Fillmore High School Principal Tom Ito.

[Following is a letter from Tom Ito to Fillmore High School Staff, submitted at his resignation. Mr. Ito is retiring. The Gazette will have a full statement from Mr. Ito in our July 26 edition. He will be greatly missed…]

Flashes,

I am writing this email to thank all of you for your contribution to making Fillmore High School a great place for students and staff to be and also one of the best schools in Ventura County.

All of you in your own way have contributed each day in supporting students and staff at Fillmore High School. The many ways you extend yourself for our students is not only admirable but also noticeable to everyone that has had the opportunity to be part of our great school or comes in contact with any of you as you perform your daily duties. Every year that I have been at FHS, I have seen and heard the most positive comments and praise by parents, community members, visitors, and most of all our students. They marvel at how giving and kind you are to the students. Many have shared that the influence of the staff on their child has helped to motivate, inspire, change and support their growth. Returning students have consistently told me that the school has really changed and they are very happy with their teachers. You all need to know that the students depend on you so much and are so appreciative of any support you show them. With all of this support and effort from all of you, achievement in academics and athletics has reached new highs and will continue to do so as long as the students are first in our thoughts and actions. The data shows it, but as I have repeated through the years, we don’t need data to confirm how special it is to work at Fillmore High School.

On a personal note, I want to thank all of you for making my four years at Fillmore High School the best they could be. You have been the easiest and most willing staff to work with. So many of you welcomed me and made feel at home when I first arrived to FHS. We shared the same mindset in that we believed that every student could achieve and every student is special. There are so many things that we as a staff achieved that it would take me a very long time to go over. Suffice it to say, we moved as a group which allowed our students to achieve as a group. We did not leave any students back and we provided immense enrichment in all areas of the school.

The future of Fillmore High School looks very bright. As the WASC Committee stated, this is a vastly improved school from the one they saw in 2014. When they return in 2020, I know you will once again impress them as a school staff. I hope you are allowed to continue to learn from each other and to have a major say in the direction of the school. You are the experts. I have never said this before, because it was not true until then end of 2017, but you are now the best faculty I have ever worked with during my 34 years in public education. So much has to do with the giving nature of the staff and with the addition of 34 new staff with the same disposition, FHS has undergone a major upgrade.

In 2019, I will attend the Venice High School Class of 1989 30th Year Reunion. I have attended their 1999 and 2009 reunions too. They were a very special group of students that I taught in my early years in education. They were willing, very kind and such a giving bunch of kids. They made my first years as a teacher enjoyable and rewarding. For a first year emergency credentialed teacher learning the ropes they made all the difference in the world to me. I won’t ever forget any of them. I only write about them to illustrate how I feel about you and what you have done for me. To end my career on the same high note that I started it on is a dream come true and you were a big part of it.

Thank you and so long,
Tom

HANDS-ON Consultations (HOC), Computer Support Services, a Fillmore, Ventura County based company, is pleased to announce our twenty (20) year anniversary in business as a full-time computer support company serving business and home users in the communities of Ventura and Los Angeles Counties and beyond.

In July of 1998, Harv & Patti Oliver established their computer support services company out of their home in Fillmore, CA. The startup business began after owner and Senior Tech Harv Oliver decided to put his services and skills to work with his own business plan. The skillset at that time was developed working for the Department of Defense in the “mainframe” world and then evolved to include Personal Computers (PC’s) as they were incorporated to the mainframe operations/networks, and eventually, as they are today in nearly every business and home. Twenty years ago, July 14th, HOC assisted their first client. For those of you who recall, this was Archer Chiropractic with offices on Central in Fillmore. At the same time, we assisted Shuel Chiropractic with offices on Main in Santa Paula, as the two doctors worked on a developing effort together. In the twenty years since, HOC has assisted with thousands of service calls and clients to keep their computer operations working.

In their original business plan, there was never an intent for a storefront, but to provide “HANDS ON” services onsite for businesses and home users or in the HOC offices as required. Trying to maintain an inventory in such a fast moving and ever-changing field, based on location, population, etc. was evaluated as impractical and this business model has worked well. In July 2001, due to business expansion and requirements, the business transitioned leasing offices from Aguirre Financial & Insurance Services in their current location in the Gurrola Building at 606 Sespe in Fillmore. “We primarily provide ‘field services'”, Harv stated. “We do schedule appointments and system drop-offs at the office however the bulk of our work is ‘onsite’ at client facilities or homes.”. Clients have expanded to hundreds of home users, business medical & dental practices, engineering, manufacturing, travel agencies, insurance providers, and many more.

