One of our readers sent us this email yesterday, so perhaps this would be a fruitful topic:
For those of you who don't consider yourselves permanently homebound for the entire extra-long holiday, we're linking a good Deseret News Article which highlights various holiday happenings -- mostly in other places around the state.Not that it's that big of a deal, but in looking at the 4th of July schedule for Ogden, I see Nothing that has anything to do with American Independence. I see motorcycle parades and monster truck rides. Not that there's anything wrong with this, although I probably won't go to them,) but it seems to me that Ogden City should do SOMETHING to acknowledge Independence Day. Other cities are at least having flag raising ceremonies on their plazas and a parade, however small. Are we doing this? If we are, I can't find it. Our parade looks like it is motorcycles only.
I did read about the things at Lorin Farr Park, but I really think we should have something more in the center of town. Do you agree? Or not?
And just for old times' sake, we're linking to the feature essay that we posted for last year's Fourth of July celebration. Believe it or not, this American founding related piece is by far the most regularly-accessed article in our Weber County Forum archives. We still receive page hits on this numerous times every month from all around the world.
We'll get back with a new main article very soon. In the meantime, knock yourselves out, gentle readers. Talk about whatever you want to talk about.
29 comments:
Have to admit, I've never seen the attraction of big stadium events for the 4th, regardless of the content --- whether it's Sean Hannity or a demolition derby. [Come to think of it, they're not that far apart.] Hot, crowded, noisy and expensive. I'll pass, thanks.
I figure firing up the back yard grill, throwing some hot dogs and burgers on, heating a pot of pork-n-beans, floating a watermelon and a brew or two in a tub of ice, and inviting family or a few friends over is the all-American traditional 4th of July way to celebrate. Works for me.
Boy, do I remember the god ol'e days of yesteryear gone by, when the city use to have the fire works down at the old john affleck park and that was after a great game of baseball.
and before that you could ride a tube down the river and have a breakfast up in the huntsville park, but they are still doing that.
why doesn't the city administation let the campaign canidates in the prade?
Is it because he will find competion in years ahead. or is he ashamed of who we are.
I for one would like to see some of the great things of yesteryear gone by, come back!
If Godfrey and his SUV boys would get their heads out of a gondola car, they perhaps could have noticed that this city did not have a PATRIOTIC program planned!
Shame!
Motorcycles, car shows and pancake breakfasts do not commemorate the founding of our great nation.
Eating soggy pancakes, suspicious sausage and rubbery scrambled eggs, in my ever-so humble opinion, does not pay honor and respect to our Founding Fathers, and the millions of servicemen and women who have sacrificed to keep our country free!
I understand that UTAH has more National Guard soldiers in the war than any other state. Is THIS how we honor them?
Remember how it seemed nearly evryone displayed the American flag in some fashion after 9-11?
We should fly the flag every day.
Remember the iraqi woman who braved the threat of suicide bombers, kidnapping, beheading, being shot, etc. to go the polls and vote?? How proudly she held up her ink stained finger for all to see.
Look at the thousands who turned out at the polls over there under threat of death.
Last Tuesday not one of us was threated with loss of life. No one coerced us...noone stood over us at the polls to see how we voted.
Today, those who attended church, (or didn't), were free to do so. Again, we went to church in a peaceful manner. No bombs, no cars blowing up. No beheadings. We are all free to worship (or not) without fear of reprisal.
Our soldiers have died to make men free. Our Founding Fathers died ignominious deaths.
I don't think our brave pioneers are properly honored with a pancake breakfast either. So many suffered horrific circumstances....and we think it is enough to eat those soggy pancakes in their honor?
SLC puts on a wonderful parade on the 24th.
Provo provides the most glorious 4th celebration in the entire country...culminating in a terrific program in the Marriott Center. Their parade is awesome. There is something going on all week to commemorate the 4th.
Ogden: Wanna attend the car show?
Hey, Matt and Chris...will a gondola make you more patriotic?
Unfortunately many politicians are quite willing to embrace officers at election time, only to shun them during employee negotiations.
