An FYI for families and your children ... the city of Olive Branch in a vote yesterday,has banned the sale, possession and use of fireworks inside the city by private individuals, citing safety considerations.
*** OUR BELL RIDGE SUBDIVISION IS INSIDE THE CITY LIMITS, MEANING, ''NO MORE FIREWORKS''!! ***
I wanted to post this so that none of our neighbors receive citations for violating this new ruling.
Here is the full article from today's edition (1/17/07) of the Commercial Appeal.
http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/desoto/article/0,1426,MCA_451_5284219,00.html
O.B. Douses Private Use of Fireworks
By Toni Lepeska
January 17, 2007
In another sign of its growth, Olive Branch on Tuesday night put out the fire once and for all on fireworks.
Aldermen voted 4-3 to ban the sale, possession and use of fireworks inside the city by private individuals, citing safety considerations.
Aldermen Maurice Wallace, Aubrey Coleman and George Collins voted against it, but other aldermen saw the need.
''I've seen first-hand what it can do,'' said Alderman Stephen Benson, a Southaven firefighter. ''I've seen people burned completely out of their house. I grew up with fireworks; I'm torn about it ... but people aren't responsible with them anymore.''
An existing ordinance that allowed fireworks but restricted their use to certain hours was repealed.
Southaven and Hernando also have bans on fireworks in the rapidly growing county. Horn Lake has an ordinance regulating when people can discharge them.
Olive Branch Mayor Sam Rikard, who proposed the ban, cited fire safety, litter and noise and nuisance issues as reasons why government should be involved in a ban.
He told aldermen that the city of about 31,500 had outgrown fireworks. People are living closer together, and fireworks land on neighbors' yards and houses, creating a fire hazard.
While some citizens support the ban, some do not.
Neville Vanderburg, who once ran for an alderman seat, said there are a lot more hazardous things than fireworks, and they aren't banned. In a letter to the mayor and Board of Aldermen he wrote: ''I could support increased scrutiny of fireworks; I could support increasing the age to purchase and possess fireworks; I could support requiring adult presence and fines for not complying; I could support restricting the most dangerous types of fireworks for kids ... but I cannot support ... an outright ban.''
The ordinance goes into effect in March. A violation could result in a fine of up to $300.
Alderman Wallace, one of those voting against, said fire calls and police calls do not support the idea that fireworks are a problem in the city.
Between Dec. 31 and Jan. 2, Olive Branch police received four complaints about fireworks, police Chief Art Heun said. He said calls are more numerous during the Independence Day holiday.
One recent call Rikard learned of was from a woman about 11:30 New Year's Eve to complain her infant was having trouble sleeping because of neighbors shooting fireworks.
Last year, Mary Gary's front yard in the 5600 block of Blocker was burned up because of fireworks.
-- Toni Lepeska: (662) 996-1409
Copyright 2007, commercialappeal.com - Memphis, TN. All Rights Reserved.
*** OUR BELL RIDGE SUBDIVISION IS INSIDE THE CITY LIMITS, MEANING, ''NO MORE FIREWORKS''!! ***
I wanted to post this so that none of our neighbors receive citations for violating this new ruling.
Here is the full article from today's edition (1/17/07) of the Commercial Appeal.
http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/desoto/article/0,1426,MCA_451_5284219,00.html
O.B. Douses Private Use of Fireworks
By Toni Lepeska
January 17, 2007
In another sign of its growth, Olive Branch on Tuesday night put out the fire once and for all on fireworks.
Aldermen voted 4-3 to ban the sale, possession and use of fireworks inside the city by private individuals, citing safety considerations.
Aldermen Maurice Wallace, Aubrey Coleman and George Collins voted against it, but other aldermen saw the need.
''I've seen first-hand what it can do,'' said Alderman Stephen Benson, a Southaven firefighter. ''I've seen people burned completely out of their house. I grew up with fireworks; I'm torn about it ... but people aren't responsible with them anymore.''
An existing ordinance that allowed fireworks but restricted their use to certain hours was repealed.
Southaven and Hernando also have bans on fireworks in the rapidly growing county. Horn Lake has an ordinance regulating when people can discharge them.
Olive Branch Mayor Sam Rikard, who proposed the ban, cited fire safety, litter and noise and nuisance issues as reasons why government should be involved in a ban.
He told aldermen that the city of about 31,500 had outgrown fireworks. People are living closer together, and fireworks land on neighbors' yards and houses, creating a fire hazard.
While some citizens support the ban, some do not.
Neville Vanderburg, who once ran for an alderman seat, said there are a lot more hazardous things than fireworks, and they aren't banned. In a letter to the mayor and Board of Aldermen he wrote: ''I could support increased scrutiny of fireworks; I could support increasing the age to purchase and possess fireworks; I could support requiring adult presence and fines for not complying; I could support restricting the most dangerous types of fireworks for kids ... but I cannot support ... an outright ban.''
The ordinance goes into effect in March. A violation could result in a fine of up to $300.
Alderman Wallace, one of those voting against, said fire calls and police calls do not support the idea that fireworks are a problem in the city.
Between Dec. 31 and Jan. 2, Olive Branch police received four complaints about fireworks, police Chief Art Heun said. He said calls are more numerous during the Independence Day holiday.
One recent call Rikard learned of was from a woman about 11:30 New Year's Eve to complain her infant was having trouble sleeping because of neighbors shooting fireworks.
Last year, Mary Gary's front yard in the 5600 block of Blocker was burned up because of fireworks.
-- Toni Lepeska: (662) 996-1409
Copyright 2007, commercialappeal.com - Memphis, TN. All Rights Reserved.