Harv provides technical support services and manages the day-to-day operations with Patti providing support in operations and continuing business development. Through the years, experienced and qualified technicians have provided additional support activities and in 2012, after six months in a supporting role, Tobias Knowles was a hired as a second full-time technician to assist the growing client base. Toby’s skillset in programming, networking, systems repair, and Server Administration have been a huge and valued addition to the HOC team. Cynthia Chessani has provided the bulk of accounting/bookkeeping & administrative services for over ten years – a true asset and part of the HOC family. And while she recently moved on to her new full-time position providing the skills developed in her six years assisting HOC, a shout out to Daisy Palma, who starting from the Fillmore High School ROP student program, assisted with miscellaneous administrative support activities. Additional technicians, administrative personnel, and program developers provide miscellaneous support services as needed to enhance the primary support staff.

“Providing professional, friendly services, while building mutually beneficial relationships has always been our goal”, stated Harv in noting the anniversary. “When we started, I asked myself, ‘How can we separate our services and rise above the multitude of other support services out there?’ In any service industry, providing outstanding customer service and dealing honorably with our clients are the most important factors, in my opinion, and that’s what we’ve always tried to do. We all know you can’t please everyone, but at HANDS-ON Consultations we do our very best and our continuing success in the local communities reflects that. Word of mouth and referrals are the keys to success for any business. I believe sustaining a healthy business for 20 years is a strong statement for our approach and services.”.

HOC services are provided for business and home users alike. Ranging from hardware/software troubleshooting, repairs and upgrades, computer components, new computer systems to network design, development, & support to web design, development, and hosting to training for Windows and associated applications. Services also include security solutions, malware data protection/restoration, and program and database software development. HOC provides incidents support services, along with scheduled maintenance plans and are aligned with other vendors in various support contracts.

Server Administration/Management is another key area of services provided. Of course with todays ‘online’ advancements, services are also often provided ‘remotely’ which is a win-win as client’s issues can often be addressed in a timelier fashion, which is the real goal – to get things working properly as soon as possible.

“I’d like to thank all the members of the private and business communities we serve for assisting us in reaching this milestone. Success is many things and we are meeting and achieving the goals we set for ourselves 20 years ago. We’ve seen a number of businesses come and go and surviving each and every year, particularly with an ever-changing and challenging economy, in any kind of business, is tough and this is something we’re very proud of. We look forward to continuing to assist our friends and associates in this ever-developing and exciting field now, and into the future. We’re not done yet!”

Harv Oliver, Senior Tech/Owner

More information is shared at the HOC web site: www.hocsupport.com

David W. Rowlands, Fillmore City Manager.

Porch Fest – 2018

The Bridges subdivision, located east of Rio Vista Elementary School, has been selected as the host location for the first ever Porch Fest. This is a community event that celebrates music and community. The event is an open invitation to whomever wants to drop by and enjoy the live music which will be performed on front porches, yards or driveways within The Bridges subdivision. Porch Fest will be held Saturday, August 4th from 5:00 pm to 7:00 p.m. Information on band locations and bands will be on the city web site www.fillmoreca.com and Twitter page. Parking is available on the street.

The “All Digital String Band” will be performing traditional Bluegrass with highlight performances from local Fillmore musicians.

Notable local blues festival favorite “The Kingfish” will stop by for a short cameo acoustic performance. Kingfish is a favorite at the Long Beach Blues Extravaganza where he performs with his band The Other Mules.

Fillmore Association of Businesses – FAB Up and Running

FAB is an association of downtown business owners, managers and property owners working together to bring innovative ideas and events to promote a sustainable, energized, and creative environment within Fillmore’s downtown business perimeter. FAB will work in sync with the City’s Downtown Strategic Plan focusing on business retention, expansion, and attraction. If you are interested in joining or have ideas to share please contact Ernie Villegas, Special Projects Manager at (805) 524-1500.