Across the nation, county executives and mayors have sought their budget woes on the backs of officers.
They have diverted funds for public safety to such items as pet projects, hundreds of thousands of dollars for the county fairs and lobbyists, inflated salaries for elected officials. Then when officers speak up, they sometimes raise taxes and claim; it’s to give officers a raise. This practice has made the perception that taxes are for big government employees. It’s not fair to officers.
Everyday we officers do our job with substandard equipment, less and less training, faulty body armor and incompatible communication equipment, due to “budget constraints.”
Do to Utah’s laws to stop collective bargaining for officers, unions and associations have been virtually silenced. Some of Utah’s cities have even made it so public employees can’t run for office.
Unfortunately this plays right into the hands of politicians to use public safety, only as campaign props and tools to be used in their endless quest for reelection.
Politicians must understand that there is an extremely competitive market for qualified officers, unqualified persons are plentiful, but history has shown that lowering standards is a recipe for disaster. It will lead to an increase in crime, liability and downturn in property values and the general economy. When a politician understands this, businesses will be knocking in doors to move in, and the citizens won’t move out to safer communities. Communities will have kept a tax base. It’s just a win, win situation.
We officers aren’t asking for a mansion on the hill or luxury vehicles. We just need the “tools of the trade,” and to be able to “support our families.”
Thanks for the Desert News article, Rudy. Unfortunately the West Point Baby Contest which my family and I really would of loved to attend already happened last Friday, so we are bummed about missing it. Do you know if they award ribbons at this contest? My wife and I are thinking about making a contestant we can enter in the contest next year so we can win a ribbon or something.
Fortunately Clogging Grandmothers will be clogging in Murray on Tuesday so all is not lost and we'll drive down there to see there performance.
Maybe next year somebody will have a Baby Tossing Contest like they do with dwarfs in Australia. We think this would be a good idea for somebody to do.
Sharon:
Ah, we who agree on so much disagree about this. I have enyoyed 4th of July parades in the past, and if TJ and the boys had gotten their act together just one day sooner so we had a three day weekend this year, I and the family would have decamped for the three days to Park City, and taken in [as we have the past three years] its small town 4th of July parade. Fun small town parade, with what seems to be half the town in it, waving at the half of the town that isn't. Lots of dogs. And -- our personal favorite --- the Park City Belly Dancing School marching along [I guess it's a kind of marching] with the rest of 'em.
But I disagree that not having a parade somehow bespeaks a lack of patriotism. I've never lived in a place that has so many patriotic parades as Utah. And Ogden has the rodeo parade coming up, and Pioneer Day. And folks hereabouts I notice celebrate all patiortic holidays: Memorial Day, Armed Forces Day, Presidents Day, the 4th AND Flag day. When we get to the point where folks who don't celebrate all of them or who don't celebrate them in the way others think fitting get accused of being un-patriotic... and we seem to be there now... well, then things have gone too far.
Besides which, gathering with family and friends for an afternoon of hot dogs, pork-n-beans, watermelon, a beer of two if the idea appeals, frisbee and whiffleball is a celebration of American life... and the fact that we do [as a rule and on the whole] live it peacefully and without coercion. That back yard bbq is a patriotic event. Part of what makes it so is that we can sit there if we wish [and as some of us in the Curmudgeon family almost certainly will]and pronounce curses unto the tenth generation on Walter O'Malley and his family for removing the Dodgers from the Brooklyn where clearly god intended them to play, or we can if we wish [and almost certainly some of us will] pronounce on the jaw-dropping incompetence of G. Bush and his cronies, or on the astonishing number of them who are in or on the way to jail for public corruption. And no government authority will or can intervene. Hard for me to think of much that would honor the Antifederalists who forced the founders to tack on a Bill of Rights after the Constitution was ratified more than a nation full of people in their back yards, chatting, praising, carping or complaining about whatever moved them to do so, and all of it beyond the reach of government control.
