East Wenatchee City Council to Consider Two Options for Fireworks Ban

The East Wenatchee City Council will hear two future proposals on a potential fireworks ban.

The council ordered staff to begin working on two potential ordinances. One would ban the sale and use of all fireworks year-round, while the second proposal would ban the sale and use of fireworks around the 4th of July, but not New Year's, and would not include aerial fireworks in the ban.

Resident Don Schooley said, "In this unpreceded heat and dry conditions we have in July, common sense says you don't light something and have fun with it. You're going to end up with the potential for things to go wrong."

Allano Club Board Member Ken Krausar said that roughly 25% of the local chapter's funding comes from fireworks sales, which equates to about $6,000 annually for the social club for people in recovery.

"I just would like to be able to continue to help grow our community, grow our organization and enjoy this America that we live in," said Krausar.

Several members of the Oxford House, a self-supported place of recovery, spoke against any ban. The Wenatchee chapter's leadership told the council it generates about $15,000 per year from fireworks sales.

On top of the two ordinances, a change of the city code that would have given the Mayor emergency authority to ban fireworks was tabled and will likely be heard in a few weeks.