Mountain Views News          Saturday, June 2, 2012

5

AROUND SAN GABRIEL VALLEY

Mountain Views News Saturday June 2, 2012

“What’s Going On?” 

News and Views from Joan Schmidt

HOW “DECORATION DAY” EVOLVED INTO “MEMORIAL DAY” AND MORE

 Several years ago, my late mother-in-law would mention “Decoration Day” and putting flowers on graves. She was born in 1909 and remembered this custom going back to early 
childhood. Along with her grandparents and other relatives, they would make the long trip to the old country cemetery near Crestline, Ohio. First and foremost they placed flowers on all 
Veterans’ markers. Then they did so to deceased relatives-because it was such a long trip only done once a year.

 Today we now celebrate Memorial Day. How, where, and when did this happen? Can you believe that twenty-four communities nationwide claim to be the birthplace of the first 
Memorial Day celebration? Officially President Lyndon Johnson, on behalf of the United State Government, sanctioned Waterloo, New York as the “official” birthplace of Memorial Day 
because their observance in May 1866, was considered so well planned and complete. However Boalsburg, Pennsylvania won’t back down. Their first remembrance was in 1864 and the 
following year, 1865, a large community observance occurred.

 In October, 1864, in Boalsburg, PA, Emma Hunter and her friend, Sophie Keller picked flowers to place on her father’s 
grave. Her father, Dr. Ruben Hunter, had died of yellow fever while working at a hospital in Baltimore. On their way to 
the cemetery, they met Elizabeth Meyers who had lost her son Amos during the third day of the Battle of Gettysburg. 
Elizabeth asked to join them, and they decorated the graves. Then they agreed to return the following year to decorate 
not only Dr. Hunter’s and Amos’, but also others who might not have someone to remember them. This event emerged into a village-
wide event, and on July 4, 1865, each grave was decorated with flowers and a flag. So Boalsburg DID have an observance before Waterloo! 
(Anyone traveling through Pennsylvania must visit this small town. It also has the Columbus Chapel and Boal Mansion Museum. Although 
Christopher Columbus never made it to Boalsburg, the Columbus family Chapel which dates from the 16th century was shipped from Spain 
to Boalsburg in 1909 after a descendant of Columbus married a member of the town’s founding Boal family!)

 Did you know that the Charleston Race Track in Charleston, SC was the site of a Union Soldier Prisoner-of-War camp, and at least 257 
were buried there in a mass unmarked grave? Freed Blacks in Charleston organized a Ceremony in 1865. The freedmen had cleaned up and 
landscaped the burial ground, building an enclosure and an arch labeled, “Martyrs of the Race Course”. Nearly 10,000, mostly freedmen 
gathered on May 1 to commemorate the dead. Involved were 3,000 schoolchildren newly enrolled in freedmen’s schools, mutual aid societies, 
Union troops, Black ministers, and White Northern missionaries. Most brought flowers to place on the burial field. (You can refer to David 
W. Blight, Yale Professor, an authority on the Civil War for a lot more details)

 Among the twenty-four “first cities to observe Decoration Day” are Columbus, MS and Carbondale IL. On April 25, 1866, women 
gathered to decorate graves of fallen soldiers in Columbus MS. Four days later, on April 29, 1866, General John Polk spoke at a city-wide 
memorial event in Carbondale, IL. 

 Two years later, in 1868, a Remembrance Day was observed in Waterloo, NY. General John A. Logan, national commander of the 
Grand Army of the Republic in his General Order 11, officially proclaimed Memorial Day on May 5th. It was officially observed on May 30, 
1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. The first state to officially 
recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1980, it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the 
day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I when the holiday changed to honor ALL Americans fighting in ANY war.

 In May, 1966, President Lyndon Johnson bestowed the title “Birthplace of Memorial Day: upon Waterloo, NY, and in 1967, Memorial Day 
became an official federal holiday.

