FIREWORKS: Paradise lost

Over the weekend there were TWO full-page ads in The Press for Warpath, the vendor of fireworks that are ILLEGAL in Kootenai County. Are the folks at The Press so desperate for income, that they’ll take money from this company? Does this mean that The Press supports the use of ILLEGAL fireworks here in Kootenai County?

For the past two summers we have been surrounded by fires and smoke. You would think that we ALL would be more aware of the fire danger ILLEGAL fireworks present to our community. Every year, residents in my neighborhood shoot off all types of ILLEGAL fireworks — bombs, bottle rockets, projectiles that fall back into the pines and on folks roofs. We don’t have enough police officers to keep up with those who are breaking the law. So most of the illegal use of fireworks continues without law enforcement.

Sometimes we have to sacrifice GREED for more money, and do the right thing.

We all have heard about the community of Paradise, Calif. — completely destroyed by fire. We also know the history of the 1910 Spokane area fire. And we should be aware that our community is surrounded by massive pines (many of which have been infected by the bark beetle and are dying). Also with all of the rain, grasses and brush have grown like crazy, and have not been cut back. Do we need a massive fire to make folks aware of the danger? Do we need to lose an entire community like Paradise?

And when those big fireworks shows go off over Lake Coeur d’Alene, what is the fallout to the fish, birds and the quality of the water? Not to mention the frightened dogs and wildlife.

CYNTHIA KIRKLEY

Post Falls