Entrepreneurs – Fillmore Now Allows Pop-Up Businesses

The City Council recently changed its laws to allow “pop-up” businesses to locate within the Commercial Highway, Central Business District, Commercial Neighborhood, Manufacturing/ Industrial and Business Park zones in the City if the business is a permitted use or allowed with a Development Permit in that zone. Businesses will be allowed for an initial time of 45 days and up to a maximum of 90 days without needing to seek entitlement permits. Allowing additional temporary uses in the zones will promote economic vitality by temporarily locating business and uses in buildings and structures which might otherwise remain vacant.

Fillmore Pavement Resurfacing Completed

Paving was recently completed on portions of B Street, C Street, D Street and Mountain View Street.

Let’s work together to keep Fillmore the “Best Last Small Town.”

David W. Rowlands, Fillmore City Manager

Bob Crum

I've been shooting the Fillmore fireworks show for about 87 years, so it seems. Normal camera settings are auto white balance, ISO locked at 100, aperture f/11 and 'bulb' mode. Bulb mode allows the shutter to be held open for a period of time. Assistant #1 holds the shutter open with a remote control until I yell CLOSE! Assistant #2 fetches another cold beer. Just kidding.

In years past, I noticed that bright bursts are, you know, too bright resulting in blown out highlights. No big deal considering there isn't any detail in bright light blobs. But super bright lights tend to overpower the image. Attempts to cool down the highlights in post processing just make the highlights an ugly shade of gray. I'd like a better balance of the bright light and colors while executing longer exposures. So what to do?

A Ventura friend photographer suggested installing an ND filter on the lens. Hmm. An ND filter reduces light coming into the lens like sunglasses for your eyes. Why do that? Because theoretically reducing light entering the lens allows for longer exposures without overexposure. BTW, works wonderfully for photoing mermaids frolicking in squally seas.

I decided to use a 0.6ND on my Tamron 16-300mm lens which will reduce the exposure equivalent to 2 f/stops.

One disadvantage of using an ND filter is that it darkens what you see through the viewfinder rather dramatically. Worse, depending on the filter used auto-focus may not work. However, neither issue was a problem regarding fireworks photography. I simply used the camera's live view (LCD screen) to initially compose the images and used manual focus with the lens set at infinity. The only problem is that live view goes dark the instant the shutter is actuated so can't tell what is being recorded. Hello guesswork!

The overall range of my firework exposures is from 3 to 14 seconds for a reason described below. Did the 0.6 ND filter accomplish the anticipated results? Yes with an unexpected benefit. The foreground is better exposed from the ambient light the result of longer exposures. A delightful bonus. Love surprises!

It's important because what are fireworks for if not to be observed? So, from my perspective, adding people in the foreground provides some 'show' context. Knowing that a train with people on open-air flat cars will be parked near the firing stage, I took a position between the train and Old Telegraph Rd. Viola... people and fireworks thanks to the ND filter.

Now, about the long 3 to 14 second exposures. A single firework burst is not by itself necessarily impressive. On the other hand, two or three bursts in a single frame... now that's exciting! I could shoot single bursts and create composites afterward. Composites are simply the blending of two or more images to create one final image. While this definition makes compositing sound quick and easy, it’s anything but, often times requiring several hours of editing work to complete. I don't have the luxury of time to create composites. So I go rogue and improvise. When the first firework is fired into the air, I open the shutter... and hold it open (in bulb mode) for the duration of two or three firework bursts. This is like creating a composite in the camera. Much quicker to do it in camera... another reason for the ND filter. Now you know a craft secret. Shhh.

See the fireworks slide show video featuring John Wayne and Kate Smith: https://youtu.be/aggnhfHH5Gk

Happy photoing.

Send comments, questions or suggestions to: photography@earthlink.net

The community of Fillmore was as ready as it could be for last week’s record-breaking heat wave. Water? Check. Shade for Fido? Check. Air conditioning? Check… except for 300+ homes at the El Dorado Mobile Home Park. Edison power went out at 6:45pm Friday and wasn’t restored until 7:40pm Saturday—25 long, hot hours at temperatures reaching 114-degrees in some areas of the city.

Three hundred homes without air conditioning in such high, humid temperatures is bad enough, but considering the park is still mostly senior citizens, the urgency to restore power was vital.

Edison’s online power outage reports at 12:11am Saturday morning read “Equipment Problems” as the cause of the blackout. The message changed several times: 9:58am and 2:36pm Saturday it read “Storm Conditions”. And at 6:34pm Saturday it read “Extreme Heat”.

