PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — The city has received 27 complaints from residents about noise and other issues associated with fireworks since they were approved in January.
Three of those residents stepped forward to voice their frustrations Wednesday night, as the City Council considered whether to develop an ordinance to address their concerns.
The three residents complained about the loud noises and the blatant disregard by the fireworks users of how close they are to others when they fire them off.
However, Presque Isle Police Chief Matthew Irwin told the councilors that fireworks in Presque Isle have yet to pose a threat to public safety. He said there remains minimal concern among community public safety personnel that this will change, despite the 27 complaints reported since fireworks became legal. In defense of the high call volume, Irwin explained that the bulk of the complaints were called in between the end of June and July 4, and there have been no injuries or fires.
But the loud noises have nevertheless unnerved some residents and their pets. One elderly resident claimed Wednesday night that her dog no longer enjoys his walks around the neighborhood, since he is scared stiff by the noises that surround their home. Other residents claimed that the lifting of the fireworks ban has no redeeming value and hinders the close community feel that has existed in Presque Isle for so long.
Before discussing whether there was any need for an ordinance, Presque Isle City Councilor Richard Engles clarified the state’s strict fireworks regulations for the public. Engles stated that fireworks only can be ignited between the hours of 9 a.m. and 10 p.m., the exception being Independence Day or New Year’s Eve, when the allowed time is extended to 12:30 a.m. Residents must be igniting fireworks from their own property, or the property of someone else who has offered their consent. Another important regulation brought to the table by Engles is that only residents over the age of 21 may ignite, buy or sell fireworks. Anyone selling fireworks to someone under the age of 21 faces criminal charges.
Possible solutions mentioned by Presque Isle residents included allowing permits to be issued only to people who are properly trained to use fireworks, or limiting when fireworks can be used, such as to the months of June and July.
City councilors were actively involved in the discussion and sympathetic to the frustration of the residents, admitting that they also find the frequent explosions annoying and inconvenient, but that eventually the hype over the new law will pass and the community will settle down once again.
City Councilor Peter Hallowell also mentioned his reluctance to do anything that might harm the Pyro City fireworks store that opened on July 1 at 22 Caribou Road in Presque Isle. Hallowell said small businesses are important to the heart of the city and that the council is “not in business of over-regulating business.”
The council did not find the disturbances significant enough to create an ordinance at this time, but assured the public that they will monitor the use of fireworks and their impact on the community in the future. In the meantime, the councilors promised to continue educating the residents of Presque Isle to assure that public safety never becomes an issue.
Dick Engles is what is called a dud in the world of firecrackers! And what brilliance by the Police Chief, who has had then 3 meth labs within a 1/4 mile of the police station discovered by others. The brain trust and their ideas is blinding!
Umm… who were the residents that complained? What did they say? We obviously have one lady talking about her dog, and then “other residents.” Well who were they? On what streets do they live? What were their quotes? Did the crowd clap in support of their opinions? Poor article
PI now has a fireworks store, and now all it needs to be completely scuzzy is a brothel.
Oh please. How is a fireworks store “scuzzy”?
I don’t hear you complaining about liquor stores and scratch tickets…
We had one until the owner got arrested for murder.
Here we go! I knew when fireworks became legal in Maine we would have the whiny and overly sensitive complainers. In comes the nanny-state to issue more “permits”.
Don’t get me wrong, I think people need to be responsible and light off fireworks in the proper location. I have seen some idiots lighting them off in a residential neighborhood. Take them out of town where somebody has a big backyard or to a gravel pit.
I love fireworks and enjoy them responsibly.
And this Crandall says that, as usual, the legislation is incomplete. The regulations should have been written into it, not just let loose to argue over later.
It’s always interesting that the people who have no healthcare, live in low income housing, scrape money to survive, and so forth are the ones buying hundreds of dollars a month in fireworks for entertainment and fun. Those who earn an income and have to pay bills and other expenses don’t seem to need fireworks three days a week for fun. Couldn’t it be better spent on something more productive or necessary? Do you really need the noise and chaos YEAR ROUND? We have neighbors who set them off regularly and our animals are out of their mind. And we live rurally.
Oh for cripes sake! stop blaming the poor. I live in a nieghborhood where people work and they enjooy their 3 day beer fireworks fests.
Growing up in Canada, where fireworks are legal… Yes we going to have a few people that is going to get hurt… That just apart of life… Anything in this world can hurt you if you don’t know what you are doing… Yes I agreed with the idea fireworks only can be used between times except new years and july1 and 4th. When I heard it was legal I was very happy about it, knowing we can use it for birthdays and bonfire days, etc… Now northern Maine needs to open up mines and natural gas wells. So the county is boom… Not dying…. Farming is apart of life and we need it… but they going to machines to increase production. We need to use the resource that the county can use, if we talking about putting windmills and going green. You going to need Funds… Mines and natural gas tax and the benfits will fund these problem and we NEED to stop buying the windmills from over seas… We can build them in Maine… that my bit…. Back to work and make good money..
In fairness, this is not exclusively a “fireworks” problem so much as a “my neighbors are frickin’ tools” problem.
Boo hoo your shooting off fireworks responsibly…call the cops and see if they have papers. WHERE ARE YOUR PAPERS?
Ok fine..I could care less if you want to set off fire works..But seriously, EVER since they became legal I hear them EVERY night right outside My house (in a residential neighborhood). Now not to be that whiny person But I do have small children that need to sleep and get up for school, I have to be up early for work. When these things BOOM outside My house at 9:30 at night sending My dog into a barking frenzy (adding more noise on top of it) which wakes up My youngest who then I have the hardest time getting back to bed..it becomes more of an annoyance than an enjoyment sorry to say!