UPDATE: Parks’ plan to discourage fireworks this year – city and port

| Holidays | West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

11:16 AM: The announcement is from Seattle Parks – we’re just mentioning the local fields on the list:

Seattle Parks and Recreation will turn on field lighting on ballfields throughout the city on the evening of Friday, July 3 and Saturday, July 4 to protect the surfaces. The ballfield lights will be turned on at approximately 8:30 p.m. and most will be turned off at either 10 p.m. or 11 p.m., depending on the field.

The lights will be turned on to discourage the use of fireworks. Fireworks are illegal in the city of Seattle and will destroy the artificial turf on the fields or surrounding facilities. The approximate replacement cost for the synthetic surface based on per average full-size field (110,000 square feet) is $1.2 million. All the fields have been renovated in the past several years and benefit field users including players of soccer, football, baseball, Ultimate Frisbee, and lacrosse.

The fields will be monitored by security from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. Lights at the following fields will be turned off at 11 p.m.:

Delridge Playfield, 4458 Delridge Way SW
Hiawatha Playfield, 2700 California Ave. SW
Walt Hundley Playfield, 6920 34th Avenue SW
West Seattle Stadium, 4432 35th Ave. SW

4:11 PM: The Port of Seattle has a plan too – received from spokesperson Peter McGraw: “Port police will be closing T105, T107, and Jack Block Parks around 3 p.m. this Saturday to prevent possible property damage related to firework use. The parks will reopen on Sunday morning.”

Eric1 July 2, 2020 (11:59 am)

LOL. Good luck with that. Too many idiots live in this city. Why someone would spend $$$ to make noise is one thing. But the same morons don’t pick up the litter. I don’t know what would be the imbecile trifecta but maybe someone could help me out?

heartless July 2, 2020 (3:31 pm)

Good point. Maybe drunk driving? Or, in this climate, never wearing masks? Unfortunately we have a lot of options that could round out the moron trifecta…

Bradley July 2, 2020 (12:21 pm)

This will do nothing but make it easier for scofflaws to read the instructions on their fireworks and light their fuses.

WSB July 2, 2020 (12:57 pm)

People say that every year and somehow we’ve escaped major field damage. Could be better, perhaps, but it’s a start. PLEASE, folks, pessimism and defeatism do nothing but make everyone feel bad. Thanks.
- flimflam July 2, 2020 (3:35 pm)
  
  is it really pessimistic to expect the usual “blow stuff up!” 4th of july antics?
  - WSB July 2, 2020 (4:09 pm)
    
    It’s pessimistic to continuously deride any effort to discourage something, which is what I’m referring to. Yeah, maybe it would be great if they left the lights on all night, had guards at every field. Email the city and suggest that. In the meantime, “tis better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness.” Speaking of which, Port parks just announced their precautions and I’m adding that above.

JT July 2, 2020 (12:27 pm)

This is a positive step, and I certainly hope it will help preserve these fields. But, even with security monitoring, turning the lights off at 10:00 or 11:00 may be way too early to accomplish this goal. In my experience, most of the firework use in this area begins after 9:30 when it is dark enough (sunset is at 9:11 on the 4th), and continues well after midnight, sometimes until 1 or 2 in the morning. And it is often latest when the day after the 4th is not a week day.

Anne July 2, 2020 (12:33 pm)

Get that turning lights off at 10 or 11 might be best for neighbors -but might be a bit too early to discourage fireworks.

AMD July 2, 2020 (1:43 pm)

I was about to comment about the time being so early, but I didn’t think about the neighbors. That is a bummer, to live near these fields and have to choose between floodlights in your bedroom window all night or the soundtrack to WWI outside until the wee hours of the morning. Wouldn’t it be great if people could just do the right thing and NOT set off fireworks in the city?

Just wondering July 2, 2020 (12:58 pm)

How about running the water sprinklers!

Darren P July 2, 2020 (1:06 pm)

I wish they would do something like that at Arbor Heights elementary. Lock the gates

WS5 July 2, 2020 (1:10 pm)

They will be setting them off at Madison Middle School field I bet, we hear fireworks from there every year.

anonyme July 2, 2020 (1:19 pm)

This would be a great year to enforce fireworks violations. If the city coffers are really so empty, how about enforcing the law for a change and make a few bucks? Look at it from a practical standpoint for a change! Hand out even a hundred or so $1,000 fines (as allowed by law) and word might get around that setting off bombs illegally isn’t such a great idea after all.

heartless July 2, 2020 (3:33 pm)

I agree completely. This would make so much sense, AND it would get word out that Seattle is taking a stand against fireworks. Good point.

Russ July 2, 2020 (1:54 pm)

In the case of Hiawatha, fireworks enthusiasts will simply cross the street to Lafayette Elementary’s playground, where the school leadership there (and SPS) has no care or concern as to what happens in the playground.

WW Resident July 2, 2020 (2:00 pm)

It’s been relatively quiet this year leading up to the 4th than previous years.

WSB July 2, 2020 (3:18 pm)

Living atop a hill where the sound carries from multiple directions, we’ve noticed that too. Maybe the Julyuary weather.
- waikikigirl July 2, 2020 (3:47 pm)
  
  LOL!!!! Funny how it has went from Juneuary to Julyuary weather, we’ll see what July 5th (official 1st day of Summer in Seattle) holds for us!
- Jill(uary - why not) July 2, 2020 (6:04 pm)
  
  That’s funny, I was going to give it some credit and call it Jularch, but yeah, the bottom line is, it’s cold.
- Ice July 2, 2020 (10:09 pm)
  
  I think it’s because very few people have disposable income right now.
  - Mask wearer July 3, 2020 (10:31 am)
    
    It’s also a rather sobering time, not a celebratory time. We’re in the midst of a pandemic that is not being responded to well in our country. We should focus on staying healthy and safe this holiday. What is freedom without life?

Marsha Conn July 2, 2020 (2:07 pm)

I hope that this year will be different than in previous years. The loud fireworks that go off day and night, regardless of the time, or disrespect for neighbors, disregard for pets, all of whom react negatively towhat others regard as “good fun.” Fireworks are illegal and are to be discouraged. I wish that the police would actually do something this year.

Josiah July 2, 2020 (2:36 pm)

Nice try, but you can’t stop freedom from exploding.

Matt P July 2, 2020 (5:32 pm)

Freedom is respecting your neighbors, especially the veterans who have PTSD from fighting for it and don’t do well with random loud bangs going off around them.

Jim P. July 2, 2020 (3:10 pm)

Since the drunks come out after the bars close, turning the lights off that early isn’t going to do diddly.The high school athletic field near me still had theirs on at 2 AM this morning and that works a lot better.

Mj July 2, 2020 (4:14 pm)

Amazing in these tough times people have $ to literally to burn!

Smittytheclown July 2, 2020 (6:32 pm)

Are you kidding.? With the $600/week federal kicker a lot of people are making MORE then they did while working. $1,250/week! That needs to end, or at the very least be cut in half(to $300) total $950. No incentive.
- Lagartija Nick July 2, 2020 (8:05 pm)
  
  No incentive to what, Smitty? Go out and get a low wage service industry job that doesn’t offer health insurance during a pandemic? Sounds like a stellar idea. You first.
- KBear July 2, 2020 (8:13 pm)
  
  Smitty, the tired old trope of the welfare queen has been debunked again and again. Not everyone is as lazy as you are.