Four ‘Safe and Sane’ fireworks booths open for business Wednesday, June 28 around the community and can sell the traditional holiday colorful noisemakers until midnight on Tuesday, July 4.

The booths are used as fundraising vehicles for those groups and/or organizations winning the ‘lottery’ style drawing done through the city. One booth is always set aside for the City of Escalon and is for the past several years has been designated for the Escalon Parks Foundation, with proceeds helping to pay for the ongoing skatepark project. That booth is set up in the D’Boni’s parking lot adjacent to Hula’s on Jackson Avenue.

Other booths and locations this year include: the Escalon Ag/FFA Boosters booth at Big Boy Market on Jackson Avenue; the Escalon High School Sports Boosters booth in the parking lot at MarVal Main Street Market on McHenry Avenue; and the Escalon Covenant Church booth, set up in the parking lot at the church, 1155 Escalon Ave.; all sell the ‘Safe and Sane’ fireworks allowed in the city via local ordinance.

Officials with the Escalon Parks Foundation said this year is especially exciting for them, due to the continued progress of having the skatepark dream come to fruition.

Skate Park Committee members are looking forward to seeing residents when they stop by the booth and will be able to provide some updates.

“A lot has happened in the past year, and with your help, the skatepark Escalon has wanted is closer to being a reality than ever,” noted committee member Michael Sipes.

Since this time last year, he explained, the City of Escalon has “handed over the keys” to a new location for the park, the Skate Park Committee has hired a skatepark builder in Dreamland Skateparks (www.dreamlandskateparks.com), solicited ideas from the community and local skaters to Dreamland and there is a 3D model and plan in place for the skatepark.

“This represents the farthest we’ve been yet,” Sipes said.

But, the Escalon Parks Foundation is now in uncharted territory as it enters its capital investment phase. The EPF reports that with a few key contributors, the new location directly north of the Escalon Feed Store and within the boundaries of the newly annexed acreage to the Hogan-Ennis Park, construction activities could begin soon.

The Fireworks Booth represents a time where committee members can speak to members of the community about the status, and benefit from residents’ help in buying fireworks, added Sipes. Proceeds from the purchase of fireworks at the Parks Foundation booth go directly to the funding of the new Escalon Skatepark