A Fourth on the Waterfront

It’s too bad Huntington Beach can’t move its holiday fireworks back to the waterfront where they were until the 1970s, now that redevelopment is progressing and the unruliness of the mid-1990s fades in memory. But with some patience, it may happen yet, and the city should consider it for 2004, the 100th anniversary of city celebrations.

It’s hard to second-guess the city leadership for this season, given the trouble the city has had with rowdy Fourths of July. The City Council by a 4-1 vote recently decided against restoring the downtown waterfront fireworks enjoyed during a simpler time in city history.

A succession of unruly holidays taxed the resources and patience of law enforcement officials and gave the city a bad holiday reputation. Outbreaks of violence forced police to increase their presence on a day intended for enjoyment.

To the city’s credit, collaborative efforts in recent years by police, City Council members, community groups and others resulted in better times on the Fourth. Meanwhile, the face of the downtown has changed, as redevelopment brightened the shabby face of the zone around the pier and created a better environment for locals and tourists. It’s a far cry from the days when the city was sealing off downtown and making hundreds of arrests for possession of alcohol in public. The city understandably does not want to return to the bad-old days of firecrackers used as missiles and attacks on cars.

The city’s concern that the community may not be ready for a return to the waterfront Fourth celebration is supported also by the challenge of handling a huge influx of people downtown for the fireworks. When more of the redevelopment is complete, it may be possible to handle such a crowd. Now, it is easier to contain things at a football stadium, and there isn’t the big cost of a special downtown police presence.

The Fourth of July Executive Board, which evaluated the changing landscape, hoped this year to bring the fireworks back downtown. It should be encouraged to try again, because it would be nice to accommodate more people and do so along the waterfront. The time is not right now, but that day may come yet.