Celebrating the Fourth…safely
…Hope everyone has a happy – and safe – Fourth of July! I am expecting my Independence Day to be very laid-back, as I plan to enjoy the good company of a few friends and family members with a little cookout at our house. There will be no fireworks, though the closest we may come to any type of fire will be when I accidentally fire up the burners a little too high on our gas grill. (Every year I do this, and every year my wife calmly takes over the duties of grill master and chef, thus ensuring the safety of everyone present.)
So, I am expecting the 4th of July to be once again an uneventful holiday. But it will be nice to just sit back, enjoy the warm weather and have casual conversations with loved ones, with no pyrotechnics or insane “fun” activities that usually end up with me paying a visit to the emergency room. (On previous July 4th get-togethers, I seriously injured myself playing a “friendly” game of football, sliding down a homemade “Slip N Slide,” and even trying to make S’Mores over an open flame. I’m sure my medical insurance company will be very relieved to hear that I played it safe this year.)
As far as firecrackers and fireworks are concerned, forget it. With my track record of holiday-related injuries, I don’t think it would ever be a good idea to play with explosives. I remember when I was a kid and a small firecracker blew up in my hand, and it wasn’t a very fun feeling.
And it isn’t just me that has suffered mishaps with the darned things. A study by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) shows that 200 people on average go the emergency room every day with fireworks-related injuries in the month around the July 4th holiday.
And speaking of CPSC, the agency issued the following fireworks safety tips that we should all remember on July 4:
n Never allow young children to play with or ignite fireworks.
n Avoid buying fireworks that are packaged in brown paper because this is often a sign that the fireworks were made for professional displays and that they could pose a danger to consumers.
n Always have an adult supervise fireworks activities. Parents don’t realize that young children suffer injuries from sparklers. Sparklers burn at temperatures of about 2,000 degrees – hot enough to melt some metals.
n Never place any part of your body directly over a fireworks device when lighting the fuse. Back up to a safe distance immediately after lighting fireworks.
n Never try to re-light or pick up fireworks that have not ignited fully.
n Never point or throw fireworks at another person.
n Keep a bucket of water or a garden hose handy in case of fire or other mishap.
n Light fireworks one at a time, then move back quickly.
n Never carry fireworks in a pocket or shoot them off in metal or glass containers.
n After fireworks complete their burning, douse the spent device with plenty of water from a bucket or hose before discarding it to prevent a trash fire.
n Make sure fireworks are legal in your area before buying or using them.
Good advice, and I plan on adhering to the suggestions and hosting a quiet, explosive-free – and ultimately, pain-free – July 4 celebration. We here at the Messenger sincerely hope that everyone celebrates this holiday in the same fashion…
…Speaking of July 4, we encourage the community to go to the Fourth of July Celebration that will be held at the Greene County Fairgrounds on Friday, July 4. The Lions Club of Waynesburg will offer its annual Fourth of July activities, including a pancake breakfast, car show, fireworks, the Little Miss Firecracker Pageant, and much more. For more info, call 724-627-5284…
...I was also informed that a very special event is going to be held this holiday weekend, one that I encourage everyone to check out.
The “Rev Up For A Cure” Benefit Car Show, organized by the Mason Dixon Crew of StangAlley.com, will be held on Saturday, July 5 at the Greene Plaza parking lot in Waynesburg, beginning at 10 a.m. The car show will benefit the American Cancer Society and in loving memory of Mason-Dixon Crew member, Cindy Lee Cumpston.
Cindy, who served as a freelance writer for the Messenger, loved her Mustang, which she fondly called “Black Hawk,” and loved participating in events.
The Mason-Dixon Crew is a local group of Mustang enthusiasts who belong to a national web based Mustang Community, StangAlley.com. Members of the Mason-Dixon Crew are very active participants in car shows, parades, cruises, Stang runs and drag races. Last November, Cindy, a Mason-Dixon Crew member, was diagnosed with cancer. When Cindy passed away early this year, the club decided to host a benefit car show in her honor. The club has set a goal of raising at least $1,500 to $2,000 for the American Cancer Society, which will be donated to the Greene County Relay for Life in Cindy’s memory.
The Mason-Dixon Crew is also looking for goodie bag items, stickers, key chains, pens, etc., which will be given to the first 100 cars registered. They are in need of item donations for door prizes and the Chinese Auction.
Registration is $10, and the Mason-Dixon Crew will donate 100 percent of the proceeds of this event to the American Cancer Society.
Food vendors will be available onsite and each vendor will be donating a portion of their proceeds also to the American Cancer Society. Vendors will have a tip jar out, to add to the fundraising.
There are 120 parking spots in the Greene Plaza lot, and the crew is hoping to fill at least 100.
Please join the club in fun and fundraising on July 5, in the memory of Cindy Lee.
For more info, call 724-998-2386…