Gapers Block published from April 22, 2003 to Jan. 1, 2016. The site will remain up in archive form. Please visit Third Coast Review, a new site by several GB alumni.
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Saturday, April 20
After hearing testimony yesterday from a mother whose child was injured by an accident with sparklers, the Chicago City Council is considering banning sparklers from Chicago, leaving just the following fireworks legal in Illinois: snake/glow worm pellets; smoke devices; trick noisemakers; and plastic or paper caps for toy guns. The ban, if enacted, would go into effect AFTER this year's Fourth of July, so start buying up those sparklers for this year!