 This past weekend, Supervisor 
Antonovich held his annual Veterans 
Fair for Veterans and their families 
at Santa Anita Park, Arcadia. It lasted 
from 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM. There were 
several display/ information booths, and 
services for the Vets and their families. 
The ceremony began at 11:30 with the 
posting of colors by the Veterans, a 
gun salute, and rendition of taps. It was 
beautiful. The Supervisor spoke of the 
great sacrifices made by our Vets and 
their families and we should never forget 
this. On hand were Mayor Bob Harbicht 
and Council Member Peter Amundson 
from Arcadia (far left), Mayor Mary 
Ann Lutz and Council Member Becky 
Shevlin from Monrovia(not pictured), 
Mayor John Fasana, Mayor Pro Tem 
Liz Reilly and Council Member Phil 
Reyes from Duarte (right), and Mayor 
Joe Santoro from Glendora (centered). 


Supervisor Antonovich and Sheriff Lee Baca


COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES DEPARTMENT OF PARKS 
AND RECREATION “2012 SUMMER DAY CAMP” 

 

It’s Summer Time and The County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation 
offers a fun-filled Day Camp program consisting of nine week sessions at Pamela County 
Park. This program provides children ages 7-13 years old with complete supervision amid 
an exciting array of activities. Trained recreation staff will lead arts and crafts, singing, water 
games, team sports and dramatic play. Each week will have a different theme that will 
keep things interesting. Sign up soon because we anticipate a waiting list. The program is 
starting June 25th and runs until August 24th. We do Monday through Friday from 9AM-
6PM and the registration fee is a $25 (paid once) with $45 per week. Extended hours are 
also available for an additional fee. 

For additional information please contact Pamela Park at (626) 357– 1619 

Pet Of The Week - Juliette: Animal ID #A4429939

Meet a pure sweetheart, the lovable 
Juliette (A4429939). Juliette is a five 
year old black and fawn female German 
Shepherd mix who was found with her 
companion Misty Blue (A4429936) in 
El Monte on May 16th and brought to 
the Baldwin Park Animal Care Center. 
Weighing sixty-seven pounds, Juliette 
walks okay on the leash but pulls a 
bit and could use additional training. 
She is very well-behaved. She adores 
other dogs, and we are confident she 
will be good with children. Juliette 
will be the perfect indoor companion 
for an individual or family living in 
a private home, and while we would 
love to see her and Misty Blue adopted 
together, it is not imperative. To 
watch a video of Juliette and Misty 
Blue please visit: www.youtube.com/
watch?v=4o5ZvA9L804

To meet Juliette in person, please see her at the Baldwin Park Shelter, located at 4275 N. Elton, 
Baldwin Park, CA 91706 (Phone: 626-430-2378 or 626-962-3577). She is currently available now. 
For any inquiries about Juliette, please reference her animal ID number: A4429939. The shelter is 
open seven days a week, 12 pm-7 pm Monday-Thursday and 10am-5pm Friday-Sunday. This is 
a high-intake shelter with a great need for adoptions. For more information about Juliette or the 
adoption process, contact United Hope for Animals Volunteer Adoption Coordinator Samantha 
at samanthasayon@gmail.com or 661-309-2674. To learn more about United Hope for Animals’ 
partnership with the Baldwin Park Shelter through its Shelter Support Program, as well as the 
many dogs of all breeds, ages, and sizes available for adoption in local shelters, visit http://www.
unitedhope4animals.org/about-us/shelter-support-program/.


2012 Middle School 
Summer Academic Conservatory for GirlsGrades 6-8 Building Healthy Friendships 
Leadership Programs Safe and Productive Environment 
Half or Full-Day Options AvailableCall Alverno High School at (626) 355-3463 
or Suzy Ares, Summer Institute Director at 
sares@alverno-hs.org.
All registration starts online March 1st: 
www.myalverno.org 
Click on “Summer Institute”
High school summer program also available.
200 N. Michillinda Avenue, Sierra Madre, CA 91024 
Alverno High SchoolWhere Girls Come First! 
COLLEGE PREPARATORY EDUCATION SINCE 1960