Re: [gardeners] Idiots and fireworks

Martha Brown (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Sun, 2 Jan 2000 10:31:13 -0600 

Allen;

If there are US Forestry teams in the county you might try
contacting the US Forestry Dept. or the current team .  They
might realize the danger to them and lean on the local officials
a bit for better enforcement.

Martha
M Brown
NW Oklahoma, USA
USDA Zone 6b,  Sunset Zone 35

----- Original Message -----
From: Allen and Judy Merten <jbmerten@swbell.net>
To: <gardeners@globalgarden.com>
Sent: Saturday, January 01, 2000 9:28 PM
Subject: [gardeners] Idiots and fireworks


| Hi George,
|     Your neighbors cousins must live in Bastrop Co. We have
been in
| drought conditions since July 4th. The County Commissioners
have passed
| an outside burning ban since August 1st. However they have
allowed all
| manner of fireworks to be sold, but have banned the use of all
except
| firecrackers. They actually expect someone to buy aerial
rockets,
| missiles etc. and not use them. Bright boys on the Commission.
|     Last night and tonight my neighbors have been shooting the
cannon
| type of aerial displays like you describe, drifting them over
our 4
| acres of trees and meadow. We have a Native Texas Wildscape
registered
| with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept. We have remnant native
tall
| grass prairie grasses here that are 3-4 foot high. The meadow
would make
| great tinder for a stray firecracker/rocket. We live 13 miles
from any
| town. Our two defenses in case of fire is us with water hoses
until the
| volunteer fire department can get here. Fighting fire in the
dark,
| having to cross fences, through thickets and woods is not going
to be
| very effective or very quick. On top of the dry conditions the
wind has
| been blowing at 20 mph with higher gusts.
|     An illustration of how dry it is in this county, hundreds
of
| Loblolly Pines are dying from the lack of water. We have lost 5
this
| year that are 50 ft. tall and 2-1/2 to 3 feet in diameter.
|     There is a fireworks factory in Bastrop County that has
small
| billboards on the factory fence that says we support Comm. So
and So,
| and Judge Whosit for re-election. They have bumper stickers on
their
| fireworks stands that indicate who they support in the
elections, all
| the incumbents on the Commission. GEE! Could this all be a
coincidence,
| that they can sell fireworks in a county that has hosted fire
fighting
| teams this summer from all over the country. The US Forestry
Service has
| rotated teams through Bastrop all summer long. The teams are
still here.
|
|     The people that are shooting the fireworks are not property
owners.
| They rent. I suppose that if you don't own anything it doesn't
matter if
| it gets destroyed. I know that this doesn't apply to all
renters. I
| rented for years. The last time a little over 3 years ago. A
little
| kicker; when they give their kids these fireworks, the parents
send them
| down the road away from their house, to the road behind my 2
acre woods.
|
|     The Sheriffs dept. did respond to my call last night. They
have not
| yet responded tonight, although it has been over an hour since
I called.
| Fireworks are not a high priority call. Shoot. I thought an
ounce of
| prevention would be better than several hundred acres of
burning woods
| and houses, evacuees and injuries. Just goes to show you. You
always
| should listen to those wiser heads that are elected to protect
us.
|     We can only pray that we will be as lucky tonight as we
were last
| night. There was enough spent rockets laying on the ground in
the woods
| this morning to fill a paper lunch bag.
|     We did have a nice New Years Dinner with our daughter and
youngest
| grandson, Ryan. Our son-in-law has the flu and was considerate
enough to
| stay at home. We sent him some ham, black-eyed peas, rice,
cabbage. Tony
| might be able to eat it. He is getting over the flu instead of
just
| starting.
|     We were also up till 3 AM when the barrage stopped. I guess
they ran
| out of ammo. I am going to go to the next Commissioners Court
meeting
| and complain. Fat chance that it will do any good. They aren't
going to
| shoot the fat goose that lays the golden egg of campaign
contributions.
| Judy might need to have bail money available, in case I get
riled.
|     Thanks for letting me have a forum to spit and sputter on.
I'm so
| durn mad my ears are burning.
|     Allen
|     Bastrop Co., NOT the home of the 3 Wise Men.
|
|