Oh Say Can You See Getting Up at Dawn for July 4 Fireworks?

If the Santa Monica City Council’s plan to hold its Fourth of July fireworks show “by the dawn’s early light” is a failure, it will be a success because the council is hoping only a few people will come.

The city-sponsored fireworks show, held every Independence Day night since 1961, has been attracting larger and larger crowds--characterized by more and more violence--for a decade.

Last year, Police Chief James F. Keane said, his 150-member police force was overwhelmed by an estimated 500,000 spectators. There were about 200 fights and a 16-year-old boy was killed.

As a result, police and fire officials have repeatedly urged the council to ban the city’s evening fireworks display or replace it with a celebration that will attract fewer people. So on Tuesday night, the council voted to hold this year’s festivities at dawn, a time of day council members said they hope will prove unpopular with the rowdies.

The morning show, dubbed “By the Dawn’s Early Light” after the opening refrains of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” will be held on the beach just north of the Santa Monica Pier.

“In my mind,” Councilman Alan Katz said, “this is a continuation of the tradition of Fourth of July fireworks.”

But Councilman William H. Jennings wasn’t so sure in casting the only negative vote.

“What is the sense of throwing a party if no one will come?” he asked. “We should have some event specifically designed for Santa Monicans that they are going to go to.”

Councilwoman Christine E. Reed said she hoped that “hard-core patriots will in fact get up” early and go to the show.

“I think there is a certain compelling interest in trying this once,” she said.

Councilman Dennis Zane described the early morning plan as “clever, exciting, interesting and off the wall,” and voted for it after he was told that police and fire officials favored the plan.

Before the meeting, Zane and Jennings had both admitted misgivings, expressing the fear that an early morning show will draw complaints from angry city residents who will be awakened by the exploding fireworks.

But a report to the council stated that the city could use “fireworks which do not entail loud explosive reports” so residents would not be disturbed.

“Evidently when they build fireworks they include a load of explosive to get the big bang when it goes off,” Recreation and Parks Director Don Arnett said before Tuesday’s council meeting. “But they can and do build them without the big bang in them.”

However, Gary Romanio, general manager of Zambelli International Fireworks, the firm that has handled Santa Monica’s shows for the last three years, said, “There is no such thing as a quiet firework.

“You can have a quieter fireworks show but you are still going to have a lot of noise and disturb people,” Romanio said.

Chief Keane said he did not know how many people might attend an early show.

“Somehow,” he said before Tuesday night’s meeting, “I can’t envision that many (spectators) at 5:30 in the morning.”

City ordinances prohibit overnight camping on the beach.

The council also voted to ban private fireworks shows at the beachfront Jonathan and Sand and Sea clubs.