Friday, Jun. 27, 2008

Fireworks sale starts Saturday

Pyrotechnics available at seven locations

No Fourth of July will be complete without fireworks and Los Baños has plenty of non-profit organizations eager to sell them.

Sales of safe and sane fireworks will begin at noon June 28, and will continue each day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. through July 4.

Six non-profits: Tiger Football, Los Baños Wildcats, Playdaze Parent Co-op Preschool, the Los Baños Ag Boosters, Calvary Baptist Church and Day 3 Church will be allowed to sell fireworks at various booths located throughout town.

Bob Zavala of Tiger Football said this is his organization's second year selling fireworks and said he hopes to sell between $8-10,000 worth of pyrotechnics.

"It all goes back to the program," he said. "We plan to buy football equipment, uniforms."

This is the fourth year pyrotechnics have been allowed in Los Baños since 1980. Only a select few are given the OK to sell fireworks by the city. The six non-profits are chosen each year through a lottery based on a formula of one booth per every 5,000 residents.

The Chamber of Commerce will also sell fireworks through an exemption given by the City Council so it can pay for the Old Fashioned Fourth of July celebration.

Fire Chief Chet Guintini said he advised vendors to make sure they sell only safe and sane fireworks, basically anything that doesn't blow up, or else they will be shut down.

This year's festivities come with a stern warning from the fire chief to exercise good judgment when using them.

"We will be out enforcing because of the state of California's situation," Guintini said of the wildfires that have ignited throughout California.

One Los Baños unit has already been dispatched to help combat the fires and another one may be on its way by the holiday.

Customers buying fireworks will be given a pamphlet on how to handle fireworks, what to do in an emergency and what penalties are associated if caught with illegal fireworks.

Guintini said the only thing he is asking of revelers is to be cautious when lighting fireworks around vacant houses whose yards haven't been tended.

"We are going to be shorthanded," he said. "Folks should just stay away from there (vacant lots)."

Enterprise reporter Minerva Perez can be reached by phone at (209)388-6565 or by e-mail at mperez@losbanosenterprise.com

Enterprise reporter Minerva Perez can be reached by phone at (209)388-6565 or by e-mail at mperez@losbanosenterprise.com