Council needs to have faith in its residents

The City Council needs to start trusting the people of Huntington

Beach.

For the second year in a row, a slim majority of the council has

decided that residents are too immature and wild to handle a

fireworks display at the beach.

They are not.

During the Fourth of July riots in the 1990s, the fireworks were

not being held at the beach. They were at Huntington Beach High

School, where they were moved to because of excessive fog at the

beach many years before. There is no correlation between fireworks at

the beach and the problems of years past.

As Councilwoman Jill Hardy told her fellow members Tuesday night,

a fireworks show is a family affair. The partyers will be off

partying.

Police Chief Ken Small told the council last year and this year

that his officers could control the crowds and ensure a safe holiday

with fireworks at the beach. Why call in an expert and then ignore

him?

Cities up and down the East and West coasts have fireworks at the

beach. South Beach Miami -- a serious party town -- has fireworks at

its beach without riots.

Do we really believe that the people of Huntington Beach are the

only ones so wild that they can’t handle it? Do we really believe

that Surf City’s police department is the only force that is

incapable of controlling crowds?

Let’s have a little show of faith for both, please.

The council needs to make the whole Independence Day celebration a

community and family affair. After the 100th Fourth of July parade --

the largest west of the Mississippi -- the city should close down

Main Street and plan a carnival with family activities, a bounce

house for children perhaps.

Give people something to do besides go to the bars between the

parade and the fireworks. Each year, the city draws a big crowd to

the Downtown area early in the morning and then leaves them with

nothing to occupy their time until the 9 p.m. fireworks show. Bars

and house parties fill the inevitable gap for many celebrating the

holiday. If this is a worry for our council, it should provide an

alternative.

The council should reconsider this issue and show a little trust

in the people of Huntington Beach and its police force.