LETTERS JULY FOURTH EVENT A DANGER TO CITY.

I have been a resident in Palmdale for 15 years and have resided across from Palmdale High School for 12. I am active in our community and have a small home business. My family and I have experienced many firework shows put on by the city each year on the Fourth of July and have watched the area become a dangerous place to be.

It is ironic that on this day that we celebrate the freedom attained by the many brave men and women of our great country that my household does not have the freedom to go elsewhere because our home and property could be destroyed by the chaotic condition of our neighborhood due to the irresponsible Fourth of July event that the city of Palmdale continues in an area of the city where crime, violence and population are growing at an increased rate.

Last year I witnessed a young person get hit by a car on the 1700 block of East Avenue Q-13 and the emergency vehicle was unable to approach due to the illegal parking that occurs by all the people coming to watch the event. This is right across the street from the event. (Solution, first option: Be responsible and cancel the event. Second option: Block the area so people are unable to overwhelm it with vehicles and monitor the area through the entire event with police - keep the area safe.)

Also, last year the vacant lot at Avenue Q-13 and 20th Street East (directly across from the event) was once again filled illegally with cars and people. The people come early and in public are drinking beer, using drugs, and firing legal and illegal fireworks in a dry lot.

Common sense dictates the result - the lot on fire - and again the emergency vehicle was delayed due to the street being blocked because of the out-of-control scenario the city of Palmdale has created and allows.

There are also illegal vendors all over the area. We have a responsibility to those that pay taxes to run their businesses in this city to stop illegal vendors.

In the several calls I made that evening to the Sheriff's Department, my comment to the operator was, ``Listen to this, it is a war zone out here.'' She agreed and indicated that the phone was ringing off the hook - a situation directly created by the dangerous behavior of people around the Palmdale city fireworks display.

This is the same situation all around this dangerous event. The gas station at 25th Street East and Palmdale Boulevard, for example, was attacked by skyrockets being shot directly at the gas station by the people illegally parked in the lot behind it watching the event.

Please be responsible with this serious and dangerous problem and realize that this is not the city it was 10 years ago. Palmdale High School no longer is a venue that can support this type of event in what now is a highly populated area. The Sheriff's Department confirms they don't have enough manpower to properly secure the city from all of the dangerous behavior taking place due to the city's Fourth of July event and all forms of fireworks.

At the very least, please be responsible on delivering an event that is safe and can be enjoyed, not only by those who come, leave and have nothing at stake, but also those who spend the fifth of July cleaning up all the havoc and trash left behind.

Earl Boka

Palmdale