Melanie Austin needs to get a grip. This is a 4th of July show. Quit your complaining and try enjoying the fireworks. HELLOOOO.. It is the 4th of July, our Independance Day. There will be LOTS of noise that night. Get a life. If you don't like it, go away for the weekend. Put ear plugs in. Turn your T.V. up...let people celebrate a day that has been celebrated since the birth of our country. What a communist!

Wow, just when you think you have heard it all. Oh Melanie-are you going to protest Halloween cause the doorbell bothers you or the kids outside are too noisy? Are you going to file a petition to keep New Years revelers pin drop quiet? Maybe you should go up and watch the show and celebrate that you have the freedom to enjoy it. Why on earth would you do this? Outraged is right. Put your time to good use. This is a waste of resources in and of itself. The tax payers have to pay for your ridiculous filing. I am willing to bet the COuntry Club pays for any and all fire service equipment that needs to be there. It is called OVERTIME! GET A LIFE

I'm gonna bet that ole Melanie is the same jerk who whines about the "noisy" church bells. Unreal.

And the fireworks are celebrating what, exactly? Seems to me that Melanie and everyone else not only have the "freedom to enjoy" the fireworks show, we all have the freedom to object as well. And tax payers have to pay for the democratic process? The Horror!

You are right Democracy but who in their right mind files any sort of petition to try and stop a fireworks show (a professional one at that) on the 4th of July? Is she going to protest Apple Pie because she does not like how it smells? If this was a reasonable legitimate petition then I agree. But, this is just simply out of line. This show will not go on all night. It will begin at nightfall and be over with fairly quickly. Melanie Austin needs to re-evaluate her own self. What a horrible thing to do on such a fun happy night. Maybe if she were to get together with fun people at a fun BBQ she would enjoy the fun fireworks that have been a tradition for all of us for all of our lives.

Good news the fireworks show will go on - [Portion removed. See Terms of Use.]

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Melanie has the right to complain. It's one thing to disagree with her, but quite another when your comments are downright offensive. Is this the type of response we Americans should be subjected to when we exercise our rights? Shame on you all; your nastiness is worse than anything she is doing.

Agreed, Marty. There's a basic misunderstanding of democratic principles on display here and it is disheartening, though not surprising.

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Proud American:
"Maybe if she were to get together with fun people at a fun BBQ she would enjoy the fun fireworks that have been a tradition for all of us for all of our lives."

How about this:
She probably CAN'T get together with the "fun people" since, as it states in the article, this is a PRIVATE event open only to members of the country club!

So how about this instead:
Until you hoity-toity lockjaws at that PRIVATE country club open up your EXCLUSIVE grounds to us common folks, we retain the right to complain loud and clear about YOUR fireworks display.

Oh, and by the way, "Proud American": Don't forget to wear your "flag pin" that night or else risk letting people know that you're not REALLY a true American!

Alternative...so what if it is a private club. Anyone is welcome to join. They have put on this show for five years. Now Melanie Austin wants to put a wrinkle in things to try and stop it. Public or Private...that is NOT the issue. It is the 4th of July. Please don't ever question my allegiance to this Country ever again. That was rude and out of line.

Proud American:
"so what if it is a private club"

That's the WHOLE POINT, Mr./Ms. Lockjaw! As a private entity, the country club needs a permit and thus, people can object to the granting of such a permit - so deal with it!

And don't try that weak "anyone can join" argument - it's a COUNTRY CLUB - the "sub-rich" need not apply.

Finally, I love your super-defensive response to the "flag pin" comment - I take it that you won't be voting for Obama this Fall!

As for me, I guess I'll just have to stoop to standing around with the unwashed masses (of all colors and persuasions) at the SF fireworks display (oh, the horror!), with my conspicious lack of a flag pin clearly identifying me as a "Non-Proud American" at the very least, a possible terrorist at the worst (although something tells me that I just might become a Proud American starting on 1-20-09!)

Just an American...it is obvious you are the same person who posted as "alternative view". What...you din't have the courage to post under the same name again? Since you were soooo adament to defend Melanie Austin...bring earplugs to the Noisy Scary fireworks show in SF. No...you are right on one point, I would not vote for Obama if he was the last candidate on the planet. My vote is going to McCain...a respected American who puts his hand on his heart during the National Anthem. You are NOT any kind of patriotic american if you are only starting in 2009. This has always been and will continue to be the greatest country on the planet. Why don't you move to another country for a bit and realize this for yourself. Happy Fourth of July.

Proud American is right. It is obvious that the person posting as "Just an American" is highly envious of anyone more successful than him/her. What a pity. Just enjoy the 4th of July and quit your crying about being poor or average or "sub rich". Quit insulting people who appreciate what this Country is all about. There are people that would give ANYTHING to live as we do....free. Get over your poor man/woman complex and just enjoy the fireworks. I can Guarantee...you can see the fireworks from outside the Country Club facility...Melanie Austin is a real piece of work! I would hate to be her neighbor... [portion removed].

This thread demonstrates how uncomfortably proletariat our city has become. Where are our standards? Our integrity? The problem is not that a country club is presenting a private show (privacy is a Constitutional right!) but that the city of Menlo Park has not taken greater steps to restrict the sorts of people who are allowed to reside within its boundaries.

I propose to submit a petition to the City Council requesting that people who wish to live in Menlo Park be required to meet certain standards pertaining to income, education, assets, religious beliefs, and political affiliation. The very moral fabric that forms the foundation of this community is in danger of becoming shredded because of the radical protestations and liberal perspectives of some of our less desirable residents.

It is time to follow the lead of our neighbors in Sharon Heights before our city becomes irrevocably polluted by opportunistic rabble rousers. By choosing to run the city as if it were a country club, we can achieve a quality of life and tranquility, except on the Fourth of July, that others can only imagine.

I appreciate all the pointed humor on this thread, but some comments and suggestions I find disturbing.

First and foremost, there's been an equating of pride with patriotism, and not feeling proud with being unpatriotic. This is ludicrous. I've not been proud of our government for nearly eight years, but I'm patriotic enough to vote, express my opinions, and actively work for change.

Also, the U.S. is "the greatest country on this planet" only when and if it acts in a noble, just and moral fashion. If anyone wants to make THAT argument, you'd better scare up Rip van Winkle, because he'd be the only one asleep long enough to believe you.

Thanks "Flag Waver" for that very patriotic response! I am glad to see that you are "one of us" and not one of "them." Why don't you drop on by our lttle BBQ on the 4th - just come in the oversized SUV with the "Support Our Troops" sticker on the back and I'll make sure you get a front-row seat for the "All-American" fireworks display!
Just tell the armed guard at the country club gate that Dick Cheney sent you.

I think fireworks are fun, but am very worried about the possibility that the show might cause fires. I saw a news item on Yahoo just now that lightning has now sparked 800 fires across California. I was astounded at that number. Just look at the Google map at the Governor's Office of Emergency Services website and see for yourselves all the places where fires are burning across California. Scary!

Would it be too much to ask that this year we do without fireworks on land --- to eliminate that possibility of causing fires? I wonder how on earth we could have a really fun Fourth celebration with no fireworks, but I suppose it could be done if we try hard enough.

I hope my concerns turn out to be unnecessary. I wish Sharon Heights Country Club very good luck in this celebration so that no fires start as a result of their fireworks show. (I know they will be extra careful about this.)