[StBernard] After Decades, St. Bernard Sells Fireworks Again

[Westley Annis]

After Decades, St. Bernard Sells Fireworks Again
Parish Legalizes Sale Of Fireworks
WDSU.com
updated 5:45 p.m. CT, Tues., Dec . 29, 2009
CHALMETTE, La. - WDSU .com

For nearly 30 years, if you wanted to buy fireworks in St. Bernard Parish,
you had to leave the parish to get them.

But this year, after a few "short fuses," the parish council has legalized
the sale of fireworks, at least for now.

Customers shopped Tuesday at Crazy Carl's fireworks stand in Chalmette,
which opened this year for the first legal sales in St. Bernard Parish since
fireworks were outlawed in the early 1980s.

"I expect we will have some celebratory fireworks going off, definitely,
people enjoying what we've instituted," said Parish Councilman George
Cavignac.

Parish President Craig Taffaro opposed the new law but didn't veto it. His
compromise was sending the measure to a vote of the people next year.

"So this season, if nothing else, is a trial run to see how things work
out," he said. "And the council has committed that they will put that on the
spring ballot, and people will have an opportunity to weigh in on it."

Crazy Carl's was the only vendor to get the necessary state permits to be
ready to open for New Year's Eve. He's got two stands in the parish.

"Everybody in St. Bernard wanted it to come back. There's been a fight to
get it back, and we finally got it back over here," said owner Carl Hodge.

Resident Kevin Tetera said the change is good the parish's recovery, with
people spending money on fireworks in St. Bernard instead of elsewhere.

"We just ask everyone to be safe and use common sense," Taffaro said. "We
still have some buildings that are not occupied and our fire department is
stretched as it is, so we want public safety to be the No. 1 concern."

All sides hope to have everything worked out early next year in time for the
next fireworks holiday on July 4.