Sean C. Morgan
Illegal fireworks were constantly going off around town in the days leading up to and following July 4, prompting several calls per day to the police about illegal fireworks; and while they may be fun, they’re causing problems for at least two Sweet Home residents.
Two Vietnam veterans pointed out to the Sweet Home City Council last week that, in addition to the reasons they are already outlawed, flying fireworks also cause problems for veterans, who, for example, took cover behind sandbags day after day while mortar shells fell around them.
Dennis Rafferty asked the council, during its regular meeting on Aug. 9, whether it could do something to help.
Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder don’t sleep during the weeks fireworks are set off, Rafferty said.
“Each bottle rocket, each firecracker that goes off is small arms fire to us,” said Jack Williams. They shake and fear leaving their homes. “It’s people not thinking about (what) they’re putting into the air.”
In addition, flying fireworks are illegal because they endanger wildlife, forests and homes, Rafferty said.
It is impossible for the police to respond to all of the fireworks, Rafferty said. “The police can’t do it. There aren’t enough of them. There’s a lot of laws on the books that are just doggone impossible to enforce. This may be one of them.”
In fact, on nearly all of the reports of illegal fireworks, the police rarely locate the source.
“As a teacher, my solution is education,” Rafferty said. He asked to the council to consider ideas to reach out and help let people know about the problems the fireworks cause.
Rafferty said he came to Sweet Home from Alaska because he loved this community, but he was never here during the Fourth of July or New Year’s Eve.
“That’s the reason I moved to Sweet Home,” Williams said. “It’s a nice quiet community.”
He is supportive of patriotic celebration, but “let’s do it within the law,” Rafferty said.
Celebrate, but do it without impacting those who have PTSD, he said. “Let’s see if we can find a way to help Sweet Home follow the law.”
Mayor Craig Fentiman told Williams and Rafferty that it’s something the Public Safety Committee could go to work on.
The city could encourage education in the grade schools, said Councilor Mike Hall.
Other councilors agreed with the veterans and with exploring ideas to help cut down on the use of illegal fireworks.
Most people know overhead fireworks are illegal, said City Manager Craig Martin. A lot more awareness may be key to reducing it.
Present at the meeting were councilors Marybeth Angulo, Greg Mahler, Jim Gourley, Fentiman, Scott McKee Jr., Ron Rodgers and Hall.
The council also approved a public address permit so the band Shades of Gray could play at the Sweet Home Choppers’ fireworks poker run, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.