Fireworks sales boom for some, bust for others

Deirdre Newman

The financial results of the fireworks stands colorfully dotting the

city over the first four days of July were as mixed a bag as the

fireworks sold.

While some groups with stands did better than last year, some did

worse and blamed their waning sales on the City Council for not being

more flexible after it reduced the number of fireworks stands to a

maximum of 40.

Others attribute the cause of their lower sales to the school

district’s ban of fireworks stands on school properties last year.

The city tightened restrictions for qualifying to sell fireworks

stands to make sure Costa Mesa youth benefited. The new rules meant

high schools could only have six stands.

Gary Spencer, president of the Costa Mesa High School Aquatics

Booster Club, said he wished the city had opened up more slots after

only 28 groups qualified to have stands. Because of the reduced

number of stands per high school, the aquatic teams had to team up

with the Costa Mesa High School baseball team and pony league

baseball for one fireworks stand.

“I think overall, the [city’s] plan worked wonderfully, with the

exception that there [were] another 12 slots the city could have

opened up to take care of all the teams,” Spencer said.

The groups at Costa Mesa High School had to double up because so

many of them wanted to sell fireworks, Spencer said. Once the

aquatics program -- which comprises a girls’ water polo team, a boys’

water polo team, a girls’ swim team and a boys’ swim team -- found

out only 28 groups had qualified, it appealed to the city. Since the

maximum was 40 stands, members of the program hoped the city would

let the high school have more, he said. But the city stuck with its

new restrictions.

The stand, which was on Baker Street in front of the 7-11, ended

up grossing a little more than $25,000, Spencer said. After dividing

that amount between the three entities sponsoring the stand, the

aquatics program profited between about $2,500 and $3,000 this year,

compared to $3,500 last year.

While that may not seem like a huge difference, it is, since water

polo is not a cheap sport, Spencer said.

“People don’t look at it as an expensive sport because you just

need a pair of Speedos and do your thing, but goals are expensive to

replace,” Spencer said. “We had to replace the shot clock last year.

And that cost us about $1,700.”

For the swim teams, which both won the Golden West League

championship in swimming, their booster club had to pay for

championship patches, which cost more than $400, Spencer added.

Spencer said he will now have to look for other ways to provide

money to the booster club.

“My problem is, now I don’t know what to do,” Spencer said. “As

the president of a booster club who has kids that we have to provide

scholarships for so we can play in tournaments and summer leagues,

I’m scrambling now to come up with other fundraising ideas to

supplement what we didn’t make.”

Across town at Estancia High School, the financial picture was

much rosier. Six groups had their own stands, and that paid off

handsomely, Activities Director Art Perry said.

“From what I’ve heard, every stand probably did the best they have

ever done financially,” Perry said. “They probably almost doubled

what they have done in the past. They definitely increased sales from

last year.”

Among the success stories was the boys’ basketball booster club

stand, which was on 17th Street in front of Ralphs. It did better

than last year, said Elaine Markley, whose husband, Phil, is the

treasurer for the club.

Elaine Markley said she didn’t want to disclose how much the stand

made. She attributed the stand’s success to the outpouring of

volunteers and parent support.

“Five parents were there almost constantly, both our coaches were

there most of the time, we had other parents that came in at other

times, and a bunch of boys showed up at 7 a.m. the first day to

unload the truck and to do clean-up,” she said.

For the California School Education Foundation, which serves

California Elementary School, sales were good but not as good as last

year, foundation president Greg Woodside said. Last year, the stand,

which is shared with Victoria Elementary School, grossed about

$34,000. This year, it only grossed about $18,000, Woodside said.

Woodside blamed a change in location for the dip in dollars. The

foundation’s stand had been at Victoria Elementary School in the

past, but because of the school district ban, it had to move to a

Presbyterian church on Fairview Drive this year.

Woodside said he had no complaints about the city’s changes in

eligibility requirements.