The Truth About Costco's Fireworks?

The truth is I don't know, nor do I care.

On June 25, I posted a blog to this site, entitled "Costco Selling Fireworks?".  You can read it at the following url:

http://wheaton-md.patch.com/groups/mark-r-adelmans-blog/p/costco-selling...

You can also read the comment (a question) posted by Chester C. as well as my response.  He was asking whether Costco was in fact selling fireworks and I replied that someone from the fire marshal's office had contacted me to say that Costco is selling party poppers, not fireworks.

I don't know what party poppers are (and don't care).  Nor do I care what the difference is between party poppers and fireworks.  The County employee who responded to my blog post (and the Email by which I forwarded it to all of the people mentioned in the blog, so that they would in fact be aware of the "open letter") said: 

"Mr. Adelman, thank you for your recent inquiry to County Executive Ike Leggett regarding the sale of potentially illegal fireworks at Costco. As a result, our Office of the Fire Marshal visited the store and others like it within the county and have confirmed that in fact, Costco Wheaton is selling party poppers, these are legal in Montgomery County.

The packaging leads you to believe that the products are fireworks but again they are just poppers. Additionally I have contacted the Gaithersburg Fire Marshal’s office so they can check out the Gaithersburg Costco store just to be sure they are compliant as well.

Should you have any similar questions, please feel free to contact Assistant Chief Adam Jones, Fire Marshal, at Adam.jones@montgomerycountymd.gov"

I have not included the name of the person who sent the Email to me because he was just doing his job and should not get into any trouble (or become involved in any extended blogosphere controversy) because he was doing his job.

When I forwarded his response to one friend who had told me about what Costco is selling, the response came back:

"Tell him:  Thank you for your response. A package of Costco fireworks were set off at a dinner party we attended last Saturday evening much to the enjoyment of all.  If what we saw were "party poppers" --- well, that is a new definition of fireworks.  They were wonderful.   You should try them."

So I am sort of in the middle here, because not knowing the difference between party poppers and fireworks and not being able to check this out for myself (even if I did care), puts me in a difficult position.  Which is the result of my trying to help some friends.

The friends were, of course, not complaining about the fireworks (or the party poppers, or whatever they are).  They were "venting their spleen" about Costco's proposal to build the mega gas station in Westfield's Wheaton Mall.  [If you don't know about that proposal you can use Google to find various newspaper articles, blogs, and several websites with information.]

While I understand their concern, I cannot actually say that I have a personal interest in the matter.  To be extremely clear, what I mean is that, whether or not the gas station is approved and built will have absolutely NO effect on me personally.  For a variety of reasons, including the fact that, once I learned about the proposal (in 2010) I solved the problem - for myself.  I simply stopped shopping at Westfield, cancelled my membership in Costco, and resolved never again to patronize any Westfield Mall or any Costco store.

And that solved the problem for me, personally, although it has caused me some inconvenience.  But none of that is relevant.

The reason that I posted the previous blog is very simple:  some of my friends and neighbors are very concerned about the gas station.  And, as a civic activist (more or less retired, by not entirely so), it is my felt obligation to speak up for the community in which I live.

The reason I posted the previous blog was to let everyone in any position of authority know that many people are very upset about that gas station and they will continue to be upset, for a very long time.  They have ben collecting information regarding Costco's "transgressions".  And planning when and how to use that information.  Unless the gas station proposal is denied approval, or Costco shows some sense and withdraws the application, the people who are very upset about the gas station will continue to gather information and will begin to use it.  It does not take a large number of people to cause a considerable amount of trouble - and to do so quite legally.  Playing by the rules is actually much easier than skirting the edges of the rules.

If the gas station proposal is eventually denied (or withdrawn), most people who now are so upset will probably "mellow" and "forgive" Westfield and Costco.  Perhaps they will also forgive the various elected officials who supported Westfield and Costco.  But that is hard to predict.

Some of the people who are very upset (probably only a very few) may never cease being upset, even if the gas station is never built.  People have long memories and hold grudges a very long time.  I know one very proper, somewhat elderly woman who has stated that she intends to monitor the water coming out of the storm water outfall pipe (the one that drains the portion of the Mall where the gas station is to be built) at least once a week for the rest of her life!  And report the contents to various government agencies!

I'm not sure how she can do that, but she is a very determined woman, so it would not be wise to doubt her sincerity.

Nor would it be wise to question the sincerity of the various people who have vowed to "punish" Costco, Westfield and/or the various elected (and appointed) county employees who have caused all of this to happen.  That is, who have supported Costco and Westfield in the on-going effort to get approval for the gas station.

One can of course question how many people are actually as upset as that woman.  One can question how long she will feel as she does now.  But there are more than enough people who feel as she does and some of them will feel that way for a very long time.

The consequences of all this, for our County (not to mention Westfield and Costco), are hard to predict.  And this blog is already much too long.  So I will continue this thread in a few days - or perhaps a week or so.  The July 4 holiday is approaching and I want to see some fireworks displays!