunday, in accordance with city law. They will remain open until midnight Wednesday, the Fourth of July.

Noaki Schwartz COSTA MESA -- Selecting a box, the Newport resident slipped out a $20, stuck her hand furtively through the stand's grid and grabbed her fireworks. Guilt-ridden, she sped away, refusing to comment about her purchase. Once the darling of any Norman Rockwell painting, fireworks have become a source of guilt for many people living in areas such as Newport Beach, where the sparklers and glittering fountains are outlawed. Following an annual rash of fires and burns, some cities have limited July 4 flames to the barbecue or professional displays.

Lolita Harper With July 4 fast approaching, City Council members will consider tonight whether to change the rules regarding permits for the sale of fireworks, which would include outlawing "spinners." Rookie Councilman Mike Scheafer, who was appointed in May 2003 after Karen Robinson resigned to be a Superior Court judge, will push his earlier resolve to make the Fourth of July safer tonight by asking his colleagues to consider changes to current firework regulations.

The Orange County Great Park on Saturday will officially open a multi-purpose field for soccer, football and other sports, as well as an arts complex. The North Lawn and the Palm Court Arts Complex will open during an event marking the park's sixth anniversary. The North Lawn will feature an open sports field, walking and biking trails. The Palm Court Arts Complex will be a 10,000-square-foot gallery and studio space with an outdoor plaza. Both the North Lawn and arts complex are pieces in Phase 1 of the park's Western Sector Development Plan, which broke ground in October.

The Fourth of July is right around the corner, and I've been requested to secure tickets for the family to go watch "professional" fireworks. And I don't like it. Growing up in Southern California in the 1970s, the Fourth of July was a special time of year. For one night a year, I was allowed to stay up late so I could watch my dad nearly blow off his hand lighting "safe and sane" fireworks. Our house, in the middle of the block, was the natural meeting place for our neighbors.

You know what Monday is. And, yes, it is a big day. Not only is it Colleen Johns' birthday, like you didn't know that, but it's America's birthday — Uncle Sam, the US-of-A, this place, 235 years old this year. Can you believe it? It hardly looks a day over 200. We've done the 411 on the history of Independence Day before — Philadelphia, summer of '76, scary hot, muggy, miserable, even without the silly clothes and the powder wigs. On July 2, the 55 men in Independence Hall vote for breaking away from the Brits, and on July 4, everyone puts their John Hancock on the Declaration of Independence, including John Hancock.

COSTA MESA — Two local elementary schools are trying to raise money to save their children's science programs by selling the ultimate science experiment: fireworks. As a fundraiser to keep one of its dedicated science teachers, the Kaiser Woodland Schools Foundation is selling Fourth of July fireworks at the Phantom Fireworks stand in the Norms Restaurant parking lot, 2150 Harbor Blvd. "I think it's worthwhile because it means I will have a better experience at school, and other people will have a better experience at school," said upcoming Kaiser fourth-grade student Elizabeth Peters, 9. The program at Kaiser Elementary School, which serves grades 3-6, and its feeder school, Woodland Elementary, which serves K-2, is in jeopardy after a longtime anonymous donor pulled support for next year.

Your mission, should you accept it, is to plan a rocking, safe Fourth of July, whether for your family, your friends or your foxhound. Read on for options for all types of folks. Mission: A full day of excitement The city of Newport Beach has co-sponsored a massive Fireworks Extravaganza with the Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort, 1131 Back Bay Drive, with a full day of activities from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, followed by the area's largest fireworks show at 9 p.m. Admission is $50 per car (which includes six wristbands)

Costa Mesa residents will have two additional days to legally light fireworks this Fourth of July holiday weekend, and fireworks sales will start a day earlier than usual. A May City Council decision allows fireworks to go on sale Thursday and lets residents light fireworks from 4 to 10 p.m. Saturday through Monday. Previously, they could only be set off only on the Fourth of July, said Dan Joyce, the city's public affairs manager. The time extension decision was based on supporting high school football and cheer programs and other community nonprofits.

COSTA MESA — For the uninitiated, Costa Mesa's City Council meeting Tuesday night could have been overwhelming. In about two hours of public comments, seemingly every city hot-button issue in the last year was touched on by residents and business owners. Worried about the Orange County Fairgrounds? Residents got on Mayor Gary Monahan for recently using city letterhead in criticizing a Sacramento bill that seeks to keep the property public in a profit-sharing deal with the state.

COSTA MESA — School board Clerk David Brooks recently suggested that the Newport-Mesa Unified School District revisit the idea of allowing booster clubs to sell Fourth of July fireworks on Costa Mesa school properties. The ban on sales at school sites has had "unintended consequences," he said, meaning that campus programs are not benefitting as much as they can from the sales because they must compete with other programs at fireworks stands that line city streets. "We need to create the beginning of some dialogue to help the booster clubs," Brooks said.

If you're driving around town, you may notice the colorful booths. Costa Mesa is one of five Orange County cities that allow fireworks sales. The city has 35 booths selling fireworks for nonprofit programs that benefit youth and other causes. "If we didn't have it, we wouldn't have the marching program we have today," said Laura Telles, who runs the fireworks booth for the Costa Mesa High School Marching Band and Color Guard. The groups that sell them split the revenues with the fireworks companies that provide them with the merchandise.