If you ask me, if you gave Jefferson and Madison a choice of which they thought would be a more appropriate celebration and whould honor what they had done more, a parade or back yard bbqs in which folks spoke freely and without fear of retribution on whatever topic they felt like, they'd choose the latter. Hands down.
Ah, Curm....we who often agree, don't really have much to disagree with here!
I said nothing of HAVING to have a parade. I'm talking about the lack of a PAATRIOTIC program of some sort to commemorate this day.
I LOVE small town parades and doings. I grew up in a town of 300 in FL...the next town, Melbourne, was larger...it had two stop lites. Our little town of Eau Gallie had a parade too. The dignitaries walked the two blocks down the street, one boasting the drugstores...one new and one old with real little "coke tables" that Norman Rockwell featured so many times.
My mom was a Gold Star Mother and she and the other ladies of deceased soldier boys marched too. It was deliteful and somber in that we reflected on our boys and our blessings.
We had our hot dog roasts and swimming....but our little town also held a program in our town square complete with a speaker or two....pie eating contest, teensy carnival, etc.
I entered the pie eating contest against a bunch of sailors from Banana River Naval Air Station (now Patrick Air Force Base).
Needless to say, I had more pie on me than in, and at 11 was thoroughly out pied by the sailors.
I revere hometown, homegrown doings.
Ste Genevieve, Mo...just 60 mi south of St Louis, boasts the community band. What a treat to sit on the little knoll and listen to teens-- to-- those in their 80's give a rousing concert! It was fun because most were a 1/2 beat off from their neighbor. But think of the many good-hearted 'rehearsals' and camaraderie between the young and old?
So what if we have lots of celebrations? What's wrong with Memorial Day, followed by FLAG DAY...just fly it...then the 4th? Labor Day is scary with so many drunks on the road, but still families get together.
Utah has a statewide holiday with the HUNT every October! Not my cup o' cocoa, but lots of families head up into the hills and cook over the ol 'f'ar, and have a grand time. I like to think my hamburger originated at Costco, and doesn't have a genealogy!
I asmire, respect, and am grateful to the Lindquist family for their many gifts to this community. How generous and wonderful of them to sponsor the concert at the pond at WSU, AND those marvelous fireworks. We just sit on our deck and ohhh and ahhh with the crowds on campus.
I enjoy Strawberry Days, Steel Days, etc in small towns...who also boast a great home grown parade and fun for all.
But, what is missing here is that our city father couldn't get his act together to celebrate the 4th in a patriotic manner WITH HILL AFB just down the road!
Y'all stay sober, safe, and have fun.
I've never seen the attraction of big stadium events for the 4th either. I do think, however, that in not commemorating this event at all in a civic manner that we are making a statement of sorts, and it's not really a positive one.
Like Sharon, I think of all the people who have come to America from other countries, (and in fact, I am third generation myself--neither side of my family has been in America that long.) Those who have come here from environments of repression, or brutality, or oppressive circumstances where they cannot get ahead appreciate America deeply.
The fact that we as a city do not even bother to show that appreciation one day out of the year--and I am not talking about fun glutted events, but rather something civic and ceremonial--probably makes us look like rich spoiled brats who do not appreciate all we have been given. Those who have come to America from elsewhere probably wonder what is wrong with us in this--no show of appreciation or pride in who we are, which is something they have possibly risked much to be a part of.
We have plenty of people who could take part in this and who would probably want to. And then we could have a parade. It doesn't have to be a huge one. (In fact, my favorite parade is the horse parade.) But something with an American theme--what America means and why we appreciate that.
This could all be concluded by noon or so, and the Curmudgeon would have plenty of time to get his grill fired up and his watermelon on ice.
The more I think about this, the more I really think we are not only acting like uncaring louts by not doing something, but also that we are missing a golden opportunity to unify ourselves. One day out of the year when everybody, no matter what religion they practice, or what their origin, can come together as Americans. In this fractured society in which we live, and in this divided city, for that matter, this would go a long way toward making things better.
