Politics of Fireworks in GT...

San Bernardino County Sentinel
Friday, December 25, 2009

GT Torn over Fireworks Revenue, Hazard

Blue Lupine flowers once proliferated on Grand Terrace’s most prominent geological feature, which is still known as Blue Mountain. When those flowers bloomed in the spring, the surface of the craggy monolith turned blue, hence the name. But Blue Mountain is no longer blue. The Blue Lupines were eradicated in a fire that blazed across the mountain in 2006.

Without a concerted exercise in replanting, there is little prospect that the Blue Lupine will make a comeback.

And while some are likening the effort to closing the barn door after the horses have escaped, a movement has been afoot for years to reduce the risk that catastrophic fire will visit the city again.

Foremost among those is an effort to ban fireworks from the bedroom community. More than three years ago, the city was pursuing just such a ban. Despite a committee recommendation to do away with the pyrotechnics, an outpouring of opposition - for the most part from those involved in youth sports groups, which rely upon fireworks sales to defray the cost of their programs - convinced the council that they should continue to allow the Grand Terrace Community Soccer League and the Grand Terrace Little League to sell fireworks from a booth in the Stater Bros. market on Barton Road.

Earlier this year, the city council, which was newly fortified with recently elected Walt

Stanckiewitz, had renewed its push to eliminate the hazard the fireworks represent.

Stanckiewitz had firsthand experience with the devastation fire represents, having lost his Running Springs home in the October 2007 Slide Fire.

The council authorized then-acting city manager Steve Berry to negotiate a deal with the leagues.

Berry offered to significantly reduce or virtually eliminate the fees the city collected from the soccer and baseball leagues in the form of $5 per participant field use charges. Additionally, the city offered to pick up the cost of field lighting, which for years had been borne by the leagues.
In 2008, the city had collected $7,480 from both leagues for lighting and field maintenance.

The city’s offer to suspend the charges, however, did not entice the leagues’ leaders into agreeing to forego the revenue they realized from fireworks sales.

Now, the city is looking to play hardball with the groups. While conceding that youth sports represent a worthwhile community asset, city officials are more sensitive than ever to the manner in which the pyrotechnics increase the likelihood of destruction and tragedy, a potential price measured in the hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars as well as severe injury and/or death.

League officials have suggested that the sale of fireworks now exists as something of a community institution, one that has been grandfathered in and which cannot be taken away.

Actually, Grand Terrace had restricted fireworks up until 1998, at which time the city gave the groups permission to engage in fireworks sales from June 28 through July 4.

There is no legal requirement that the city continue to allow fireworks to be sold and used within city limits. Other cities, including over a dozen in San Bernardino County, have banned the sale and use of fireworks within their city limits with no legal repercussions.

League officials, who saw each of their athletic groups net close to $11,000 from fireworks sales in 2006 before seeing that figure drop off with the downturn in the economy since that time, may yet hope to make city officials pay a political price for banning the sales. 2010 is an election year and challengers in the city council race could run on a platform that includes reinstituting the legality of fireworks sales in Grand Terrace.

Two weeks ago, the city council had before it an ordinance that outlaws the sale and use of so-called "safe and sand" fireworks. But the council delayed taking action on the measure at least until January 12, 2010. Representatives of both the soccer and baseball leagues were unwilling to sign off on the exchange of city subsidization of lighting and field use fees for the fireworks ban. And some members of the council appear to be leery of getting on the wrong side of TNT Fireworks, a wholesale distributor of safe-and-sane fireworks to nonprofits in at least 270 cities and communities in California. TNT has the wherewithal, based upon its revenues, to endow the election war chests of politicians willing to take a stand for local availability of fireworks during the Fourth of July, a tradition that was initially championed by John Adams, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and the second president of the United States.

In a letter to his wife, Abigail, Adams wrote, "I believe that it [the Fourth of July] will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be celebrated by pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other."

Perhaps by appealing to the patriotic yearnings of the residents of Grand Terrace, TNT will be able to attenuate a future, or even the present, city council’s fervor against the danger that fireworks represent.

On the other hand, Stanckiewitz and those committed to enhancing the safety of the community might neutralize the approach that TNT and its high paid consultants are poised to take by harkening back to Patrick Moriarty, the Red Devil fireworks magnate convicted of laundering political contributions and bribing city officials in his efforts to market his company’s products throughout the state during the 1970s and 1980s. One of the casualties of an association with Moriarity was former San Bernardino County supervisor Cal McElwain, whose political career came to an end in 1986, largely because of exposés relating to his dealings with and acceptance of money from corruption figures such as Moriarty.

Gramps Adds:
The Sports Teams Fundraising activity has been done on the basis of a Business or NPO function operating under Temporary Conditional Use Permit in the City of Grand Terrace. To seek out to Negotiate with them over this decision puts the Holder of these types of permits in a position that our local businesses don't enjoy. What of the fellow who can't get a permit to sell oranges at the corner to support his family. When did an orange start a fire or kill some one?

Nope, the City of Grand Terrace needs to say enough of the risk. Teams you have our support and we'll aid in promoting your fund raisers and reduce fees we have control over. However, You are not to sell fireworks in this City.

As to this being the cause of Political Fall Out, the council members facing election are quite frankly on their last terms in office as it is... In a way this should free them to making the right decision not the Political Decision.

Celebrate with a music festival. Have the sports teams provide a game day/ sports day a parade barbecue. Bring their bells, and for illumination lets use LED's and Projections. Not Bonfires and Fireworks.
Perhaps conclude with a community movie night of Fantasia it has great music and sight effects. If played on a bed of mist like Fantasmic it would be a great program. Hmm now that may be fun...

How about a Bring your own Meat Barbecue where the Barbecues are provided by the Team Families, and they keep the fires going and you rent the "Fire"... to cook your meal at the park.

The Snack Bar could sell water melon and so forth.

The Parents could stand on the corners like the firemen do their fill the boot campaign. Except for the sports teams it may be fill the bat bag... or the equipment bag...

There are ways to fund their program without putting the community at risk. It is time for them to suck it off and walk off their addiction to fireworks. The problem is they have not tried any other means of fund raising. In spite of the Council's Admonishment to do so.

Times up Sports Fan's...
The Damage done to Blue Mt, goes beyond the loss of Blue Lupine, look at the erosion that fire fostered. The Mt. is not yet stable and the homes below are at risk of rock and mud slides thanks to the sale and use of "Safe and Sane" Fireworks. Those homes have PEOPLE living at risk at all times due to the sale of Fireworks. The city could be liable as the city participated in receiving income from the sale of Fireworks which were the cause of that fire.

Negotiate a Settlement. no get on with city business of protecting us from fire. Fireworks are illegal in California UNLESS the City Approves them. It is not a RIGHT that is "Grandfathered In".

OH and I don't suggest that we use Abigail Adams suggestion of celebrating the 4th of July with Guns... We have a law, and ordinance against that one too... Sorry Abigail.