ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, January 29, 1996 TAG: 9601290111
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: SOUTHINGTON, CONN.
SOURCE: TED ANTHONY ASSOCIATED PRESS
By most accounts, the aftermath resembled an explosion in a Play-Doh factory - hardened goo in hues of orange, pink and blue stuck fast to everything that makes Southington's town square a perfect New England snapshot.
Kids of many ages wreaked havoc at the Apple Harvest Festival one weekend four months ago with Silly String, a nontoxic chemical toy twine launched from aerosol cans.
Now Southington figures that if you can't beat 'em, enjoin 'em. It's ready to outlaw the stuff under most circumstances and smack a $99 fine on anyone, kid or adult, caught with it.
``This product has no legitimate use,'' Police Chief William Perry, who requested the ban, said sternly. ``It's being manufactured and sold with one purpose in mind - to annoy other people.'' Last week, after a town meeting ended with residents arguing Silly String's virtues, the council kicked back the original ``Objectionable Products Ordinance'' for revision to avoid making petty criminals of people who use it in their homes.
It wasn't just the sprayed shop windows and the shellacked sidewalks that rankled anti-stringers. Classic cars left the festival's parade with corroded paint. Marching-band members - and their uniforms and instruments - got spritzed. Two motorcycle cops, bombarded by a neon-colored fusillade, nearly ran off the road.
Some residents say they fear that some of the festival's hundreds of visitors might not come back.
``This isn't like firearms, which have certain constitutional protections,'' said David Kelley, the town attorney. ``There is absolutely no constitutional right for something like this.''
But it's difficult to find anyone on Southington's streets who doesn't think the law - and the taxpayer time spent prattling about it - is sillier than the string.
``If they were walking around dumping cups of water on people, would they ban water? It's ridiculous,'' said Kevin Brunetti, who owns a comic book store just off the square. ``If they can't handle this, how are they supposed to deal with real crimes?''
The original ordinance would have made Silly String a controlled substance anywhere in town. That posed certain problems, such as how to handle truckloads of canned string passing through on Interstate 84.
``There could be a black market before you know it,'' said a disgusted Brendan Duff, 18. ``You'll have people on the street whispering, `I got the stuff.'''
The council ordered Kelley to rework the law for a Feb. 12 vote. Now, as written, it bars canned string and smoke bombs from all public areas and on days of carnivals or parades. On other days, Kelley said, it ``probably'' wouldn't be illegal.
And the law authorizes Southington's 58 officers to ``take any and all actions reasonable and necessary'' to ferret out Silly String, including searching stores.
All of this is quite preposterous to Bob D'Agostino, whose Waterbury distributorship wholesales the product to Southington and much of Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York.
``Americans don't take responsibility for anything anymore,'' D'Agostino said. ``If kids aren't disciplined by parents to know you're not supposed toO squirt someone driving a motorcycle, it's not the product's fault.''
To be sure, the ordinance has its supporters. Ardelle Pelletier, who belongs to a local beautification association, came home from the parade with sprayed shoes and pants.
``It's an invasion of space,'' she said. ``We take pride here in keeping things clean.''
Facts on Silly String
In the interest of science and accuracy, The Associated Press tested an aerosol can of Super String 2, one version of the product known as Silly String, to see what damage could be done to various and sundry objects.
The results:
Sticks to shoes.
Leaves slight stains on couches and cushions.
Dries and cakes when left on a floor.
Adheres to wet concrete if left there.
Fails to stick to a wool coat, even if smashed under the collar.
Becomes dry and rubbery, much like day-old bubble gum, if left ignored in a corner for an hour or so.
Attracts dust, hair and other miscellaneous dirt.
Shoots 13 feet - indoors, in a climate-controlled office, with no discernible wind - from can to landing point.
The 3.85-ounce can of Super String 2, made in the Netherlands, lists no ingredients but says the stuff is chlorofluorocarbon-free, nonflammable, nonstaining, nonsticking and nonclogging.
A warning advises not to eat it. Good advice - the stuff lies on the tongue like stale squid and has a taste that brings to mind the bitter disinfectant smell of a freshly cleaned bathroom.
LENGTH: Long : 105 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP. The normally quiet town of Southington, Conn., isby CNBall in a huff about a product known as Silly String, which local
officials say is tarnishing the hamlet's image. color.