Rantings and Ravings

By Sun Advocate

So the Fourth of July has come and gone. We are now heading toward the Pioneer Day celebration. Fireworks are a big part of both affairs.
Our family has a tradition of heading up on Wood Hill to watch the big show on July 4. In doing so we can see the entire city on both sides of the hill. It is fun to watch the cars crawl toward the fairgrounds until the show is about halfway done and then see the car lights reverse as many begin heading out before the fireworks are even halfway over.
We also can see the home grown fireworks shows that also happen across the county. If I have my facts straight, devices that soar over 15 feet are considered illegal in this state. We saw many displays that were definitely in that category fly up in the night sky.
Luckily there were no fires or casualties that I know of, but still they were breaking the law flagrantly.These were not a bottle rocket or two, but rockets that at times rivaled the legal show going on at the fairgrounds. Twenty or so from a single location.
There is one location west of the hospital that seems to have a private show every year. We see it at a distance so I am not positive that it is the same site, but it is definitely the same neighborhood.
My grandkids are entertained by the illegal shows, but I wonder how some people justify the blatant disregard for the law.
For the rest of the folks who did fireworks legally, it was great to see the caution that was used to enjoy their pyrotechnics.
In our neighborhood, they were lit in the street and driveways. I saw many left to cool in metal buckets or at the end of the cement so they wouldn’t start the garbage cans on fire.
The next day I was disturbed to see the remains of pyrotechnics left in the middle of the city streets to be run over and cleaned up by others. Would you have a picnic and leave your paper plates and trash behind?
As we sat on Wood Hill that evening, I could see our law enforcement running around the city keeping the peace. They were busy keeping us safe on a holiday where heat, drinking and other factors were taking their toll on the night. They don’t have time to police littering and other nuisance laws.
So people step up and take charge of your lives by policing yourselves.
A bit of pride in our community and your own neighborhood is not too much to ask. If you burn down you neighbor’s home I’m not sure if they will appreciate your free fireworks display.
We owe a lot to Price City workers who will clean up after the mess left by the small handful of people that wouldn’t do it themselves.