Ellinwood may now be the only place in Barton County where fireworks will be welcomed on the Fourth of July. It earned this honor after the County Commission followed the lead of other county cities and voted Monday morning to postpone the use of fireworks until there is relief from the bone-dry conditions plaguing the region.
However, with the passage of the resolution, commissioners assured county residents and fireworks vendors that they are not cancelling Independence Day for good and would eventually set a date to pop firecrackers. The ban will remain in place until Aug. 6, at which time the matter will be revisited.
“The timing of this is very unfortunate,” commissioner John Edmonds said of the patriotic holiday and the ban of one of its most dear traditions. “I hate to rain on that parade.”
But, he said, rain is the issue. “We don’t want to burn down someone’s house or damage a farm.”
 County Attorney Doug Matthews told the commissioners his office would prosecute violators if there was a solid case. The resolution calls for a maximum fine of up to $1,000, a sentence of up to six months in jail or both.
Sheriff Greg Armstrong said his deputies would follow up on complaints and encouraged residents to report any violations they witness.
But, “I feel for those who sell fireworks and the loss of money they are incurring,” said commissioner Kenny Schremmer. For many, this is their summer income, if not a major portion of their annual one.
None the less, “our main objective is the safety of our citizens and property,” said Linda Barnes, who along with her husband Tom have operated T&L Fireworks for 42 years. “This is our income for the whole year, but we want to be behind our people” and support the postponement.
State law only allows fireworks to be sold only from June 27 through July 5. In Barton County, sales must cease at midnight July 4.
This means that on whatever date is selected as firecracker day, no one will be able to sell any more fireworks.
 “I have supported the Fourth of July for years,” said Jim Sekoveck, Hoisington fire chief. “But, this is one of the worst years I’ve seen, if not the worst.”
He spoke in favor of the prohibition. He didn’t want his firefighters out in the heat and, after all, his main goal is fire prevention.
“I’ve always been a big fan of fireworks,” Great Bend farmer Roger Brining said. But, “I never been afraid of the Forth of July before.”
He’s had five wildfires on his land west of town so far and backs the ban.
In passing the resolution, the commission charged County Administrator Richard Boeckman with coordinating with towns in the county to hold the rescheduled Fourth on the same day.
In the meantime, “I just hope people use some restraint and good common sense” when it comes to fireworks, commissioner Jennifer Schartz said.
The commission’s action only covers the unincorporated areas of the county. Communities have to take action ban fireworks on their own, and most have.
“We’re kind of staying neutral,” said Ellinwood Fire Chief Chris Komarek. He supported the county’s resolution, but said Ellinwood has not imposed any restrictions.
“In years past, the Fourth of July has not been a problem,” he said. For a community of 2,000, Ellinwood has a good-sized fire department so there has been no issues with responding to calls.
“We’re not taking any action,” he said. It is, however, illegal to discharge fireworks in the streets and city parks in Ellinwood.
Elsewhere in Barton County, Great Bend, Albert, Olmitz and Hoisington have passed similar resolutions.
In Claflin, city officials couldn’t get a resolution published as a legal notice in their official newspaper (a weekly publication) in time. But, Fire Chief Doug Hubbard (who is also the county’s communications director) said they are urging residents to not discharge fireworks in that city.
In other business, the commission:
• Appointed Gayle Broberg, Great Bend Humane Society, to the Local Emergency Planning Committee and accepted the resignation of Edward Herl from the committee.
LEPCs were established by the Federal Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act of 1986, said Amy Miller, Barton County emergency risk manager. Originally, the LEPC was designed to provide a forum for emergency management agencies, responders, industry and the public to work together to evaluate, understand and communicate chemical hazards in the community and develop appropriate emergency plans in case of accidental release of these chemicals.
However, she said, in recent years, the LEPCs planning efforts have been refocused to include planning for a variety of disasters that may affect the community. Floods, hazardous material spills, wildfires, natural disasters, and even terrorism all constitute real challenges facing community leaders today. Federal and State planners have advocated for development of “All-Hazards” planning, which prepares communities and counties for any disaster; not just those from chemical releases. A part of this planning requires the input of several individual appointees to the Committee.
• Broberg was also appointed to the Great Plains Animal Response Team. This is a collaborative effort among Ellsworth, Barton, Russell, Ellis, Rooks, Trego and Graham counties for providing preparedness education, response, and recovery assistance for emergencies affecting animals. The group was formed by local emergency managers as a means to meet the requirements of the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act of 2006 (PETS Act) which was signed by President Bush on Oct. 6, 2006.
 • Heard reports on the success of the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program in Barton County and the recent Bicycle Rodeo sponsored by the Great Bend Police Department, Central Prairie RC&D, and the Barton County Sheriff’s Office, Health Department and Landfill.