Tybee Celebrated Independence Day on July 3rd
Tybee Island, Ga. – (June 30, 2009) Tybee Island hosted a fireworks display at the Walter J. Parker Pier and Pavilion on July 3rd. Visible from nearly any of Tybee’s eastern beaches, the fireworks were spectacular. The Independence Day Celebrations generate some of the largest crowds of the year on Tybee Island. Traffic in both directions on US Highway 80 – Victory Drive were heavy, and parking spaces were in high demand. Plan early for next year’s celebration.
Tybee Island authorities would like to remind visitors of several important points:
What’s fireworks are legal in Georgia?
Sparklers that have less than 100 grams of explosives; other nonexplosive, non-aerial sparkling items that contain less than 75 grams of explosives; snakes; glow worms and trick noise-makers. Be careful if you buy fireworks across the state line in South Carolina. It is illegal to set off many of those large fireworks in Georgia.
What shouldn’t you do?
Don’t set off banned fireworks in Georgia. Discharging illegal fireworks is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1,000 fine or 12 months in jail. Officials say it’s easy to know what is illegal: Fireworks that shoot into the air or explode are banned. Novelty fireworks – those that work like sparklers – are legal. The fireworks sold in large retail stores are typically legal.
AND REMEMBER: Don’t handle any fireworks once the fuse is lit. All fireworks are meant to be fired from the ground. More than two-thirds of all injuries from fireworks occur during the Independence Day holiday. There are about 7,000 people treated in hospitals annually for fireworks-related injuries. Last year’s event saw a fire emergency when a rocket from the beach took off and set a home on Tybee on fire.
Visitors to Tybee Island are welcome; that’s the sole purpose of the event. However, trash left on the sands hurts the wildlife and damages the environment, even if City of Tybee crews and hundreds of Tybee Beautification Association volunteers spend as much as six hours the morning after the event picking up trash off the beach. Please be considerate of others and of the environment – keep your trash contained and put it in the trash barrels when you leave!
Also please bear in mind that State law also requires vehicles to stop for pedestrians in any marked crosswalk and forbids other cars from even passing cars that are stopped at any crosswalk. There will be many people of all ages walking to and from the beaches for this event. Please drive cautiously and give pedestrians the right of way as required.
While on the beach, please do not disturb any marked nests of endangered sea turtle species! They hold precious cargo, and your extra care would be appreciated by all the volunteers who find and protect them!
Please exercise patience, drive safely and courteously, and leave plenty of time both to arrive on the Island and to return home. Departures off the Island after the fireworks can take a long time, sometimes as much as three hours, so visitors are encouraged to think about staying at one of the hotels or overnight rentals on the Island, staying the night with friends, or, at the very least, car-pooling with a designated driver who gets plenty of rest to stay alert on the roads for the drive home! Local merchants are offering special deals for weekend visitors.
Have a safe and enjoyable Fourth of July Holiday, wherever you choose to celebrate!
Useful Tybee Island links can be found on-line at http://www.cityoftybee.org/Links.aspx
