February Update No. 2

Recent letters-to-the-editor of the Bellingham "Herald" have succeeded in keeping this issue in the public view. The latest, published just yesterday, is particularly noteworthy. To review these and other similar letters regarding consumer fireworks, simply "Google" the "Herald", click on "Opinion" and then "Commentary" and scroll down to letters regarding our proposed ban. And look for upcoming press releases regarding this issue in the "Whatcom Watch" and the "Cascadia Weekly".

February Update No. 1

Petitions and signature gatherers are all over our City. The pace of signing is increasing nicely. Interest in our campaign to get the issue of a ban of consumer fireworks in our City before the Bellingham City Council and the voters of Bellingham in the November general election is growing. We respectively encourage the registered voters living in Bellingham to seek out and endorse our petition. And, if perchance you would like to get more involved in our grass roots efforts, please post us at cfw_in_bellingham@juno.com or freedomfromfireworksbham@gmail.com.

Hard-Copy Petitions Are Available

On January 12th, we began distribution of our hard-copy petition to get a ban consumer fireworks initiative considered by the Bellingham City Council and/or on the General Election ballot in November, 2012. Many folks who endorsed our on-line petition are taking copies of our hard-copy petition and beginning to gather signatures. More signature gatherers are needed! If you would like to help, please post us at cfw_in_bellingham@juno.com or freedomfromfireworksbham@gmail.com. THANKS!

BTW, you can view a "text-only" copy by clicking on "Hard-Copy Petition" on the right.

New Year's Barrage

On the South Side last evening, the marking of the New Year once again lit up the skies and shook the earth. The existing Bellingham ordinance (BMC 10.24.130) prohibits overhead consumer fireworks as well as percussive devices. Although so-called "safe and sane" consumer fireworks were OK between 6:00PM yesterday evening until 1:00AM this morning, the lit up skies and shaking earth indicated that little or no "safe and sane" activity took place. Very soon the registered voters in our City will have an opportunity to put an initiative forth to ban all consumer fireworks in Bellingham. Let's work together to curtail these twice a year barrages of consumer fireworks.

Getting Close!

Pending one more review of our petition, it's likely to be "on the street" early next month. We need a minimum of 5000 signatures of registered voters who live within Bellingham's city limits - to be safe, our goal is 7500! We need many more folks to gather signatures - if you would like to help, please post us at cfw_in_bellingham@juno.com or freedomfromfireworksbham@gmail.com. Hope that you and yours have a wonderful Holidays.

An Initiative to Ban Consumer Fireworks in Bellingham

A hard-copy petition to get an initiative to ban fireworks in our City should be ready next month. This initiative, if passed in the November, 2012 general election, will require changes to three (3) different Chapters of the Bellingham Municipal Code (BMC) and result in a City-wide ban of the sales, possession and use of consumer fireworks starting in late 2013.

2011 4th of July Update

The City's published press release promising to better enforce existing fireworks regulations was interesting. So much for better enforcement, right? It's time to renew our "ban consumer fireworks in our City" efforts.

So, let's review: this year we have a guy in Bellingham who blew himself up building his own "super" fireworks, a fellow in Ferndale who will lose his hand due to mishandling fireworks, a fire on the train trestle across the Bellingham Mudflats and a guy setting off fireworks in the street in Sunnyside who was hit by a car and died. Fortunately, only one of these incidents has been in the city limits.

But what has - and continues to - happen is a blatant flaunting of the law. According to recently released 911 information provided by Lieutenant Robert Vander Yacht, Patrol Commander of the Bellingham Police Department, who wrote,

"The demand on police and dispatchers related to 4th of July activities has steadily increased from 2009 to 2011. In 2009, with limited available data, it would appear that 4.3% of our call load stemmed from fireworks. In 2010 this rate climbed to 8.7%. In 2011 17% of our activity involved fireworks." That's roughly a yearly doubling of 911 calls related to fireworks each year since 2009.

Despite the extensive - and applaudable - efforts of the Bellingham Police and Fire Departments, the insanity continues. Bellingham's consumer fireworks regulations are, simply stated, unenforceable. Although many still believe that a total ban like more than 50-other cities in Washington is long overdue in Bellingham, perhaps other approaches to this situation exist. So, if any of you who have endorsed the on-line petition have some other ideas, please advise, OK?