Have a blast New Year’s Eve

WASILLA — At least one night a year other than July 4, city residents may not have to visit a city council meeting to watch local fireworks.

Wasilla City Council is considering an ordinance that, if approved, would allow residents to legally discharge fireworks as part of their New Year’s celebrations. Although illegal, many choose to ignore the little-enforced law and pop off fireworks on New Year’s Eve.

“People have been enjoying this glorious display of civil disobedience for years,” said Robert Hall, who owns Gorilla Fireworks in Houston with his wife, Amy. “If [the ordinance] is done right, it’s a great idea.”

Deputy Mayor Kristofer Larson said he sponsored the ordinance after hearing from numerous residents who expressed an interest in legalizing the use of fireworks in the city. City council will hold a public hearing to discuss the ordinance beginning at 7 p.m. Dec. 10 at Wasilla City Hall.

“I personally believe government should avoid taking away liberties from people unless it’s absolutely necessary,” Larson said.

Far from being a blanket authorization to shoot off fireworks year-round at anytime, Larson’s ordinance would make it legal to light off fireworks from 5:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. New Year’s Eve. Residents would be limited to using Class C common fireworks, which are those bought from licensed dealers such as Gorilla Fireworks. The sale of fireworks would continue to be banned in Wasilla. In the Mat-Su Borough, Houston is the only place they can be sold.

The ordinance also outlines restrictions as to where fireworks could be discharged. It would still be illegal to light them off at city parks, from within vehicles or from inside homes or other buildings. Fireworks would also still not be allowed within 500 feet of churches, schools, the city library, health care and assisted-living facilities or near flammable gases or liquids.

“It makes a good statement,” Hall said of the ordinance. “It says the government trusts the people to be responsible.”

When it comes to being responsible with fireworks, proper adult supervision has to happen when children are present, Hall said, adding that any adults supervising the lighting of fireworks should be sober.

Lt. Craig Robinson of the Wasilla Police Department said the city’s law enforcement agency is fine with the ordinance. People light them off every year anyway and police generally don’t have any problems from those scofflaws.

“We don’t really have a problem with fireworks in the city,” he said. “We usually get a few calls about them each year.”

Over the past two years, the city has issued three fines to residents who violated the city’s fireworks ordinance, Robinson said.

Contact Chris Gillow at chris.gillow@frontiersman.com or 352-2284.