<p>It happened. Our garbage company is going on strike at midnight. Luckily for us, our garbage was picked up today… We can last 3 weeks because we do not generate much waste, but our recycling bin is pretty full. :(</p>
<p>And we were just informed that our major 4th of July fireworks show is CANCELLED! I’m shopping for tickets to Boston to watch their spectacular display. :(</p>
<p>What else can go wrong in my neck of the woods?</p>
<p>As long as water and sewer still work, you should be okay.</p>
<p>Thank goodness we have a septic system, and our neighbor has a well (or we can collect the plentiful free water coming out of the sky) :D! I’m more upset about the Seattle fireworks than the garbage strike (which will be over in a month or so, max).</p>
<p>I lived through NYC garbage strike in a summer. You can’t beat that one.</p>
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<p>Weren’t you just posting on the Seattle vs SoCal thread about how wonderful Seattle is?
;-)</p>
<p>Is this an April Fools post?</p>
<p>Time to learn to compose. Have you a garbage disposal?</p>
<p>Actually the news is reporting a compromise was reached with the union, averting the strike. Is that not a go?</p>
<p>Where I live, garbage removal is private and we have to pay for it. </p>
<p>Same with water (well).</p>
<p>The Boston fireworks rank as some of the best in my life list. (I was due 7/4 but was born 7/7 so my birthday parties have been at fireworks displays all my life.) The '76 fireworks are number 1. </p>
<p>However, closer to Seattle is Vancouver’s summer celebration in August … if all you want is fireworks.</p>
<p>I’m also a big fan of back-yard fireworks. Do you know anyone who lives in the great big bowl that is Lake Sammamish (with a view of the Lake)? Pretty much every lakeside resident sets off fireworks, it goes on for hours, and it’s zero hassle…</p>
<p>coureur - I’ll take a garbage strike over wildfires any day of the week :)</p>
<p>Nope, it is not an April Fools joke - the garbage collectors looked verrrry serious on TV.</p>
<p>oldfort - yikes!</p>
<p>I just opened my sleepy eyes and read the news. A temporary agreement has been reached. Now, what can be done about the fireworks? They are banned pretty much in every town. I’m not a fan of backyard fireworks - they upset the neighborhood pets.</p>
<p>If the fireworks are a money issue, a private sponsor could step in and pay for them. I’m sure there is a lot of police overtime involved also in the cost.</p>
<p>And we were just informed that our major 4th of July fireworks show is CANCELLED</p>
<p>My mom had a condo on Main Street in Bellevue, we used to park in her garage and spend the day at their strawberry festival & watch the fireworks in the park at night.
THey weren’t bad- it reminded me of when they used to have fireworks at Greenlake.</p>
<p>But I can’t believe with all this city’s wealth ( and kowtowing to some of the area residents- mr Paul Allen are you listening?), that they hadn’t been able to get something together. In a time of so much un & underemployment, a city festival that is low cost/free, shouldn’t be abandoned.</p>
<p>Now* our garbage day is Monday- so they already picked up & we have a tiny can anyway- except paper recycling isn’t until * next week- I see they haven’t yet scheduled the strike, but if they did- would the transfer stations be closed?</p>
<p>I am going to Lilith Fair @ the Gorge for the 3rd & 4th and crossing my fingers that both the line-up will improve & that they will have fireworks!</p>
<p>Someone also had fireworks about 5 days ago over Lake Union, I couldn’t see them, but I could hear them ( and I could occasionally see a reflection)- it went on for about 15 minutes!</p>
<p>( I live in Seattle- north of the ship canal, they definitely were not backyard fireworks)</p>
<p>Certainly, not the worst trategy!</p>
<p>You could live in Rhode Island.</p>
<p>You could live in Rhode Island.</p>
<p>?</p>
<p>Flooding or basketball?</p>
<p>Oldfort, I was working in Manhattan during one lengthy garbage strike. From our office windows, we could see the mounting piles of full garbage bags on the roofs of lower buildings. That’s what the maintenance staff did with all that garbage!</p>
<p>An update:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Garbage workers were offered a new deal including such stuff as $27/hr starting wage for newbie workers… The union is still thinking…</p></li>
<li><p>And our fireworks…</p></li>
</ol>
<p>[Last-minute</a> effort to save fireworks gaining traction](<a href=“http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011504193_fireworks02m.html]Last-minute”>http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011504193_fireworks02m.html)</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>I am so tired of Seattle area residents thinking Paul Allen or Bill Gates should pony up for any little thing that Seattle residents want. Horror of horrors - no fireworks! Why don’t you just ask them to fund the Washington state budget while you’re at it.</p>
<p>And no garbage pick up - New York City has survived garbage strikes - I think Seattle can do just as well! It is a great opportunity to examine what you buy and generate less trash.</p>
<p>And fireworks pollute - the ignition mechanism is gunpowder - we are talking smoke and dust that contain heavy metals, sulfur coal compounds. And you know that pretty green color - it comes from radioactive barium! Blue is produced by copper which contains dioxin. Fireworks contribute to acid rain and contaminate water supplies.</p>
<p>And by the way, Allen contributed $50,000 to the fireworks effort. He made his own fortune through his own efforts and it’s not your money - it’s his!</p>
<p>singersmom - please read the article before attacking Seattle residents. I do not think it said we were waiting for Paul Allen to bail us out. Dave Ross asked everyone to chip in and they did! :)</p>
<p>As far as the garbage strike goes - my biggest upset was due to the fact that our recycle bins and the yard waste (which gets turned into a nce compost) containers would not be picked up becaue guess who picks them up? You guessed it - Waste Management. Sorry to tell you that our household buys things in bulk, uses canvas bags when grocery shopping, packs their lunches into reusable glass pyrex dishes, uses a Brita filter instead of bottled water and so on. The only thing that I will never do - add food waste to my compost bin. Feel free to criticize me for that, but I will not turn it into possum diner. :)</p>
<p>Is the annual fireworks display the biggest polluter out there? Should we cancel every single concert and festival too because the crowds create litter, the stage lights consume electricity, everyone drives their cars to get to the venue contibuting to the raising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, etc.?</p>
<p>emeraldkity4 - But I can’t believe with all this city’s wealth ( and kowtowing to some of the area residents- mr Paul Allen are you listening?), that they hadn’t been able to get something together.</p>