LEWISTON — Jonathan Burnham figures his big backyard out by No Name Pond may become the spot for the annual Fourth of July celebration among his family and friends.
It’s wide open and it’s in Lewiston’s fireworks zone. That means Burnham and his family can legally set off fireworks three days each year — the Fourth of July, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
“So we’ll see how it goes tonight,” Burnham said. “None of my friends can do this. They don’t have the space like we do. But maybe we’ll let them buy all the fireworks if it becomes a regular thing.”
This year — the first time Burnham and other outer-Lewiston residents can legally shoot of fireworks — Burnham went all out and spent $183 at Monmouth’s Patriot Fireworks stand. That bought him a big pack full of fountains, tanks, and artillery shells as well as another box of artillery shells for good measure and some sparklers for the kids.
“I think the shells are going to be really popular with the adults,” he said. “They’re the ones that go way up there.”
Wife Catherine said she expects her brother-in-law will add to the stash. She’s excited, but a tad bit nervous.
“I was fine, then I got a little nervous when I saw how excited he was,” Catherine said.
A new state law legalized the sale and use of fireworks as of Jan. 1. The state let cities and towns adopt their own rules banning fireworks and many have — especially Auburn, Bangor and Portland.
But Lewiston adopted a partial ban. The sale of fireworks is illegal citywide, but people along the city’s rural outskirts can shoot them off three times per year — between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. on July 4 and from 10 a.m. Dec. 31 to 1 a.m. Jan. 1.
The fireworks zone rings the central part of the city. It runs from the Androscoggin River, south of Merrill Road, and follows transmission lines east to Grove Street to the eastern limit of the city. From there, it follows the Maine Turnpike back to the river.
Burnham said they built the party around the fireworks.
“We were going to have it on Saturday, until we realized that it’s not legal that day,” he said. “So we moved it.”
He is looking forward to it.
“We watch the fireworks downtown every year,” he said. “But why go downtown when you can do it in your own backyard? It might not feel the same, but it might actually be better, because it’s right here in my own yard.”
Up the road, Louise Mills and her family started their July 4 celebration early. For guest Chris Dymkoski of Rideout Avenue that means fireworks.
“I got some little firecrackers, and I’ve been setting them off all day,” he said. “When we pulled up, I threw a couple out the window to let everyone know I was here.”
Dymkoski said he spent about $80 on fireworks.
“I love fireworks, from way back,” Dymkoski said. “But I’m not sure legalizing them was the best idea. We were just fine without them, but it’s a bonus now for me.”
Tom Truchon, attending another Fourth of July barbecue on Pond Ridge Road, said he didn’t buy any fireworks and he doesn’t plan to use them.
“Just making them legal at all, I think it’s a bad idea,” Truchon said. “If people just did them when they were legal and where they’re legal, that would be one thing. But they don’t. They do them all night long, everywhere. I think someone’s going to get hurt.”
But friend Roger Castonguay disagreed.
“It’s about freedom of choice,” he said. “The people that want them, they can get them. And it really only is once a year.”
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- Rachel Mills, 17, and her family sort through the stash of fireworks they plan to set off later Wednesday. The family lives near No Name Pond, a part of Lewiston where it is legal to set off fireworks.
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- Jonathan Burnham of Pond Road in Lewiston sets off some Roman candle fireworks in his backyard during a Fourth of July family gathering on Wednesday.
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- Rachel Mills, 17, and her family sort through the stash of fireworks they plan to set off later on July 4. The family lives near No Name Pond, a part of Lewiston where it is legal to set off fireworks.
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