Should Shaker Bring Back Fireworks? Join The Discussion!

Bring Fireworks Back

Ron Fountain said: 

I would like to see fireworks return to Shaker Heights since I don't believe an entire community should be held hostage by the inappropriate actions of a small segment either of our community or of persons who come into Shaker Heights from some contiguous community. I feel that all residence of Shaker Heights who want fireworks to return must mobilize ourselves to keep our community safe. This is not the responsibility of only the SH Police Department. Community safety is the job of all of us in our community. Sitting passively on the sidelines while criminal or even just inappropriate acts are occurring is not good citizenship!

bhfr0108 said: 

I really missed the community spirit of the Shaker fireworks this year. I was actually a few feet from the disturbances in past years, and did not feel I was in danger at any time. I would be willing to be part of a community security detail to help with crowd control, in order to bring back this wonderful event.

Don't Bring Fireworks Back

Reader Leslie said:

I don't think Shaker Hts. should bring back the fireworks next year. If you read the letter Earl Leiken sent out, there were Shaker Hts. policemen and police from neighboring cities last year and they still couldn't keep the peace. Some policemen were even threatened by young people! I was very happy not to have the trespassing drunk and disorderly people, and damage to my personal property this year and look forward to another uneventful 4th of July next year with no fireworks!

Maggy Woodcock said: 

I feel sad that rowdy youths spoiled a community event, but I think it's dangerous to carry on. A committee of citizens is not up to the task of controlling a mob. Also, in these days of scarce resources, I hate to see so much money go up in smoke, with nothing to show for it but a couple of ooo's and aah's.

Other Ideas

Bonnie J. Gordon said:

I think we should cooperate with a few other communities and do a round-robin, e.g.: Shaker in 2014, Beachwood in 2015, Cleveland Heights in 2016, and Shaker again in 2017 - but with combined task forces and police cooperation as well so that we have triple the police presence for each year. My family went to Niagara Falls to see fireworks on the 4th, since we had planned to go to Toronto anyway on the 5th, but even with that spectacular backdrop there was no comparison with the sense of community we always get from hanging out on the Middle School lawn during the evening of the 4th.

Mark Zetzer said:

Another option is to simply legalize private citizens use of fireworks. I spent this 4th on West 69th Street near Edgewater Park. It was the best street party I ever attended, but organizers had to bribe the police to let them shoot off pro-grade rockets in close quarters. Ohio's prohibition on fireworks should be reconsidered in light of municipalities like Shaker ending their public shows. At my brother's place in Montana all fireworks are legal and you don't hear about injuries being any more common there than in Ohio. Neighborhood shows are more intimate and fun, and you avoid the problems of large crowds and traffic.