Posted at 11:34 a.m., Wednesday, December 26, 2001

Fireworks sales starting slow, public displays set

By Walter Wright
Advertiser Staff Writer

Firecracker sales began today on O'ahu amid predictions fewer people will use them this New Year's Eve than last.

As of the close of business Monday, the city had issued only 124 permits to individuals to purchase firecrackers. Residents have until Saturday to purchase the $25 permits at satellite city halls, allowing them to buy up to 5,000 firecrackers from local licensed retailers.

A total of 6,427 permits were sold by the city last year, a few of them for Chinese New Year observations.

Midnight public fireworks displays are also planned around O'ahu on New Year's Eve:

• Largest display: At Sand Island State Park, off Ala Moana Beach and Honolulu Harbor. Presented by Fireworks by Grucci, visible from Waikiki, Ke'ehi Lagoon, downtown heights. Sponsored by Aloha Tower Marketplace.

• West O'ahu display: Off Ihilani Resort. Viewable from surrounding neighborhoods. Sponsored by the hotel.

• Kahala beach: Off Kahala Mandarin Oriental Hawaii. Viewable from heights, East O'ahu coast. Sponsored by the hotel.

• Waikiki beach: On a barge off Waikiki. Viewable from Waikiki, heights. Sponsored by the Halekulani.