Norfolk will see 10-day firework period for July 4th

NORFOLK, Neb. -- Another call for a shorter fireworks period in Nebraska has gone up in smoke.
The Norfolk City Council, Monday, approved an ordinance keeping the city's fireworks period at 10 days.
The vote was five-to-three.
The initial proposal that emerged was to shorten the city's fireworks period from 10 to seven days, an idea that blew up among fireworks vendors in Norfolk, who said a shorter period takes money out of their pockets.
"I want to know, and I want to understand what the benefits of changing this is," said Don Wisnieski, President of Big Bang Boom. "There's not one of you guys that...couldn't admit that you waited and waited all year long to buy those fireworks when the Fourth of July came around. And, $2 bought you quite a bit of stuff, so let's not take that away from anybody."
But there were residents who raised concerns about 10 days worth of nightly explosions, including Vietnam war veteran, who said fireworks can be traumatizing for those who've been through active combat.
"There's a lot of guys that are veterans going to their basements so they can't hear it," said Walt Haberman, Vietnam Vet. "They don't like it. We don't need 10 days. Two, three days is enough time. Period. We don't need to have all that. All you're doing is talking about is money, money. Well, what about the vets?"
The council did compromise on a shorter daily time period, ordering fireworks to stop each night at 10 p.m. as opposed to 11. That motion was passed six-to-two.
Fireworks discussion has lit up city councils all over the state, a push to shorten Beatrice's time period by a day failed, while the alliance City Council re-extended their firework timeframe this past May, after shortening it just last year.