FONT SIZE
Email this
Print this
POST A COMMENT
The Wild West Fourth
1) July 4, 7:30 p.m.: Report of a man who injured his hand in a fireworks accident, beach between the Shilo and Best Western. He was taken by Ocean Shores ambulance to Grays Harbor Community Hospital, where he was “treated and transferred” (meaning: a serious injury).
2) (police log, July 4, 9:43 p.m.) Beach at Chance: Someone “Lighting off fireworks right by reporting person’s blanket, almost setting reporting person and kids on fire.”
3) (police log, July 4, 10:11 p.m.)Sand Dune Ave NW: “Drunks lighting off fireworks into the dunes.”
Given the above, and dozens of illegal fireworks complaints around the city last weekend, should Ocean Shores:
a) keep things the same
b) completely ban fireworks
c) limit fireworks to July 4 only, reduce areas on beach where they can be set off, create a “family safe zone” on the beach where fireworks can not be lit, and increase penalties for violations, with appropriate enforcement
d) other (please explain your ideas)
Restaurants that offer take out pay a tax. Firework stands should surely pay a tax. Most restaurant take out goes in a trash can; fireworks? not so much!
People love to complain about fireworks & money… Sadly, fireworks bring people and money to OS. So let’s ban fireworks and then complain about the lack of people spending money around the 4th.
Crabber – Love your somewhat tongue-in-cheek comments. My friend lives out of downtown enough that we enjoy quiet on those Tourist Weekends if we just avoid town. Like walk the Island or around the block. Lunch at the Marina end of OS. We drove in at 10pm for the fireworks – never seen anything like that in my life! Looked like a scene out of Mad Max, with all the beach fires and autos mixed with people and fireworks. Viewed from a “safe” distance, it was a fun, amazing thing to see.
Maybe signs cautioning families who don’t want to be endangered – those unknowing newbies who have never witnessed the crazy event before?? The rest know what they are in for, and should take the necessary precautions.
I thought it was crab spread. Crab is also good tossed into a salad. Either way, it gives you something to chew on. Lots of ideas put forth and hopefully someone from the city is reading this. Ken? Garland? Gordon? Mike? John? Dave? Jackie? Dick? Bob? Peggy? Art?
LOL Spread around works Babblynn! Pretty much what Crabber does on the best of days, which is why he always gives me a chuckle or two.
sorry if i hit a few nerves. no if we can all pull together to fix all the minor irritants. and that is what they are minor irritants. nit all. you to gary.
personally i would ban all folks except full time residents from doing anything fun here in os. especially tourists, harley owners, fire works crowd, razor clam eaters, sand and chainsaw people, so on and so forth. aw, what the heck………….why don’t we act like any other city and fine the tweedle out of the wrong doers. if they act badly enough to get big fines we shouldn’t care if folks of their ilk ever return. this goes double for anyone east and north of aberdeen.
wooooo boy! I’m in trouble….just walking along the beach on those gray cloudy days makes me smile Phillip! Guess I would be paying a lot of fines : )
The Harley people are pretty considerate to Ocean Shores. They have a good time at no ones expense.
That is not quite the case with the fireworks set off in town. Those can start fires that take someone’s home in seconds.
People on the beach can set off all they want. However, clean up after yourself and others too.
As to letting steam off, can I go to their backyards and do the same thing? How about some spinouts on their backyards and front lawns? Then I will leave about six or seven bags worth of garbage as I leave. EDITED
People all week have suggested getting a few dollars per car to clean up the mess out there. These are the visitors that came after the others had left.
If This is the case I vote we ban Harley weekend as well. I can’t stand the noise and the extra emergency services bill must be astronomical. Is it worth having for the money generated? How about this, we could have a big sign at the entrance to our city that reads “Welcome to Ocean Shores please make sure you have all the fun out of your system BEFORE entering. Anyone found similing will be fined. Please drive in buy your salt water taffy, briefly visit our cold cloudy beach and promptly leave. We have elderly people that must not be disturbed.”
I like c. Make the penalties huge and try a volunteer deputy squad that’s easily identifyable (print some t-shirts) to enforce it. Be sure to train the deputies and make sure they have a way to call for regular police back up if they need it.
C makes sense, but enforcement is the issue. We would need the National Guard here to keep people from lighting things in town vs. the beaches. What we should do is ask for donations to clean up the beaches when we hand out bags. The bags cost money, the EMS, fire and police cost money, and the source of that cost is people. We should also have the firework sellers pay a “clean up fee” or they provide their organization on the days after the event to help clean up. If you want the revenue from selling fireworks, then provide the free labor to clean up our beaches. Maybe enough money could be generated to get a beach clean up machine. It would be a nice addition to our city if we could regularly clean up all the stuff on the beach. Also, other cities ban glass bottles on the beach. I know people will get upset, but if it becomes well known it will solve the awareness issue.
As to just the 4th, did they not just pass that law? However, we will be selling the stuff from the 28th to the 5th. Even now things are going off in town.