Many residents lost all refrigerated and frozen food during the outage.

Fillmore Fire Department sprang into action on Saturday morning, coordinating with the City of Fillmore, Fillmore Unified School District, Fillmore Police Department, the Red Cross, Ventura County Health Care Agency and FATCO. A cooling center was opened at Rio Vista Elementary and FATCO bussed El Dorado residents to the location free of charge. Fillmore PD went door-to-door to check on the park’s residents, and EMTs also transported some residents to the cooling center. The Red Cross manned the center, offering water, cots and wheelchairs. And Fillmore Fire stationed rescue equipment in the park as a precaution.

Cooling centers for the general community were available at the Active Adult Center on Santa Clara, Fillmore Library on Second Street, and the Boys & Girls Club on First Street.

Temperatures remained high Friday and Saturday, with Sunday cooling slightly to the low one-hundreds.

Cindy Jackson, right, owner of Ocean Gold, listens to Raelene Chaney extoll the product’s benefits for arthritis and joint pain. Chaney uses the CBD for relief.

Dr. Greg Gillesie, Chancellor, Ventura County Community College District, addressed the council in a lengthy discussion concerning the District's history of expansion into the Fillmore area and future goals.

Fire Chief Keith Gurrola presented an up-date on fireworks booths and Fourth of July services. He reported that problems with the fireworks booths application system required some correction. Two booth applicants were found to be out of compliance within their filings and their permits were pulled. All non-profit applicants must show money received on sales stays in the City of Fillmore. One applicant was from Santa Paula, the other disqualified applicant was 3 months short of minimum time for activity in the city. One of the 3 applicants qualified and received its permit, which was Fillmore Christian Academy.

Chief Gurrola said the 4th was a busy night, which included two small fires. Sixteen citations were issued for illegal fireworks. The Chief recommended changes in the fireworks booth ordinance for next year.

The first amendment to the Franchise Agreement for Solid Waste Handling Services between the City of Fillmore and Santa Clara Valley Disposal was unanimously agreed to.

The recommendation to have Council adopt Resolution 18-3662 revising Section 6 of Resolution 18-3655 regarding deadline for filing arguments for and against a City Ballot Measure was passed 4-1.

Planning Commission's recommendation to adopt a Zoning Ordinance Amendment updating regulations for Commercial Highway (CH) Zone and finding an exemption from CEQA was approved.

New projects at Two Rivers Park were discussed.

Resident businesswoman Cindy Jackson promoted a medical marijuana product to be sold in the City. The product's beneficial effects were attested to by resident Raelene Chaney.

Resident Steve McKinnon addressed some long standing problems at the Fillmore Equestrian Center. In general, McKinnon stated that things at the Center were "going downhill" due to management deficiencies, also referring to unspecified "bullying". He asked the Council to investigate the problems.

An unusually lengthy presentation on the California Choice Energy Authority-Lancaster CCE-Program was provided, with question about whether to join. The decision was deferred for further study.

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) announces scheduled overnight lane closures on SR-126 between the Ventura Co. / Los Angeles Co. line and the city of Santa Paula for a long-term pavement rehabilitation project. These closures are subject to change and are scheduled as follows:

Starting the night of Monday July 9, 2018:

• Westbound SR-126 from the Ventura Co. / Los Angeles Co. line to the city of Santa Paula the right lane of two will be closed each night from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday through Friday, re-opening each morning.
• Once the westbound lanes have been re-paved, crews will move to the eastbound lanes of SR-126. The project is expected to be complete by the summer of 2021.

Additionally, ramps will be constructed at the location of at least 19 intersections within the city of Fillmore to make them ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant and accessible for persons with disabilities. The right shoulder / parking lane at these intersections will be blocked for construction from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday until the ramps are complete. Travel lanes will remain open.

The total cost of this Caltrans pavement rehabilitation project is 25.01 million dollars.

Please go to our Planned Lane Closure web page for confirmation of each night’s closures at https://lcswebreports-new.dot.ca.gov/SearchPreAction.do?district=7. And also to: twitter.com/CaltransDist7.

Bob Crum

The Fillmore classic car show downtown on July 4th was awesome. Gorgeous cars all. Did you go? If not fret not, I'll take you there vicariously along with a trip down memory lane.

