For a while, every day was the Fourth of July in KCK, with WyCo patriots blowing their paychecks at tent-covered fireworks emporiums. Screaming chasers enlivened the streets, blooming fizzles changed from gold to green to pink in midair, and loud KA-BOOMs made houses shake. The best thing about this display of all-American pride? It was legal! "Citizens are allowed to shoot them from the day before the Fourth of July until the day after," confirms Mike Taylor, the Unified Government's public relations director. Vendors (with the proper license) can start selling their pyrotechnics the last week in June. This may have been the last year for such celebrations, though. Mayor Joe Reardon has appointed a citizen task force to re-examine the policy, and the Unified Government might end up banning nonprofessional displays. Meanwhile, here's a salute to kids and adults setting up their minirockets in the middle of dark, smoky streets, lighting fuses and high-tailing it to safety on the sidewalk.