May 28,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Could it be that Ridgewood Schools are NOT closed for Columbus day this year?
Columbus Day first became an official state holiday in Colorado in 1906, and became a federal holiday in the United States in 1937, though people have celebrated Columbus’s voyage since the colonial period. In 1792, New York City and other U.S. cities celebrated the 300th anniversary of his landing in the New World. President Benjamin Harrison called upon the people of the United States to celebrate Columbus Day on the 400th anniversary of the event. During the four hundredth anniversary in 1892, teachers, preachers, poets and politicians used Columbus Day rituals to teach ideals of patriotism. These patriotic rituals took themes such as citizenship boundaries, the importance of loyalty to the nation, and celebrating social progress.
Many Italian-Americans observe Columbus Day as a celebration of their heritage, the first occasion being in New York City on October 12, 1866. Columbus Day was first enshrined as a legal holiday in the United States through the lobbying of Angelo Noce, a first generation Italian, in Denver. The first statewide Columbus Day holiday was proclaimed by Colorado governor Jesse F. McDonald in 1905, and it was made a statutory holiday in 1907. In April 1934, as a result of lobbying by the Knights of Columbus and New York City Italian leader Generoso Pope, Congress and President Franklin Delano Roosevelt proclaimed October 12 a federal holiday under the name Columbus Day.
Since 1970 (Oct. 12), the holiday has been fixed to the second Monday in October, coincidentally exactly the same day as Thanksgiving in neighboring Canada fixed since 1959. It is generally observed nowadays by banks, the bond market, the U.S. Postal Service, other federal agencies, most state government offices, many businesses, and most school districts. Some businesses and some stock exchanges remain open, and some states and municipalities abstain from observing the holiday. The traditional date of the holiday also adjoins the anniversary of the United States Navy (founded October 13, 1775), and thus both occasions are customarily observed by the Navy (and usually the Marine Corps as well) with either a 72- or 96-hour liberty period.
I think that the grass roots effort to elect an independent council and to petition a new garage vote have confused some people.
The annual “I want a cement pool” has begun. A woman posted on Facebook about the “filthy” water and the chorus joined in. They are demanding a cement pool. (And full day K)
They are unaware that the water is tested and their opinion is not fact. They think that clear pools are always sanitary. When they use words like disgusting and filthy they forget that other people actually swim there. They are insulting the Graydon swimmers knowingly or unknowingly. Lots of kide enjoy the swim team and summer camp.
Coxsackie disease is very contagious and spread from person to person. WASH YOUR HANDS. Cover your cough! Swimmers ear is not caused by Graydon, it occurs when water remains in the ear canal. I come from a family of competitive swimmers, many have had ear infections, none ever swam at Graydon. Anecdotal evidence does not point to cause. My peditrician thought that it was silly to blame Graydon for these illnesses
I brought my three children to Graydon for years. They loved it. Al of their friends were there and they made new friends every day.
Just because you want something different does not mean that the village must provide it. You can join another pool, go to a neighbors pool or even build your own. The options are there.
We do not need to turf and pave every green space in town.
The preserve Graydon and CRR agendas have high jacked Village discourse – complacency and rot have set in to our downtown and schools as a result. Great you carried the election, but unless you are anti-Valley and pro-Graydon, your opinion in this Village matters not. Where is the debate over our well-paid teachers and police refusing to sign new contracts over their healthcare contribution amounts? Where is the debate about repealing ordinance 3066 so we can finally get on with the business of desparately needed renewal in the CBD? Where is the debate over Valley paying their fair share of property taxes? Where is the debate about property tax reductions for Villagers once Valley starts paying taxes? Instead it’s just smug “our grass roots election victory is all that matters.” The Village is worse for this attitude just as well as with the over development stupidity. We need real debate.
People of Ridgewood have a right to decide how they want their town developed , not some Hudson County political machine
This comment by 10:28am has no good reason to be here.
12:06 Hijacked Village Discourse? Are you for real? Sore loser. The vocalantis have spoken.
As usual, you’ve missed the point 9:38. Like I said, the Village is worse off for your smug attitude just as it is with the overdevelopment group. We need real debate on how to renew and invigorate our CBD and our schools. We need real debate on how our teachers and cops refuse to sign new contracts over their health benefit contribution amounts. We need real debate over repealing ordinance 3066 so we can finally get on with redevelopment. And we need real debate about property tax reduction after Valley pays back taxes and starts contributing to our annual tax base. Instead we get, “Sore loser.” Are you for real?
4:33
insightful
10:28 & 12:06 – Huh?
No Columbus Day…. Sounds racist to me.
When my kids were in school the day off was called “Cultural All-a-Day”, honoring all cultures, not just Italians!
What the hell is going on. They open up the school ok. Iam keeping my kids home for the day and going over to the parade,