In 1956, my Uncle Willie bought a high-performance DeSoto Adventurer. The DeSoto was powered by a hemi-sized 341 cubic inch, 320 horsepower motor. Standard equipment included push button control Powerflite automatic transmission, power steering, power seat, power windows, power brakes, windshield washers and electric clock. All for only $3,678.

One day Uncle Willie took ill. Before leaving for the hospital he tossed me the DeSoto keys. “Be careful”, he said, “it's fast!”. A teenage daredevil, imagine my excitement. I practiced driving the car on the farm before the open road. That car was soooo long that when going around a sweeping curve, I couldn't see the back end in the rear-view mirror. With pedal to the metal it was so fast that it took a few seconds for the back half to catch up.

Having saved money from years of farm work, I purchased my first new car – a gold-colored Plymouth Fury – as a high school graduation present to myself. Powerful engine and push-button tranny like the DeSoto. While my friends laughed about the rear fender “fins”, I took revenge (and delight) by beating (humiliating) their Chevys and Fords in every drag race. But as fast as my Fury was off the line, was as fast as I lost those friends. But they eventually got over it and we were soon all friends again.

Photographing classic cars at a show is, politely speaking, a pain in the buttocks. Certainly taxes the patience quotient. No sir, no problem at all just go right ahead and step right in front of my camera. Everybody does it! (grumble grumble)

The flip side of the patience of Job: Deference. It's about the 'event' not the cars! Point well taken I said to myself (I can't be the only one who talks to himself). Result: Lots of photos of gawkers full of gawkiness gawking at classic cars. C'est la vie.

From having photographed previous car shows, I noticed that car colors were often not as punchy in the digital images as I saw with my eyes. Not an insignificant factor considering that I could take five cruises with the money that some of the cars’ paint jobs alone cost. Must do something in an attempt to do justice to those luscious paint colors.

So this year I decided to shoot the show with a polarizing filter on my lens to enunciate the colors. Given the advantages of a polarizing filter, it was nevertheless a gamble. Remember, a polarizing filter's effects are most effective when shooting at a 90° angle with respect to the sun. Otherwise, it's as if it doesn't exist so no effect. Upon viewing the photos made, it was effective most times. At least the blacks are blacker!

Such are the creative challenges that make photography addictive and so delightfully rewarding. Equally significant, the creative aspects of photography tickle the soul. Well, at least mine.

Hark... a contest! Not counting fireworks photos, guess the number of photos I shot of the car show and chili contest. Email me your guess. Deadline: 6 p.m. Monday July 16. The closest guess wins one scoop of Baskins-Robbins ice cream. In case of a tie, the earliest entry wins. One entry per reader.

Photo of the week: Gorgeous Chevy. More firework photos next week. Happy photoing!

Send comments, suggestions, questions & contest entry to: photography@earthlink.net

Moody's Investors Service has assigned an issuer rating of A1 to the City of
Fillmore, CA. The issuer rating is equivalent to the rating we would assign to bonds secured by the city's general obligation unlimited tax (GOULT) pledge. Moody's maintains an A3 rating on the city's sewer revenue bonds.

RATINGS RATIONALE
The A1 issuer rating reflects the currently strong financial position of the city's very small operation, which stands in contrast the city's financial condition during the Great Recession. The city's financial situation deteriorated significantly between 2008 and 2013 due to the combined impact of the recession, redevelopment dissolution, and a dispute over a tax sharing agreement that resulted in the Board of Equalization (BOE) withholding more than four years of sales tax revenue. With these revenue challenges addressed, the city's finances have improved significantly in the last four audited fiscal years with the city's available fund balances and cash balances now exceeding the medians for the A1 rating category. The A1 rating further reflects the city's small tax base relative to A1-rated cities in California, but which is larger than its ratings peers nationally. The A1 rating incorporates the city's extremely low level of outstanding debt and slightly elevated pension liability.

RATING OUTLOOK
Outlooks are not typically assigned to local governments with this amount of outstanding debt.

FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO AN UPGRADE
- Significant and sustained growth in the city's assessed valuation
- Material improvement in socioeconomic characteristics

FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO A DOWNGRADE
- Decline in the city's assessed valuation
- Significant deterioration of the city's financial position

LEGAL SECURITY
The issuer rating is equivalent to a rating that we would assign to a typical general obligation unlimited tax
(GOULT) debt issue and is used as a reference rating for other securities.