Do fireworks qualify as patriotic? If so, does anyone have nominations for the best July 4th fireworks in the county? How does the Lorin Farr Park show, for example, compare with the North Ogden display?
And where is the best place to see them? We went to the 29th Street trailhead once and saw three different shows.
If you are looking for a patriotic celebration in Ogden I would encourage you to look at the Hot Rockn' 4th at Lorin Farr Park.
This event is sponsored by the American Dream Foundation, a local non-profit that was started by the Gullo family "To emphasize their patriotic feelings, six years ago they created the “Hot Rock'n 4th” Celebration. They call this holiday extravaganza an event “Of the People, For the People and By the People.” Every July 4th, you see over 44 non-profits coming together (with 2005 having over 800 volunteers) to stage a day of activity to promote Ogden, celebrate our heritage and raise funds for the charities. Ogden City had not held a July 4th Celebration in over 33 years and has now seen this event grow to an attendance of over 20,000 with $ 500-thousand ($500,000) being raised for its charity partners to date. In 2005, ABC 4 became a title sponsor raising the bar for this event to a new level."
This information is available on the web site: www.americandreamfoundation.com and www.hotrockn4th.com
What could be more patriotic than helping charity organizations? The event was moved to Lorin Farr Park which I thought was great because of all the great shade and proximity to the river. So it definitely brings people to Ogden.
As for patriotic, the Treehouse museum brings its Freedom Display (also donated by the American Dream Foundation) to the park which shows patriotic videos, lets kids sit in the Presidents seat in a replica of the Oval Office, and print out their own copy of the Declaration of Independence on a printing press. What a great way to introduce and instill patriotism in our children.
At 2:00pm the ROTC will present a flag presentation/ceremony to kick off the demolition derby and in the evening between concerts there will be a special memorial ceremony dedicated to all US Veterans.
There is also a Diaper Derby, All American Kid Contest, and American Dream singing competition. A fireworks presentation, billed as being twice as big as the Linquist Pops Concert display, will top off the evening following the concerts.
And even though the demo derby doesn't seem to be a big hit on this site (bad pun), there is a police/firefighters match that is pretty popular - also Boots & Bunkers the clown firefighting team will be on hand (this is also a program funded by ADF).
I believe this event shows that there are people who share the concerns about passing on patriotism and are taking active steps to create memorable, educational, and patriotic events. This year over 800 volunteers will help stage this event - I'm sure if there is something you would like to see happening at next years event you could bump up that number to 801.
Happy Independence Day
I still think that Ogden City should be doing something for the 4th of July other than listing itself as a sponsor for the Hot Rock'n 4th.
We need something to bring people together that they do not have to pay to attend.
I have looked around at other cities and what they are doing. It seems that there are a lot of diverse events during the day, some with parades, some not, and then starting at 6 PM, the municipality presents a program with speakers and local band concerts. The military is honored. Local dignitaries are present. Vendors are around the outside of the area, and parking fees are either very minimal or non-existent. At 9 PM, they have fireworks. This seems to be the way most of them are celebrating the 4th.
I am thinking that in view of the amount of time and effort the city puts into promoting gondolas, the fact that it does not do something like the above is a bad omission.
Now that the Hot Rock'n 4th is up and going, something like the above would of course compete with it for the few hours it was on and unfortunately, this might be viewed as reason enough not to do it. However, let it be known that I am not objecting to the Hot Rock'n 4th, but to the fact that it is the only game in town and its emphasis is charity fundraising, and the 4th of July is a National Holiday which emphasizes celebrating freedom and the birth of the nation. The city should be doing something for the latter, in my opinion.
But perhaps people here feel no need for this. I do, and think the status quo quite strange.
Clarification:
Just to be very clear, I am in no way opposed to stadium shows, fairground shows like Hot Rock'n 4th, or parades or any combination thereof. That sort of thing lights your fire, by all means go, enjoy, have a heckofa 4th. What I did mean to suggest is that those who prefer a quieter 4th not involving public celebration, but a family back yard BBQ are engaging in a celebration no less American, no less tradtional and not a whit less patriotic than those who choose more public events.
