A safe and sane beginning

Costa Mesa City Council members should be congratulated for their

recent decision regarding an incendiary issue, one in which they took

the first step in tightening the rules that allow the sales of safe

and sane fireworks. Although an official ordinance has yet to be

voted on, the council unanimously agreed to adopt Councilman Mike

Schaefer’s suggested restrictions regarding the sale of pyrotechnics.

Banned are the ever-popular hand-held favors, such as sparklers

and Purple Rain Candles. And those organizations that choose to sell

fireworks must provide safety and environmental literature in both

English and Spanish and must have at least 80% of its members live in

Costa Mesa.

It is far from the outright ban that many continue to call for.

But those who see no sanity in the sale and usage of amateur

pyrotechnics on the Fourth of July should be heartened by the fact

the tide is obviously shifting.

Costa Mesa, which has long been one of the few holdouts in Orange

County to still allow the sale and use of fireworks, is clearly

moving away from its die-hard support of the patriotic party favors.

The writing is on the wall for fireworks and like it or not, the

truth is, their days in the city are numbered.

But they are not gone yet and Costa Mesa leaders know better than

to enforce a strong-armed ban on all fireworks. Community groups

raise much more money selling the fireworks than they do with most

other fundraisers. These sales are vital to many groups’ survival.

These organizations need time to warm up to the fact that their

cash cow will soon be extinguished and to plan accordingly. Families

who pride themselves on grandiose displays each year should also

begin to plan a grand finale.

This decision to increase safety precautions and ultimately phase

out firework sales is a good compromise, as well as a gentle way to

ease Costa Mesa into being a fireworks-free city.