On Tuesday night, August 11th 2009 in Mason City, Iowa, USA, during the Pyrotechnics Guild International Convention ("Host"), three specially selected Contestants will take the stage after several months of hard work putting together what they believe will be an outstanding display of live fireworks set to music and battle it out to become the first ever IRON PYRO!In order to fairly judge the merits and skills of the Contestants, each will start with the same firework "ingredients" selected and provided by the Event's main Sponsor, SHOGUN PYROTECHNICS. Shells, Mines, Comets, Rockets, and Roman Candles will then be blended with music, chosen and laid out by each Contestant in order to create a six to ten minute Firework Extravaganza.
Port Charge on Fireworks Container Has Been Adjusted since Dec.15
According to the notice published by Beihai Port Container Development Company on Dec.12,2008,fireworks port charge will be adjusted from Dec.15.The loading charge of fireworks container will be raised by 100% based on the original price while storage fee,checking fee and other fees will be adjusted to the same amount accordingly. There is an additional charge of 300yuan a day/container for those containers piling up at the port within 5 days.In principle,containers that have been kept over 5 days will be proposed to arrange port storage,and if there's special reason that the containers have to stay at the port over 6 days,the charge will be 500yuan a day/container from the sixth day. Meanwhile ,the "Notice about Adjusting the Port Charge of Fireworks Containers" which was published on Sep.10,2008 will be abolished.
The entry of fireworks containers to the port still abides by the declaration system.
Netherlands:Dutch 2009 Fireworks Already a Problem
The Netherlands is gearing itself up for New Year's Eve, which people traditionally mark with firework displays. Last year, the Dutch spent between 60 and 65 million euros on fireworks. Despite the economic malaise, they are expected to top that amount this week.
Fireworks went on sale in the Netherlands on Monday. Following the increasingly bad behaviour and vandalism which have marred the last few New Year celebrations, the Dutch authorities have introduced a policy of zero tolerance regarding trouble on New Year's Eve.
It remains to be seen whether the measures, which include harsher sentences for the culprits and stricter rules governing fireworks, will work.
Charged
Fireworks can only be used between 10 a.m. on New Year's Eve and 2 a.m. on New Year's Day, but the police had already received over 200 complaints about the use of firecrackers and the like on Monday. In the city of Utrecht, more than 50 people have already been charged for incidents involving fireworks.
On Monday evening, police stopped four men in a car on the A16 motorway near Rotterdam. It appeared the 19-year-old driver, who was speeding and driving dangerously, had only just got his licence back after an earlier speeding conviction. Police found 54 kilos of illegal and highly explosive fireworks in the car. The men were arrested and the car and fireworks confiscated.
Mortar shells
Earlier on Monday, police also discovered 1500 kilos of illegal fireworks in an industrial building in Giessen, a village east of Rotterdam. The cache included mortar shells weighing one and a half kilos each. At the weekend, 4000 kilos of fireworks, legal in this case, were stolen from business premises in Dokkum, in the northern province of Friesland. The robbers broke through a wall of the building to get to their haul.
Insurers are well aware that accidents occur around New Year's Eve. However, they are warning that damage or injury caused bythe misuse of fireworks, arson or other forms of criminal behaviour will not be covered. The head of the Insurers' Union says: "Insurers will be presenting the bill to people who spoil New Year's Eve".