Once the hot dogs and watermelon have been devoured and the hot July sun gives way to a muggy summer’s eve, it’s customary that America’s birthday go out with a few bangs.
Arkadelphia is no exception to the longstanding traditions of July 4th celebrations; in fact, the city is liberal in its regulations regarding fireworks as there are no ordinances on the books prohibiting their use in the city limits.
There are also no rules saying what types of fireworks one can or cannot use. To quote a certain David Spade film, it’s perfectly legal in Arkadelphia to shoot off whistling bungholes, spleen splitters, whisker biscuits, honkey lighters, hoosker do’s, hoosker don’ts, cherry bombs, nipsy daisers (with or without the scooter stick), or even whistling kitty chasers.
Arkadelphia instead relies on a “good neighbor” approach when it comes to shooting fireworks. A prior code, rewritten nearly 10 years ago, only prohibited fireworks within a vaguely defined business district, or generally downtown.
But residents are expected to keep noise levels down during the ordinance-established quiet hours between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. Outside of those hours, fireworks are fair game, said Arkadelphia Police Chief Jason “Shorty” Jackson.
The use of fireworks is still prohibited on city-owned property and public parks, so places like the Youth Sports Complex and Feaster Park are off limits when it comes to lighting the fuse on lady fingers, fuzz buttles, snicker bombs, church burners, finger blasters, gut busters or zippity do das.
Just remember to consider your neighbors and use common sense.
“If a fireworks display is so large as to become a fire hazard or a littering issue on a joining property, we will address it accordingly,” the chief told arkadelphian.com. “Respect your neighbors, supervise children and keep the fireworks contained to your own property.”
Jackson’s advice for pyros would be instead to find a suitable place outside the city to use fireworks — with the property owner’s permission, of course — for better viewing of larger displays without light pollution.
Jackson said APD generally fields about 100 fireworks-related complaints during the weeks around July 4th and New Year’s Eve holidays, and doesn’t expect that to change this year.
To report safety concerns or noise infractions during quiet hours, call APD at 870-246-4545.
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