PLYMOUTH, Maine — Several neighbors from Twitchell Road gathered at the town office to complain about fireworks during the selectmen’s meeting on Tuesday evening.
For some, it was more than just an annoyance. It was a safety concern.
“Personally, it’s my horses,” said Heidi Boivin, who lives on Twitchell Road. “I don’t know about your dog or your neighbor’s dogs, but the horses get riled bad. They’re either going to go through a fence or I’m going to be out there [with a horse] and they’re going to decide to shoot one of these off and I’m going to get run over.”
Her husband, Ray, also was concerned about safety.
“Just due to the fact that we have animals in the neighborhood that could stampede through a fence and run in front of a vehicle and go through a windshield and possible kill someone. Or the horse injures itself and [someone] has to put it down is all the more the reason to nip it in the bud now,” said Ray Boivin.
Several who attended the meeting complained that a neighbor’s 18-year-old son has fired many fireworks recently. Sometimes nightly.
“It was like Baghdad up there at 7 or 8 o’clock at night,” said Dana Flanders, another neighbor.
Town Clerk Becky Gray quickly pointed out that it’s illegal for anyone under the age of 21 to possess or use fireworks.
Flanders suggested that permits for fireworks might be a good idea, especially during dry weather.
“Right now, behind my house, you can just look at that [dry brush] and set it on fire,” he said.
Selectman Adam Temple said he was hesitant to create a town ordinance in response to one person.
“During the last town meeting, we tried to put an ordinance in for the whole town when the problem was with one person,” said Temple. “So we tried to craft a law because of one person that would affect the whole town. It doesn’t go over very good.”
Temple said he would talk with the neighbor to try to reach a resolution. The town also will look into an ordinance, he said.
“In the short term, I’ll personally talk to him,” said Temple.
It also was decided during the meeting that residents who didn’t already have house number signs that meet 911 standards could come to the town office, fill out paperwork and have them created.
Work it out with your Neighbors, don’t take it to the town….That town is considering an ordinance based on the complaints of a few people?
Typical NANNY types…
youe wouldn’t think that if your horses stampeded through the fence and injured themselve or someone els or caused a traffic accident.
I can relate Chris; something like your parents not using good protection; or your teachers passing you with a wink and a nod.
P.S. I’m an owner of three horses.
“…….gathered at the town office to complain about fireworks during the selectmen’s meeting on Tuesday evening.” WOW! That must have been some noisy meeting! Do the BDN reporters ever read the stories they write????
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I stocked up for the summer but am in full agreement with you. Use responsibly!
bunch of sissy’s.
say neigh to fireworks.
So, a neighbor has recently been firing off fireworks, sometimes “nightly” and sounding like “Baghdad”…..so, have these instances (sometimes nightly) caused any issues with the neighborhood animals or is there just a human neighbor issue going on here??
Suck it up, fireworks at 7 or 8 pm? Thats early. I live in New Hampshire, spend hundreds of dollars on fireworks many times through the year. I dont set them off until atleast 9 or so when its completely dark. My neighbors enjoy the show. Don’t spoil fun. Fireworks are going off? Stable your horses. You can not expect other people to not do something because you don’t want to upset your animals.
Noise Ordinance? Outdoor ignition during red flag fire warnings? These are issues that can be dealt with for the entire town and apply in many circumstances, not just horses frightened by fireworks. I have horses. We have neighbors that shoot guns across the street in the woods all the time. The horses are pretty well desensitized. However, our neighbor shot off fireworks that landed in the horse pasture, as well as a golf ball that landed on my horse and created a huge welt and she got tangled up in the electric fence when she bolted. Kids are self centered and subject to peer pressure – you can talk till you are blue in the face and still they will do stupid stuff. Consequences are needed, not just an angry neighbor blah blahing at them.