Mostly clear early followed by cloudy skies overnight. Low near 65F. Winds light and variable..

Mostly clear early followed by cloudy skies overnight. Low near 65F. Winds light and variable.

We know the origin of America’s Fourth of July celebrations goes back to the first Independence Day fireworks display in Philadelphia in 1777. The Pennsylvania Evening Post reported that “the evening was closed with the ring of bells, and at night there was a grand exhibition of fireworks (which began and concluded with 13 rockets) on the Commons, and the city was beautifully illuminated.”

More than 200 years later, we’re still celebrating with fireworks. But this year, the booms and blasts and “oohs and ahhs” will be seen and heard much later than usual.

After the city and county imposed a burn ban over the Fourth of July weekend because of drought conditions, the Bowling Green City Commission has approved on a first reading an ordinance that will create a weekend for residents to expend their explosive arsenals.

Under the commission’s plan, the window to light up the sky will run from Sept. 2-5 – which is Labor Day weekend – from noon to 11 p.m. each day.

“Some people abided by (the burn ban), some people didn’t, but we are proposing to allow some make-up days for those that did follow the burn ban and did follow the law,” City Manager Jeff Meisel said.

It certainly doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize some residents paid no mind to the earlier burn ban and set off their fireworks July 4 – and July 5 and July 6, etc. – with little regard for the potential dangers amid drought conditions, and that’s a real shame. But many residents did follow the law and are still storing sparklers, firecrackers, canister shells and similar items in their garages or sheds.

With these fireworks arsenals spread throughout the city, we think it’s a fair solution that the city is proposing. With the drought easing, the ordinance allows specific times to expend those explosive arsenals, which is basically a “thank you” to those who followed the earlier guidelines.

But an important note: When the Founders set up our new nation, it was established as a nation of laws. And we remain a nation and community of laws that need to be followed.

This local law, once enacted, states clearly that the window to light up the sky will run from Sept. 2-5 from noon to 11 p.m. each day.

That doesn’t mean it’s all right to light up rockets at midnight. That doesn’t mean it’s fine and dandy to explode canister shells at 3 a.m. Your neighbors and anyone within earshot deserve better than that.

So follow the rules. And have a nice Fourth of July celebration – in September.

“Our Opinion” pieces in the Bowling Green Daily News exclusively represent the majority opinion of the newspaper’s editorial board and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints or beliefs of any other Daily News employees.

Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.

Error! There was an error processing your request.

Would you like to receive a digest of each day's headlines & events from The Daily News by email? Signup today!

Would you like to receive a weekly digest of headlines & events from The Amplifier by email? Signup today!

The Daily News is a proud host of community enrichment events.  Join our Daily News Events mailing list to learn about the next event we are planning. Sign up now.

Would you like to receive a digest of each day's headlines & events from The Daily News by email? Signup today!

Would you like to receive a weekly digest of headlines & events from The Amplifier by email? Signup today!

The Daily News is a proud host of community enrichment events.  Join our Daily News Events mailing list to learn about the next event we are planning. Sign up now.

Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.

Check your email for details.

Invalid password or account does not exist

Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.

An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account.

Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.

A receipt was sent to your email.