Do you have everything you need for this year's race?  Electrical tape, glue(s), something to cut with?  You might want to look in your gear boxes to make sure it is all there.

We received an ad in the mail today for fireworks and it noted that Piccolo Petes were not available in all areas.  It might be a good idea to seek them out and purchase them early - instead of waiting to the last minute. You might not be able to find any!  This year they will be selling a box of 6 for $5 (in our area).  

Fireworks go on sale tomorrow (6/30/2012) in Buena Park at 10:00 a.m.

4th of July Thoughts from Overseas

My nephew, James Luna of Anaheim was recently called to serve as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Scotland/Ireland Mission. I recently asked him to share his feelings on being away from home over the 4th of July holiday. This is his response:

“Being away from the USA for the 4th of July is really interesting. One of the things which you really come to appreciate here in the field is your home. I have become ridiculously patriotic since I came out here. I love my country and it means so much to me. I truly feel like I have been privileged to grow up in the best country in the world! (In my opinion at least.) A place where we can experience freedom, equality, and peace. While I won't be there in person this year to celebrate the freedom of our country, my heart cries out the national anthem and all the fantastic songs that represent our country. I don't think we really realize how much our country means to us until we are far from it. I love my country and am proud to represent America, our family, and our church as I serve the people here in Scotland and Ireland.”

Mormon missionaries serve for 2 years, at their own expense. This opportunity provides them with valuable experiences in the area of human relations, self-reliance, leadership and service. Not to mention a greater appreciation for home and their country!

Way to go James!

Photo: L-R - James and his companion Elder McFadgin from Canada (near Toronto).

July 4th 2008 Thoughts.....

I grew up in a day when a kid could be a kid, and parents were trusted to watch out for their little ones. If you got hurt, mom or dad would clean you up, wipe your eyes and then tell you not to do that again. The thought of suing a company because you got hurt while playing with their product never crossed their minds. We climbed trees, rode our bikes in the street - with no helmets, we rode in the back of station wagons and trucks - with no seat belt and on the 4th of July we were handed sizzling metal rods, with which we wrote our names in the night sky. It was magical.

Many of the fun things from my childhood have changed. I'm no longer carefree or limber enough to climb trees. When riding a bike you are suppose to wear a helmet. "Click it or Ticket" makes me a seat belt fanatic. But when it comes to the 4th of July, it's still like I remember it. OK, the sparklers aren't as good as they were when I was growing up, but the rest of it is still fun. I LOVE the LOUD pops, and flashing sparks and the SMELL. Call me crazy but I LOVE the smell of fireworks. Especially Piccolo Pete's.

It has been our tradition for 11 years now, to hold the Piccolo Pete 500. The first year, it wasn't actually a race. It was one firework brought back from Oregon. A little car with one Piccolo Pete sticking out the back. That's all it took, and the rest is history.

I was a little worried this year about our 4th of July race. Many cities have banned the sell of Piccolo Pete's. I wasn't worried about having enough for 'engines' (we have bought them by the case in years past)... I was worried about the legality of the race. Thank goodness we hold our race in Garden Grove, CA, where fireworks still reign supreme! I'll have to send a thank you note to the City Council.

I do understand that fireworks can be dangerous, but so is drinking and driving. If you are stupid enough to drink and drive, then you probably lack the intelligence to safely handle fireworks. Some people are just stupid, but I don't think we all are. So why do our city governments want to punish all of us? Come to think of it, alcohol is more dangerous than fireworks, why not ban beer? Oh yeah, it has to do with money. The root of all evil isn't it? I guess fireworks don't generate enough money to make a difference to city governments (alcohol sales are a different story).

And while I'm on my soapbox, lets talk about parents. If society has a problem with minors - why don't they talk to the parents? Everything starts in the home.

But I digress....how did this start? Oh yeah, I had a great childhood. And today, thanks to Garden Grove, I was able to relive a little of it.

2006 PPRA Newsletter