Light it up

Recent graduate Grant Wishon is managing sales at the new Iowa Fireworks Company tent set up across from Playa Margaritas Mexican Restaurant on West McLane Street/Highway 34.

“This is just the fourth day,” said Wishon. “It’s been kind of slow, but really it’s been better than expected.”

Helping Wishon are a handful of friends-turned-employees — Justin Adams, Gabe Crawford and Nathan Bair — and his mom and dad, Ronda and Randy. Customers have been growing ever since the tent opened.

“A lot of people have been coming in looking for the bigger stuff. They’ve been looking for like certain brainds they’ve been getting in Missouri for a long time,” said Wishon. “Like Excalibur, which is something we’ll be getting in a shipment today.”

Strangely enough, the most popular items for now are small fireworks that have been legal in Iowa for ages – sparklers, snaps and other affordable, familiar products.

Changing laws

May 9, then-Goveernor Terry Branstad legalized the sale and use of fireworks in Iowa for the first time in 85 years. According to back issues of the Osceola Sentinel and Osceola Tribune, a large fire in Spencer in 1931 stirred up panic across the state.

A store’s poorly protected display was accidentally sparked, leading to an eruption responsible for burning down 10 city blocks and changing the landscape – figurately and economically – forever. Nearly every store in town was lost. By July 21, 1931, the Iowa State Fire Prevention Association (ISFPA) had been created to go from town to town in support of local ordinances preventing the sale or use of fireworks.

The state fire marshall attended a special session of the city council in mid-December. Law enforcement, medical professionals and insurance agents lobbied for the outlawing of anything but novelty items.

“From now on, henceforth and forever, the explosive commonly known as firecrackers, together with all other members of that faily, big and little, are outlaws in Osceola,” read the Osceola Sentinel, Thursday, Dec. 24, 1931.

Unfortunately, despite having nearly every city in Iowa ban the products, the problem persisted. An article in the October 15 edition of the Osceola Sentinel pushed for state regulation to prevent vendors from setting up just outside of city limits. The ISFPA requested a statewide ban that was finally written into law in 1932.

Fast-forward to June 2017, and it’s clear some areas are handling the change in law more reasonably than others.

“The zoning is silent on fireworks,” said City Administrator Ty Wheeler at the City Council meeting June 6, pointing out the Iowa Fireworks Company firework sale tent is a transient merchant like any other by city law.

“It’s going to be interesting to see what happens this year,” said Third Ward City Council Member Dave Walkup. “If we could get some type of report about what types of problems we have, we can look forward.”

“I like that,” said Mayor Thomas Kedley. “We learn from this year. As long as people are going to be safe, I don’t see the problem with celebrating the Fourth of July.”

They’re not the only ones keeping an eye on the future.

“The other thing to waiting and seeing is there are some other jurisdictions that are taking some pretty aggressive measures, and we could see lawsuits later on,” said Wheeler.

Good for business

As for now, the Iowa Fireworks Company tent is open for business — and dedicated to the community.

“In every town we’re in, we give something back,” said Ali Boettcher, communications director.

In Osceola, the tent is giving back five percent of gross sales to Operation Recreation, the non-profit started to help build a recreation center.

“I think it will be really great for the town. I’m a big lover of fitness,” said Wishon. “Before I started working out, I was unhealthily skinny. I was 6’6, maybe 165. I was a twig. I started working out, and since then, I’ve gained like 50 pounds. I’m a lot healthier now.”

For the most part, Fourth of July shoppers have been excited and supportive, and well they should. Any way you look at it, legalizing firework sales in Iowa is good for business — and for consumers.

“People have mentioned on a couple of things, like these bottle rockets here are $6, and they say they’re $3 down in Missouri,” said Wishon. “You’re probably going to spend the same or more driving down to Missouri and back.”