As they used to say in the days of my youth, "diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks." Which, come to think about it, is what the American tradition at its best is all about. Or should be.
George III was a limey!
Up the rebels!
Have a safe and happy 4th, whatever your thing by way of celebration might be. Even if you find yourself among Repubicans. [Democracy, at times, can be a harsh mistress....]
Only us Republicans are Patriotic, So the only true way to have a Patriotic 4th of July is to invite one of us.
SL Trib list of events for 4th and Ogden is not on it. An oversight?
From Brighton to West Point, a feast of Utah fireworks
...niether is Huntsville, one of the better ones.
OOOOPPPPS.....nEIther ;)
How about us expatriate Republicans?
I wonder if James V. Hansen lets save the hill feild and ronald reagen airforce base is going to be a speaker anywhere in the northern utah or is rob bishop going to speak to any group. why is it that we don't see meet the candidate event to cheer us on for the 4th of july? Now that the primaries are over and we are on to the general election that would be a great event to celibrate the 4th with don't some of you agree. I think that would be a great thing to show our patriotism and sho=w that republican Yo-yo that there is mor to being a self rightous dude.
Dian, Curm, and the whole gang,
I agree with you, Curm, about backyard fun...that is an American tradition.
However, I especially agree with Dian. How unifying it would be to come together as Americans, of every stripe, (I am only 2nd generation on the paternal side, and first on maternal)...
Surely we could have wonderful speakers who can talk about "What's Right with America."
We have a veteran of WWII near Tremonton, who was a P.O.W. of the Japanese for 3 1/2 years. He is eloquent and articulate. He spoke at the 4th celebration I sponsored a couple years ago. He held us enthralled.
We have soldiers who returned from overseas...generals, sgt's, and the police and firefighters who put their lives on the line in this city every day!!
Our children need heroes to look up to.
It used to be that all little boys wanted to be firemen or policemen when they grew up!! What kid doesn't thrill to a soldier in uniform who can tell of sacrifice, overcoming fear and serving our country?
How grand if Officer Ron Gardiner brot his performing horse and patrol?
Such a program doesn't need to be long. Fire and police sirens, horses, soldiers....flags everywhere...I think this would bring us together as a city and teach an object lesson in patriotism for our youth.
Ogden's own, Major General "Dutch" Remkes gave an inspiring talk at our 4th last year. One of the things he said is, "the young men and women who were born in the 80's (and in the service) are as patriotic as those who served in General Remkes was recently appointed to MAJOR Genral from Brigadier General by Pres. Bush.
How thriling for our youth to hear that THEY are more than gangs, dropouts and dopers.
I agree with Dian. We must publicly declare our allegiance and appreciation for our country and our precious freedoms.
WEll, "Have Soapbox, Will Travel."
Y'all have a safe, sober (if you drive) fun day tomorrow.
Poltergeist are in my computer, no doubt.
I was attempting to quote General Remkes:
"The young men and women who were born in the 80's (and in the service) are as patriotic as those who served in WWII." Such a high compliment.
To: Patriotic
You wrote: Only us Republicans are Patriotic, So the only true way to have a Patriotic 4th of July is to invite one of us.
Typical Republican. Trying to cadge a free meal from working folk. [grin]
Mother, Baseball and Apple Pie:
The Hon. [?] Rob Bishop will be speaking tommorow afternoon in Huntsville. The good folk of Huntsville scheduled his talk well after those going up for the civic fundraiser breakfast will have finished and left. Very wise.
Curm...Patriotic just wants to see how much 'pork' you've cadged!
CLM...thanks for the rundown on the Hot Rockin'
Gullo's do nice things.
Dian and Sharon are talking about something that includes the whole city...without charge.
No one would begrudge a charity fundraiser! Wonderful.
Good for Huntsville too!
