Here are fireworks coupons for all of our locations. Please note they’re good through 4th of July 2009:
This entry was posted on Monday, December 29th, 2008 at 7:22 pm and is filed under Specials and Ads. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
We have some specials just for our customers at Harlingen, McAllen and Brownsville stores and stands.
Please note these are good through 1/1/09 Midnight. Please also note that our competitor’s online coupons expired on Dec 25th!
This entry was posted on Monday, December 29th, 2008 at 5:54 pm and is filed under Specials and Ads. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Here’s the newspapers we’re advertising in this season:
Note all advertisements are Full-Run plus rack/street sales. So, you can find them in racks or in the home deliveries.
This entry was posted on Saturday, December 27th, 2008 at 6:40 pm and is filed under Specials and Ads. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
In another indication that Texas fireworks laws need to be fixed, Medina County (just west of San Antonio) managed to close fireworks stands, then allow them to open, then close them again.
To explain, the curent law allows counties to declare a “disaster” around dryness and prohibit combustibles for up to 60 hours with regards to fireworks. Of course, fireworks “combust,” so they’re considered in this category. Any extension of this power must be done by the governor. (Sadly, this law was put in at the suggestion of a fireworks industry lobbyist in 2006!)
Medina declared their disaster on Friday, December the 19th. The 60 hours expired on Sunday afternoon. At that point, the county told fireworks sellers they could open their stores/stands. The caveat was that the paperwork was in the governor’s office and hadn’t been approved yet.
Three more days pass of back and forth between Medina and the governor’s office. Medina hadn’t submitted the correct paperwork and the governor’s staff was a skeleton crew. Late Wednesday afternoon, the governor’s office extended the ban and fireworks were prohibited for the season.
We’re working to get our laws fixed this Spring especially as counties here continue to demonstrate their inability to deal with fireworks in a responsible and timely manner. We need a “recipe” dealing with droughts that takes all subjectivity out of the hands of county judges that no nothing about fireworks and fire danger.
This entry was posted on Saturday, December 27th, 2008 at 5:43 pm and is filed under Legal. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
We’re getting famous! The World’s Largest Firecracker located at our store in Amargosa Valley, NV (40 miles from Pahrump, NV and 80 miles from N Las Vegas, NV) is featured on the roadside america website of cool oddities:
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/19447
This entry was posted on Monday, December 22nd, 2008 at 2:59 pm and is filed under Freakin' Cool. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
December 20th is the first day for fireworks sales in Texas each New Year’s Eve season. For those of our stores and stands not affected by drought, we’re able to start selling today.
For Dallas area fireworks customers, we’ll open up on 12/26.
For Houston area fireworks customers, we’ll open up on Monday, 12/29/08.
For Rio Grande Valley fireworks customers, we’re open now except for McAllen Jackson Rd that opens on the 23rd.
For San Antonio Area fireworks customers, many locations are closed due to the drought. Check the map for locations that are open this season in the area.
For Corpus Christi fireworks customers, we’re open today at the I 37 Megastore and other locations will start opening Monday 12/22/08.
For Victoria fireworks customers, we’re open today at the Hwy 59N Megastore and other locations start opening today through Christmas day.
All Megastores are open now except for North Texas stores, which will open the day after Christmas.
For all other areas, we’re opening this weekend through next week.
This entry was posted on Saturday, December 20th, 2008 at 3:09 pm and is filed under Fireworks. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Our store manager, Scott, sent along some new photos of our store just over the Georgia state line…
Before:
After:
Now that looks like a fireworks store!
This entry was posted on Thursday, December 18th, 2008 at 10:44 am and is filed under New Stores. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Today, we sued Bexar county for disaster relief for our operators and non-profits. Here’s the press release.
