GENTRY — With fireworks stands opening in the city and surrounding areas, Gentry Police Chief Keith Smith is reminding residents of laws concerning fireworks within city limits in the hopes of preventing dangerous activities and code violations.

City code allows fireworks to be sold in the city each year between June 20 and July 10, but the law does not permit any airborne fireworks - suchas bottle rockets, roman candles and helicopter-type fireworks - to be discharged within city limits.

Non-airborne fireworks may only be discharged on private property within the city between the hours of 8 a.m. and 12 midnight on the Fourth of July, and then only if no burn ban is in place. Discharging fireworks at other times or on other days is prohibited, according to city law.

City code prohibits fireworks of anykind being discharged on any street, road, alley or parking lot or other public property, including any city park, or within 600 feet of any church, public school or within 200 feet of any establishment where fireworks or gasoline is sold, stored or offered for sale.

It is also against the law to discharge any fireworks within a motor vehicle or to throw fireworks from, at or into a vehicle orat a person or group of people.

Violators of city code regulating fireworks will not receive more than one warning, Smith said.

“If we have to return to a property a second time for any fireworks violation, the owner of the property will be issued a notice to appear in court,” Smith said, explaining that he hopes to keep the need to respond to fireworks violations to a minimum this year.

Violations of city code regarding the discharge of fireworks are a misdemeanor offense, Smith said.

News, Pages 1 on 06/16/2010