Curmudgeon,
What is more patriotic than being able to complain about the incompetence and corruption of the Bush administration and simultaneously celebrate the birthday of America? Speaking of celebrations, for the second year in a row Sean Hannity, a major Bush administration cheerleader and war monger, will not be in Utah at Provo’s Stadium of Fire ceremonies. There’s too much hatred in that guy for a good 4th of July celebration. Hannity‘s idea of a good barbecue is tossing red meat to red necks. All chicken hawks, such as Sean Hannity, should be roasted (or barbecued), repeatedly. A group of family and/or friends gathering around a hot grill, on the 4th of July, is the backbone, barbecue of America. Washing it all down with cold beer and/or watermelon is as American as French fries. Our Forefathers (and mothers) would be proud of us.
I’m sorry for your family’s generational cursing of Walter O’Malley, but when the Dodgers left Brooklyn, they had to go somewhere. It was lucky for me, and my family and friends, that the Dodgers came to LA. It was a major coup for LA to get a major league team. The Los Angeles Angels and the Hollywood Stars, a couple of minor league teams that played at LA’s Wrigley Field, were the only professional baseball teams that Los Angeles had. Actually, the entire country west of St. Louis, had been denied a major league team until 1958. LA was pretty excited to get a team like the Dodgers.
I was a nine year old, Little League player when the Dodgers came to town. I played baseball at Franklin Fields in the San Fernando Valley. There were about ten different baseball diamonds and each one represented a different area of the valley. Every diamond had a lot of teams; majors, minors and “farm teams.“ There were a lot of kids and a lot of parents driving the kids to practices and games at Franklin Fields. It was a very popular place for young baseball players.
The Dodgers actually came to Franklin Fields in 1958. Almost all of the Little Leaguers from the whole Valley came to see them. So did a lot of parents, and brothers and sisters. We all gathered at one designated diamond and waited. The Dodgers were about an hour late and the crowd began to get somewhat agitated. There were a lot of restless kids there. All of a sudden, a small fleet of cars appeared. The Dodgers had arrived! They got out of the cars wearing their brand new LA uniforms and immediately ran onto the designated Little League diamond. They loped around the bases a few times and looked larger than life. The smallness of the field and the short fence, made them look huge. All of us Little Leaguers cheered our little hearts out. We had a real team.
I won two tickets to a Dodger game that summer for selling a lot of newspaper subscriptions to the Valley Times, a small newspaper. Before that, I had listened to many games on the radio with my uncle, who was a die-hard Dodger fan until the day he died. I’ll never forget the excitement of that first game. When my father and I walked into the LA Coliseum it was my first time there, and it took my breath away. The Dodgers played the Giants that day and it was a great game, because the Dodger‘s won. The Giants had also left New York that year, in order to move to San Francisco. The Giants team wasn’t missed like the Brooklyn team was. A lot of sorrows must have been drowned in egg creams, or whatever it was the Brooklynites drank. Fortunately, Brooklyn‘s loss was LAs gain. At least New York kept the Yankees, which wasn’t too bad of a keeper.
Walter O’malley and the Dodgers moved to Dodger Stadium, their new stadium at Chavez Ravine, in 1961. I moved to Ogden with my mother and my sisters. I quit my job as a paperboy in LA and got a job as a caddy at an Ogden golf course. I quit playing baseball and learned to play golf. Fishing and camping replaced body surfing and days at the beach. I listened to the Dodgers on the radio. Vin Scully rocked. He still does.
We returned to LA in 1964 and I began going to Dodger games again. When I was in high school, a kid at my school was a Dodger bat boy. I can remember the first time I saw him in the dugout. I had a part-time job pumping gas at the time, and I was kind of envious of his job. Remember when gas wars were the wars that everyone talked about? Too bad leaders of countries don’t sit down like the leaders of oil companies did, and put an end to all wars. Perhaps the leaders of countries should play baseball together. Call it the Baseball League of Nations and charge admission. Who wouldn’t pay to see that?
Caddyhack:
Unto the tenth generation.
At least.
Caddyhack,
Nice memories. Thanx for sharing.
Bishop made a brief appearance at the Hot Rockin 4th demolition derby as well.
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