Results tagged “fourthofjuly”

       

We may have spent the evening watching fireworks go off all along the horizon, in the streets, on the hills, and from major venues in Los Angeles, and we may have fallen asleep to the not-so-dulcet sounds of neighbors snap-crackle-popping their own stash of illegal fireworks into the wee hours, but we also woke up to a few great photos posted online from last night's many fireworks displays.

If you happen to live within seven miles of where you find yourself too inebriated to drive home today, you can take advantage of The Automobile Club of Southern California's Tipsy Tow service. AAA is offering "free towing in an attempt to keep drunken drivers off the road during the Fourth of July weekend," explains the Daily Breeze. "The Tipsy Tow program will be available to intoxicated drivers through midnight tonight in the 13 Southern California counties served by the Auto Club." If you're in need of a ride (or you are taking the keys out of a tipsy driver's hands) call 1-800- 400-4AAA (1-800-400-4222) and ask for a Tipsy Tow, and a tow truck will haul your car and your drunk ass (not passengers) home (within 7 miles).

What's that saying? You can't swing a dead cat without (in today's case) hitting some sort of 4th of July celebration. Yeah, that's pretty much how it is. If you are looking for something to do, there are a few events you might want to look into, or, grab your loved ones and head out to where the fireworks are legit.

View 4th of July 2009: Fireworks in a larger map

This weekend's Fourth of July holiday and the many celebrations taking place all over Los Angeles means that it's time to remind the non-professional pyrotech-ies that fireworks are, in fact, not only illegal, but also dangerous. The Daily News quotes County Fire Captain Mike Brown, who says: "The use of fireworks not only can cause fires, but can result in severe injuries and burns if not used properly."

Fourth of July celebrates the signing of the Declaration of Independence. But today, 221 years ago back in 1787, the Constitution was signed (read the full text here). We don't really celebrate it, but "it was only four years ago that Congress passed a law mandating the celebration of Constitution Day, at least by schools and federal agencies," said the San Francico Chronicle, who has a fun little quiz about the Constitution. One relevant question to California: "If a gay couple married under the laws of California moves to Kansas where gay marriage is not recognized as legal," then...

Yesterday's wildfire in Malibu charred 25 acres before LA County Firefighters were able to full contain it at 8:14 p.m. The fire, which started at 3:27 p.m. in a mobile home park near Las Virgenes Street and Las Virgenes Canyon Road, was knocked down but had quickly spread to nearby brush, prompting more than 200 campers at Malibu Creek State Park to evacuate as a precautionary measure. It also threatened King Gillette Ranch and a Hindu Temple.

      

The Flag ceremony at the Van Nuys Civic Center is enough to bring tears to your eyes.

The use of fireworks and explosives are prohibited in the City of Los Angeles, but that doesn't stop people. The city estimates illegal fireworks caused a total of over $380,000 in property damages in 2007. Eeek!

The Hammer museum kicks off it's I Also Like To Rock series in their courtyard tonight with Nico Vega and The Growlers. And for tomorrow night, there are still some quality shows (check before heading out, holiday shows tend to get canceled).

With gas prices high (Los Angeles average is currently $4.597 for regular), the Auto Club is predicting less people traveling this holiday season. 3.029 million Southern Californians to be exact, which is about 1% or around 30,000 people less than previous years. The majority (80%) will travel by car the rest by air.