Fireworks concern Norway resident

NORWAY —  A Pikes Hill resident at the June 21 selectmen meeting said that fireworks have been disruptive in the area which she lives and other areas throughout the town. 

"It's just non-stop," said Trina Cray, who is concerned that the fireworks are going off everyday and late into the night. Cray was also concerned for her mother, who has dialysis and is kept awake at night because of the noise.

"It sounds like gunshots. One night, I was laying in bed and thought there was a war going off outside," she said. "It's very disruptive."

Selectmen said that unless complaints of fireworks are documented, the town has little authority to take care of noise and other fireworks-related issues. 

"If people have concerns, they need to call and complain," said Selectwoman Irene Millett. "We need to have it on record." 

Cray said that her neighborhood, for the most part, has been quiet – until January 1 when fireworks became legal in Maine. 

She said she was also concerned about the dangers fireworks pose, including the possibility of fire. "If put in the wrong hands, someone is going to get hurt," she said. 

One of the reasons she lives in Norway, she said, is because it's peaceful. "We don't live here because we want to hear noise like you would in a city." Not to mention, it's disruptive to her animals. "It's just not necessary," she said. 

According to Cray, fireworks should only be used for celebrations, like the Fourth of July or New Years Eve. 

Since fireworks became legal, it has prompted some towns to draw up ordinances banning their use in town, or at least in certain parts.

According to Norway Police Chief Robert Federico, fireworks previously were only a problem in the lakes area and North Norway – but with the new law legalizing their sales, they are also becoming a problem downtown. 

Federico said that he has already had 12 fireworks complaints this year, and only one of them after 10 p.m.

Last year he had three, he said. 

In order to regulate use of fireworks, Federico and Norway Police Sergeant Jim Ventresca said they are doing the best they can to educate the public about the new law, which says that fireworks can't be set off from anybody else's property without the landowner's permission. 

Fireworks are allowed only between the hours of 9 a.m. and 10 p.m., said Federico, except for July 4 and December 31 when they can be used from 9 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. 

This year, because July 4 is on a Wednesday, hours will be extended to 12:30 a.m. the weekend before and the weekend after July 4. 

If enough complaints from residents are logged, the board will consider taking action.