Maybe they need to find a way of getting more enforcement help. Could it be like parking tickets? Then you do not need a law enforcement officer it issue it. Maybe our city should investigate that.
would anyone be so stupid as to let their kids go trick or treating on our well lit streets?
there are so many ways to take care of the fireworks thing. but first you have to win the respect of those involved. you know that will never happen. tourists have been walking all over this town and it isn’t going to stop. they just paint f___-u on their collective fingernails and it’s business as usual.
I would say A. There were a lot of people down here and for that many people it wasn’t all that bad. I don’t see what so wrong with bringing dollars to the city. There are always going to be idiots. Every time I go to a sporting event there are drunk idiots. They don’t stop serving beer. If it’s only 2-4 days out of the year I can put up with it. If I can’t than I’ll take a weekend trip somewhere but I know our lovely businesses are getting some much needed dollars.
Tommy G., I don’t really think there is any rule or law that says ” no trick or treating in Ocean Shores “. I believe that is an old wives tale. The fire dept. just puts on it’s Halloween deal at the convention center to keep kids off the street and safer. Besides there are so many empty houses and streets with hardly any thing on them that it would take days to fill a bag with candy.
Ban fireworks except on the 4th. only and offer a fireworks show to still draw people to our city. The Quinault’s put on one heck of a show – why can’t we? More laws are not the answer. There are already restrictions in place and those that choose to ignore them or think they are above the law will probably continue to do so. But if we have these restrictions – why do we sell them in the City limits?
Before I make a judgement on this subject, I would like to know the cost ratio of the 4th for our city. How many dollars did out city bring in as opposed to the cost of policing and monitoring the event? My guess is, for the MOST part, everything goes exceptionally well in relationship to the number of people attending. I would guess that the super-majority of the folks who come have an extremely safe and sane 4th. The majority are respectful of our town and beaches. Anytime you have THAT many folks in one place with explosives, there is bound to be a problem here and there, as well as a few stupid people. It’s just once a year. I do agree, however, with limiting the use of fireworks to fewer days, depending on when the 4th falls. Just some thoughts.
Yeah, I like Chuck’s too, with the addition of shooting them off in town, ie. not on the beach, would be a $1,000 fine.
Alas, Lorraine is also correct. It’s unlikely it’d be enforced any better’n the laws already on the books.
I like Chuck’s idea…of course why would it be inforced any more than any of the others…but it’s a great idea Chuck!
Ultimately, the problem is, people disobey laws, I have to admit it took me years to start wearing a seat belt after they passed that law. I objected on the principal of not allowing big brother to tell me how to be safe….I know, dumb huh? : ) Now I still see people on their cel phones and texting while driving even though it’s a primary offense and costs $124…and one woman in the next lane last week was at least my age (not telling, but old enough to know better) if not older, had her cel up to her right ear like maybe the cops wouldn’t see it there. I can’t tell you how many times over the years since cel phones became prevalent that I’ve had to duck and dodge some idiot on their phone, including a police officer, on duty, in a police car…before the new law I admit. Age does bring wisdom in some cases, however, much as I might not like the way Crabber says it, I have to agree with him about stupidity being a family tradition in some cases. Sometimes age just brings intolerance.
These Fireworks Tourists are a resource the city should take advantage of.
We could charge $25.00 for a fireworks permit, but to get one they would have to take a fireworks safety class given by our fire department.
The class would cost another $25.00.
Access to the beach and parking should be worth at least $10.00 per car.
Shooting fireworks without a permit, or sneaking onto the beach without paying would carry a $500.00 fine.
Those arrested could work off their fine by cleaning up the beach on July 5th.
Well they already made it to where kids can’t go from door to door on Halloween so why not make it to where only certain places on the beach are for fireworks or ban it all together. From what I was told this is a “retirement town” and the older people don’t want to be disturbed on Halloween, why would they want to be disturbed on the 4th?
I vote for “B”. Not only are fire works a disaster for humans, they are a catastrophe for our beaches & marine life. Even with our “clean up” efforts, I will be picking up bags of fireworks debris for months to come.
And, what is the deal with fire works any way? We are re-enacting war? If so, join the military & you can have the real thing.
Is this a sacred right? Or just a silly tradition whose time has long passed?
I do enjoy a good pyrometric dispalay, but feel it should be done by pros, who know hwat they are doing & can entertains many with a huge, safe show.
“c” is not a good choice. how are all them rednecks going to pass down a family tradition? yes, in some places being stupid is a family tradition. the bad part is thw city of os has to be a participant in the training proceedure.
I like C ~ especially the family safe zone!
i believe that the 4th should be designated as “the day ” for fireworks. afterall, it is only one day……….THE 4TH of JULY. not the 3rd – 5th or 6th. or have i been in la la land for 62 yrs?
i thought there was a designated area for fireworks. like on the dog beach, the no-driving areas and everywhere in between.
Making up more laws only keeps law-abiding citizens from enjoying “banned activities” responsibly…those who don’t obey laws aren’t going to suddenly start because you pass new ones! Higher fines may help bring in more revenue for the struggling municipalities and possibly curb an urge of the irresponsible to break the laws already in place.
oh, business as usual, huh?