Fire works have not been legal in Santa Clara County for many years if not decades.  There are some cities within driving distant that still allow them, Gilroy and Watsonville are two.  This year most cities that allow them are thinking about banning them because of all the fires even though the money made goes to charities.  I can’t even believe there is a choice. 

The neighbors have been having a 4th of July block party for at least the last seven years.  They have fireworks and not just sparklers and ground spinners but the illegal exploding and launching into the air type, bottle rockets and Roman candles.  The last few years we have avoid going because we don’t agree with this practice.  They aren’t even very safe when they set them off.  One year the person lighting them was bare foot (and drunk).  It seems like an accident waiting to happen. This year I thought they had the sense not to have the fireworks.  We hadn’t heard anything so I thought there might not even be a barbeque, but  a flyer showed up at the door.  It seems like a different family is organizing it but they are still asking for donation for fireworks.  I think we have silently protested long enough and need tell them we are against the fireworks.  I’m glad we have a roof made of metal and no dried weeds and trees in the yard, unlike a lot of the neighbors.