RELEASE DATE: December 17, 2008
FIREWORKS SELLERS SUE BEXAR COUNTY FOR DISASTER RELIEF
SUIT REQUESTS AID FOR THE GROUPS, NON-PROFITS AND FAMILIES THAT FUNDRAISE THROUGH FIREWORKS
Alamo Fireworks Inc. has filed a lawsuit against Bexar County on behalf of the nearly 1,500 churches, individuals, non-profits and families that rely upon fireworks sales for their fundraising and livelihood. The suit asks for a judgment for disaster aid in an amount over $400,000, which is the amount fireworks sales generate for the Bexar community each New Year’s holiday. Alamo Fireworks is not asking for any aid for its for-profit business.
On December 10th, County Judge Nelson Wolff declared Bexar County a “disaster area” under Texas Code Ch 418.108. This law that was intended for government to cope with sudden events such as floods or terrorist attacks but has recently been applied to dry conditions. This disaster only targets fireworks and no other flammable products were banned or restricted.
“We owe it to these groups and families to get them some help,” said Michael Girdley, President of Alamo Fireworks, Inc. “The county has a legal and moral obligation under the law to aid disaster victims. As county leaders embraced people from Houston and Louisiana during the recent storms, they should help the people that actually live here.”
Fireworks vendors are still willing to work with county officials to develop plans that mimic those that have successfully managed extremely dry conditions and fireworks sales in higher fire danger states like California and New Mexico. Alamo plans to pursue litigation against all counties that refuse to help these disaster victims.
Alamo Fireworks Inc., is a family owned and operated business based in San Antonio, Texas. The company partners with numerous civic and non-profit groups each season, raising funds for their particular cause.
www.alamofireworks.com / ph 210-667-1106
This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 17th, 2008 at 3:52 pm and is filed under Legal. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
After multiple meetings starting in late November and an agreement with Guadalupe county (Seguin, TX) that they would implement a Safe Area plan for fireworks sales and use, the county reneged on the deal late this afternoon of the 16th. That is a short 3 days prior to our opening.
Other vendors had spent multiple thousands of dollars and many hours of time on acquiring safe shooting sites for the county’s residents. That money is now a waste as the County Judge and emergency management coordinator went back on the deal.
Dan Kinsey had encouraged other fireworks people to stay away from this county meeting. Guess it was a mistake. Here is the notification email (clearly, fireworks vendors are a third kind of stone cutter…;-D)
— On Tue, 12/16/08, Dan Kinsey <dkinsey@co.guadalupe.tx.us> wrote:
From: Dan Kinsey <dkinsey@co.guadalupe.tx.us>
Subject: Guadalupe County Fireworks Safe Areas
To: <fireworks vendors>
Date: Tuesday, December 16, 2008, 9:55 PMAs you know the Fireworks Ban / Disaster Declaration was on the Commissioners Court Agenda this morning as a discussion item so that the Commissioners and other officials could express their views and the sentiments of their constituents. All four Commissioners were against the implementation of safe areas and supported a total ban on fireworks. The County Sheriff also spoke out against the safe areas and in favor of a total ban. Many of the Fire Chiefs also spoke out in favor of a total ban. The general sentiment was that the safe zone concept was a worthy idea but everyone felt given the potential influx of fireworks users Bexar, Comal, and other counties with a total fireworks ban now was not the time to try the safe zone idea and hope it worked.
While both the County Judge and myself remain in favor of trying safe zones, given the unanimous support for a total fireworks ban by every other County Official the Judge will issue a Disaster Declaration with a total ban on fireworks tomorrow. We appreciate your efforts and hope the situation turns out more favorable during future fireworks seasons.
Daniel Kinsey, CFM
Emergency Management Coordinator
Guadalupe County Texas
415 East Donegan
Seguin Texas 78155
(830) 303-8856 Office
(830) 401-0998 Fax
(830) 481-3039 Mobile
Dkinsey@co.guadalupe.tx.usTwo stone cutters were asked about their job. The first said, “I cut stones into blocks.” The second replied, “I’m on a team that is building a cathedral” - What kind of stone cutter are you?
This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 16th, 2008 at 11:47 pm and is filed under Legal, Locations. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
North Branch Construction has been moving along right on time with our new store construction. Here are some progress photos.
The forms for the footings of the building:
The water line from the road:
The poured footings:
Hoe ram used to break up the granite:
This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 16th, 2008 at 9:36 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.