East Ridge Look to Fireworks for Spark

In less than two months, we'll be celebrating another New Year.  It's the second busiest sales season for fireworks stores and one Hamilton County town wants to get in on the action.

With names like 'Loud and Rowdy' and 'Thunder Down Under' who doesn't have a favorite firework?  "The butterfly one," jokes Larae Waters.  "They've chased my mom before.  I thought it was pretty funny."  Waters and her family look forward to the Fourth of July but she's not crazy about the half hour drive to the nearest store.  So she's excited to hear the news that East Ridge wants one at the intersection off exit one.  City leaders hope it will bring in extra revenue.  "I think it would be a lot better for the people around here rather than having to go all the way out there," Waters adds.

But not everyone is as fired up about the fireworks as Waters.  Jernard Wells says no money can make up for the flashy signs and seasonal traffic.  "Fireworks will pull in a lot of people off the highway but it's only so many times a year that it's in demand," he says, "so the rest of the year it'll really be an eyesore."

But it's not up to either of them.  Instead, it's in lawmakerss hands to decide if East Ridge has the right to sell for fireworks in the first place.  That means the most explosive debate of all will likely be in Nashville.  "I think it would be great," says Waters.  "With all major fireworks stands," says Wells, "you see the big billboards off the highway and you see the big thing saying fireworks.  Is that the impression you want to leave with people coming through here?"

Even if East Ridge is successful and gets a fireworks store it will likely still be illegal to set them off in city limits without a permit.  East Ridge city manager William Whitson says a fireworks store would be just another way to diversify their economy.

There's no set timetable for a decision to be made.