PROFILE
The city of Fillmore encompasses 2.5 square miles in the Santa Clara River Valley of Ventura County (Aaa stable) and has an estimated population of 15,650. The city was established in 1887 when the Southern Pacific railroad was built through this agricultural belt. A general law city, Fillmore has about 26 employees and provides basic municipal services.

METHODOLOGY
The principal methodology used in this rating was US Local Government General Obligation Debt published in December 2016. Please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this methodology.

REGULATORY DISCLOSURES
For ratings issued on a program, series or category/class of debt, this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to each rating of a subsequently issued bond or note of the same series or category/class of debt or pursuant to a program for which the ratings are derived exclusively from existing ratings in accordance with Moody's rating practices. For ratings issued on a support provider, this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to the credit rating action on the support provider and in relation to each particular credit rating action for securities that derive their credit ratings from the support provider's credit rating. For provisional ratings, this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to the provisional rating assigned, and in relation to a definitive rating that may be assigned subsequent to the final issuance of the debt, in each case where the transaction structure and terms have not changed prior to the assignment of the definitive rating in a manner that would have affected the rating. For further information please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page for the respective issuer on
www.moodys.com.

Regulatory disclosures contained in this press release apply to the credit rating and, if applicable, the related rating outlook or rating review. Please see www.moodys.com for any updates on changes to the lead rating analyst and to the Moody's legal entity that has issued the rating. Please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com for additional regulatory disclosures for each credit rating.

Ricardo Nuno, 34, Fillmore, Ca

Earlier this month, Sheriff's detectives obtained information indicating illegal fireworks were being sold by (S) Ricardo Nuno from his residence at 900 block of Ortega Street, Fillmore. Detectives conducted an investigation and believed Nuno was in possession of a large quantity of fireworks that are illegal in California.

On June 28th, detectives served a search warrant at the location and seized approximately 800 pounds of illegal fireworks. These fireworks were found throughout the residence, including the garage and a bedroom shared with two minor children, and posed a significant threat of injury and fire, not only to the suspect's family, but to the public, as well. It was also determined that Nuno was manufacturing his own explosive devices, which posed a significant threat of injury or death to Nuno and/or his family.

(S) Nuno, who was not present at the time of the service of the search warrant, but was located at his work and arrested. He was booked into the Pre-Trial Detention Facility on the following charges:
Health and Safety Code Section 12305 / Felony possession of an explosive
Health and Safety Code Section 12677 / Misdemeanor possession of illegal fireworks
Penal Code Section 18720 / Felony Possession of materials with intent to make a destructive device
Penal Code Section 273a(a) / Felony Child Endangerment

Nuno’s bail was set at $100,000 and his next court date is July 2nd, 2018.

'Safe and Sane' fireworks, bearing the seal of the State Fire Marshal, can be legally sold, possessed, and enjoyed in the city of Fillmore between 12:00 PM, June 28th, and 12:00 PM, July 5th. All other fireworks, including altered 'Safe and Sane' fireworks and fireworks that explode and/or launch into the air, are illegal in Fillmore and throughout the state.

Violators may be cited for violating the city municipal code and subject to a $1,000.00 fine, or they may be arrested for more serious crimes. If you witness any illegal activity, please call the Fillmore Police Department at 805-524-2233 or, if there's an immediate threat to life or property, 9-1-1.

Below are several safety tips to ensure you and your family enjoy a safe Independence Day celebration:
- If you witness a crime or fire in progress involving illegal fireworks, call your local authorities by dialing 9-1-1.
- Only 'Safe and Sane' fireworks bearing the seal of the State Fire Marshal are legal in the city of Fillmore. All other fireworks, including altered Safe and Sane fireworks and those that explode or leave the ground, are illegal.
- Kids should not play with fireworks. Fireworks are intended for use by adults in open spaces with plenty of active supervision for every child present.
- Always have a bucket of water on hand to dispose of fireworks and a hose connected to water ready in case of fire.
- Do not place fireworks in trash containers.
- Fireworks, including sparklers and flares, can cause serious burns as well as blast injuries that can permanently impair vision and hearing. Teach your children what to do if their clothing catches on fire-'stop, drop and roll'-and how to call 9-1-1 in an emergency.

Prepared by: Sergeant Mike Harris
Approved by: Captain Todd Inglis