A ban on fireworks

A letter to the City Council.

As I have done a number of times over the years, I read with interest the agenda bill materials for Monday’s Council meeting on this year’s fireworks application.

Based on those materials, I assume this year’s application is likely to be approved, assuming the application is in order, safety precautions are properly in place, fees paid, etc. Assuming there is nothing that can be done this year regarding an overall ban on residential use, I would urge the Council to consider adopting a ban that would be effective before July 4, 2016, since I read in the materials that a 12-month notice period for a ban is required.

I understand this is a sensitive issue, including the fact that some people enjoy residential fireworks and the sale of them is a significant funding source to the applicant organization.

But, I continue to believe, as I’ve said to the Council in the past, that the cons—safety, noise impacts on citizens and their pets, litter (immediate and lingering), city staff time, etc.—outweigh the pros.

Among other things, I noticed in the materials this year the Fire Department’s comment that the more other cities continue to ban fireworks, the more it seems that cities like Mercer Island that do not, attract more use of them from non-Island people.  I also do not believe that the argument against a ban that is raised annually—i.e., if we’re not going to enforce it, why do it?—is a persuasive reason to continue with the status quo.

Last year, Council Member Bertlin told the Council about an incident near her home in which a legal firework fell over and shot out horizontally, hitting a child, and that it was fortunate there happened to be medically-trained neighbors there or it might have resulted in a real tragedy.  At the conclusion of her comments, she revealed that the child was her own child.  Will it take a less favorable outcome from this kind of incident to bring about change on this issue?  I sincerely hope not.

Thank you for your consideration, once again.

Don Cohen

Businesses celebrate Earth Day all year

Here at Cartridge World we celebrate Earth Day year-round sending boxes weekly to companies that take our empties and refill them or use parts for other things. Nothing is wasted. It helps us clear out the clutter.

We are always looking for empties for refilling and encourage our customers to bring their empties in and never ever throw them in the garbage.

It takes hundreds of years for these items to decompose in the garbage dumps. It is amazing how many people tell me they used to just throw them away.

However, many people will bring in loads of empties telling me they didn’t know what to do with them but that it didn’t feel right to just throw them away.

Luckily they learned about us and brought them all in. They feel better and we are happy they are going to be recycled.

We also collect empties from many of the schools for which they receive some compensation for their PTSA or Computer Clubs.

It is all about keeping our neighborhoods, our cities, our state and our planet clean and green. The schools, some of which in our area are Green schools really encourage the students and their parents to bring in empties and we provide boxes for them to collect them at their respective schools.

Today, on Earth Day which is April 22, we are having a “cookie for a cartridge” all day to encourage everyone to come bring in empties.

By the way, we also take printers that residents no longer want. Clean Scapes in Gilman Village also takes those.

Elaine Mintz

Cartridge World, Issaquah

Two Eastside non-profits to recycle electronics

Earth Day is April 22. In honor of Earth Month, two local nonprofits, Seattle’s Friendly Earth and Issaquah’s Eastside Baby Corner, are joining to forces to collect and redistribute or recycle used laptops.

Friendly Earth, whose mission is to keep electronics out of the landfill, will refurbish as many of the laptops as possible and recycle the rest.

Eastside Baby Corner, an organization dedicated to helping children thrive, will work through their social service network to give the refurbished laptops to local school children in need.

The goal for the Laptops for Little Ones Drive is to collect 500 used laptops. Laptops will be accepted in any condition by both organizations—so people on either side of Lake Washington will have easy access to a drop-off site.

Collection times and locations for Eastside Baby Corner can be found at www.babycorner.org/donate-goods/.

For drop-off times at Friendly Earth, please contact Andrew Shute at recycle@friendlyearth.org. Additional collection sites would be greatly appreciated.

Anyone interested in collecting laptops at their place of business should contact Christine White at christinew@babycorner.org.

Also welcome is the donation of software to install on the laptops before they are given to the children.

Eastside Baby Corner

Issaquah