Ken and I thought we had it bad last night on the 4th of July when the constant barrage of fireworks put us on edge for hours, worrying that Barista Magazine Staff Pets would be OK with the hub-bub. But our friend Billy Wilson, who owns two cafes by the name of BARISTA here in Portland, Ore., had it a whole lot worse.
The laws in Oregon state that airborn fireworks that travel more than one foot in the air, or fireworks on the ground that go farther than six feet, are illegal. But that wasn’t stopping any of the fireworks-loving patriots in Portland last night, from what we could hear and see, and from what sadly hit Billy’s Northeast cafe as well as another business next door to it. Fire damage to the property is estimated at more than $100,000. Luckily, there were no injuries reported.
Hey, we love America here at Barista Magazine, but illegal fireworks just stink. Please send good thoughts to Billy today…
