Everyone loves to see the fireworks on he 4^th of July. Trouble is, most of us don’t like hearing them as we lie in bed at 1 a.m. while trying to sleep. Unfortunately, politicians don’t really care about sick people, combat veterans, animals and small children who are forced to hear cherry bombs and rockets going off at all hours of the night. I suppose that the mayor and city council members feel they’ll get more votes if they allow the city’s numerous cases of arrested development to disturb the peace well after midnight. But they’ll lose my vote, for sure. Ban Misanthropic Midnite Fireworks, now.

BAN MISANTHROPIC MIDNITE FIREWORKS that scare babies, animals, combat veterans and sick people

After taking a pain pill for a bad back at 12:30. I called the police dispatch department. Couldn’t believe that the bombs and rockets going off in our neighborhood were being set off legally. The woman who answered was friendly and understanding. “Oh, they’re still going off at 4 a . m. in my neighborhood,” she said. “And the police don’t stop them?” I asked. “nah,” she replied. It’s actually legal until one o’clock in th morning, but nobody enfores the law. However, I’ll make a note of your call.” Then she asked my address, so I suppose I’m now on record at city hall as a troublemaking old biddy.

“Does these people enjoy making others miserable?” I asked. She said she didn’t know, so I pursued the topic. “Maybe they’re unhappy people who want others to share in their misery,” I philosophized. She said she wasn’t sure what motivated the crazies. I could tell she had other calls waiting, so I hung up.

Apparently, shooting fire crackers has great appeal for risk takers. Fireworks are also explosives, and can be dangerous. According to Kansas State University psychology professor Mary Cain, this adds to their appeal. “Engaging in risky behaviors is very reinforcing for people,” she said. “For some, it can cause the release of a chemical in the brain that makes people feel good.” She goes on to explain that such people are “high sensation seekers.” They love things like roller coasters and sky diving . I don’t like either one of those.

Many cities ban the shooting of fireworks altogether, and others say they must stop after 9 p.m. I’m not sure why the politicians who run our city approve them, but I’d like them to ban misanthropic midnight fireworks.

Most responsible homeowners take pride in mowing their lawns and maintaining their property, but some don’t. That’s why cities have regulations about lawn mowing. Currently, any grass over 12 inches high is in violation of city code. At that point, they may receive a complaint in their mailbox. If the notice is ignored, the city mows the offenders lawn and charges them $60. Which happens to be less than what it would cost to have it mowed by a lawn service. 2^nd, 3d and 4^th offenses are charged at the same flat fee of $60. Our city code enforcement lacks teeth.

hOMEOWNERS should be fined if they refuse to mow their lawn. — if a person isn’t fined for 2nd & 3d offenses, City Code Enforcement Lacks Teeth.

What happens to a nice neighborhood when one homeowner lets his yard get overgrown with knee high grass and mountains of weeds? Property values decrease, and everyone feels frustrated.

In our subdivision, there is a homeowner who thumbs his nose at society by refusing to mow his lawn more than once or twice a year. Is he poor or disabled? No, he’s an executive at a good company, who has the luxury of working from home. He’s healthy enough to play golf. Also, he owns an upscale lawn mower in good working condition.

This situation has gone on for several years. When I asked the woman at code enforcement why there hasn’t been some kind of fine for 2^nd 3d and 4^th offenses, she responded that the city has over 700 un mowed lawns, and ‘you can’t make someone mow their lawn.” Wow, if you’re going to apply that logic, you could say, “you can’t make a person stop running red lights.” No, you can’t, but you can bet your sweet bippy it’s going to cost you more each additional time you run a red light.

Last spring, the Okemah. Oklahoma city council decided to crack down on offenders by hitting them in the pocket book. . By a unanimous vote, they set a fee schedule for certain violations of the city code. Under the resolution, failure to keep your lawn mowed could result in a $100 fine for the first offense, $150 for the second and $200 for the third offense. A warning will be issued before any fines are assessed.

The city of Ferndale, Michigan issued the following statement regarding code enforcement: ” The lawn grass cannot be longer than 7″. As a courtesy, we will send a notice once per season to the homeowner letting them know they have 7 days to cut their grass. If the grass does not get cut, the City’s contractor mows it for them. This service will cost the property owner $275.00. Given the alternatives, the property owner normally realizes that it is much less expensive to maintain their lawn themselves or hire someone than having the City do it.”

You have to wonder why our city council is so lax about code enforcement. What are they afraid of? A person who won’t mow his lawn probably isn’t going to vote in the next election. But his neighbors will.

Tag: Terre Haute City Council

BAN MISANTHROPIC MIDNITE FIREWORKS

CITY CODE ENFORCEMENT LACKS TEETH