Menu
Fireworks outlets popping
Not only is July 4 a celebration of national independence, but it's a time when kids of all ages can revel in the sights and sounds of fireworks and sparklers lighting up the night sky. Several tents offering a myriad of pyrotechnic items can be found around Bourbon County.
Cindy Clements, owner of Clements Fireworks, has a big top set up in the Woods supermarket parking lot. She and her family started the business more than 30 years ago, partly because it was hard to find items for her children, something her features.
"We do it as a family. My kids and my grandkids are here... It's fun. It's like a big reunion for 10 days," she said. "I couldn't do it without them."
She added she has good rapport with her supplier and Woods, where the tent is set up, and her supplier. They are allowed to open for business June 28-July 5, when clean-up takes place. They are allowed to set up the tent June 18.
"This is basically our home for seven to 10 days," Clements said.
The number of workers starts out at two or three and at its peak, Clements Fireworks is up to eight to 12 employees, she said. The operation offers snappers, smoke balls, artillery shells, Roman candles and firecrackers. It supplies celebrations in outlying communities as well such as Mapleton, Redfield, Devon.
"So far today we've had people in from Texas to Illinois and Connecticut to California," Clements said.
When she's not offering fireworks, Clements owns Wolf Den Tanning Salon. "I take a vacation from work."
What keeps her going is the people -- "The delight in everybody's face," Clements said, including new parents bringing their children out and adults buying items for themselves.
Gabriella Clements, 10 1/2, is Clements' granddaughter and she's been selling fireworks all her life. She shares her grandmother's sentiments and said her favorite item is the five-minute smokeballs.
In the last three or four years with the sluggish economy, Clements said she sees neighbors and larger families going in together on fireworks displays. "It brings back the family values and brings neighborhoods closer," she said.
Fort Scott Community College Assistant Basketball Coach Keenan Curry is manning the Red Rhino tent on National Avenue near U.S. Cellular for the first time this year. He began selling fireworks June 27, but the tent was put up a couple of days before that. It will be taken down July 6.
Saturn missiles and cone fountains are the best selling items so far. "A percentage of the total sales goes to the (basketball) program," Curry said. "We're using it as a fundraiser, so it's helpful for the basketball program."
Other outlets around Bourbon County that county commissioners have signed permits for, according to meeting minutes, include: Hale's Fireworks, south of Peerless on U.S. Highway 69; Jake's Fireworks, Wall and Goodlander; Crazy Debbie's, 2001 S. Main; Cathy Ramirez, 840 N. Main, Mapleton; and BC Fireworks, 1905 E. Wall.
Fireworks safety
The best way to enjoy fireworks is to visit public fireworks displays hosted by professionals who know how to safely handle fireworks, according to Safe Kids Kansas. Fireworks send 3,000 children under the age of 15 to emergency rooms each year in the United States. And sparklers, typically viewed by parents as relatively harmless fireworks for children, cause serious burn injuries, accounting for one-third of the injuries to children under 5, a news release said.
Some safety tips follow:
*Always have a bucket of water and/or a fire extinguisher nearby. Know how to operate the fire extinguisher properly.
*Do not carry fireworks in your pocket or hold them close to your face.
*Do not modify fireworks or use homemade fireworks.
*Light fireworks only outdoors on smooth, flat surfaces and aim them away from spectators, buildings, dry leaves and flammable materials.
*Stand several feet away from lit fireworks. If a device does not go off, do not stand over it to investigate it. Put it out with water and dispose of it.
*Fireworks are intended for use by adults in open spaces and children should watch from a safe distance with plenty of adult supervision.
*Keep a phone handy and know first aid for burns. For more information, call Safe Kids Kansas at (785) 296-1223, or (785) 296-0351.
or visit www.safekids.org.
Safe Kids Kansas Inc. is a nonprofit coalition of more than 70 statewide organizations and businesses dedicated to preventing accidental injuries to Kansas children ages 0-14.
Local coalitions and chapters cover Allen, Anderson, Atchison, Butler, Clay, Coffey, Dickinson, Doniphan, Douglas, Elk, Ellis, Finney, Geary, Harvey, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Kiowa, Labette, Leavenworth, Marion, Marshall, McPherson, Mitchell, Montgomery, Pottawatomie, Riley, Saline, Sedgwick, Shawnee, Smith, Sumner and Wilson counties, as well as the city of Emporia and the Metro Kansas City Area (Wyandotte county and several Missouri counties.)