Fireworks expert Sykes pops off

This morning's post from Kris Martinsek tries to bring some perspective and history to the current Summerfest furor, which seems to be over fireworks but is really about the public's right to access the lakefront and state park.

Martinsek has the credentials to write knowledgeably about the issue. She's a past general manager of Summerfest, a member of the Harbor Commission which leases the festival grounds to Summerfest, and the owner of a firm that has produced some events with fireworks.

To Republican radio's Charlie Sykes, who is in his full-bore "Summerfest good, DNR bad" rampage, Martinsek is "a hack."

Sykes, of course, knows something about fireworks, too. I thought it might be a touchy subject for him, knowing that anyone who bothered to Google Charlie Sykes and fireworks, or enter his name and fireworks in the Journal Sentinel search bar, would discover his fireworks credentials.

So I'll give him credit for standing up for what's wrong, even at some personal risk.

Which disproves the old adage that people who live in ammunition dumps shouldn't shoot off fireworks.