Firework stands open for seasonal business

By Tyler Harbert

Monday, July 2, 2007

While drizzly days aren’t ideal for shooting fireworks, sellers said they expect large crowds to buy Fourth of July novelties over the next three days because wet grounds are safer to use as launching pads than the usual dry grounds during the holiday.

“It should make it a good year for fireworks because there’s less hazard of fire,” said Jim Pine, owner of Pine’s Fireworks, located north of town at the teepee, off Highway 59 near Lawrence Municipal Airport.

The Pine brothers, Jim, Marvin and Jerry, and their father, Howard, have operated the fireworks stand for 60 years, but Jim Pine said this will be the tent’s final year because none of the brothers’ children want to continue running the business.

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Photo by Jon Goering

Kelly Campbell, Eudora resident, rings up fireworks for Madison Furden, 4, and her grandmother, Judi Mahaley, of Lawrence. Campbell is an employee at the Bartz Brothers Fireworks tent at the corner of 6th Street and K-10.

Pine said he had $5,000 invested in the business, which paid for the land, the tent, a fireworks sales permit and a credit card system. He said the money doesn’t include what he paid for the Crazy Daizys, the Knockout Brocades and all the other fireworks he bought from Walden Company Fireworks in Greenwood, Mo.

For the first time in Douglas County, fireworks could be sold beginning July 1, giving stands an extra day of business.

Pine was surprised at the number of people who came out to buy the novelties on Sunday.

“I didn’t think we’d have hardly anybody but we haven’t done too bad so far,” Pine said.

Judy Stone, administrative officer for Douglas County zoning and codes, said although tent operators have one extra day to sell this year, the same regulations — such as selling and shooting fireworks only outside of Lawrence city limits and only on private property — were still in effect. She said 17 sellers received fireworks permits this year.

One of those permits was issued to Gary Bartz, owner of Bartz Brothers Fireworks, located on West 6th Street, near the K-10 exit.

He said business was slow Sunday morning, but he expected sales to be up later in the day if the cloud cover lifted. He said fireworks shooters wouldn’t have to worry about where they light their fuses this year because of the wet grounds.

Bartz has operated his tent at the same spot for four years, and said he was preparing for his busiest day, July 4, by stocking up on employees and an extra cash register.

His favorite fireworks are artillery shells, which are balls that when loaded into a narrow shooter cylinder explode high in the air and produce a colorful array of sparks.

“I’m a lazy fireworks shooter,” Bartz said. “I always let the kids do it.”

He said he was hoping he could sell a $650 box of Black Cat brand fireworks that filled a seven-feet tall box called “The Godfather.” If the ground stays wet it shouldn’t be a problem, he said.

“I’ve got a guy whose mouth is watering over it,” Bartz said.

— Edited by Ben Smith

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