Independence Day, familiarly known as the 4th of July, commemorates the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It was on July 4, 1776, Liberty Bell rang for the first time signaling the independence of the new nation. This bell, made in Philadelphia, has hung in the building known as the “State House” since 1753.
State action has made Independence Day a legal holiday, observed throughout the nation. Flags are hung from all the windows, industry temporarily ceases - and the nation celebrates all over again the triumph over oppression and the great note of freedom.
The custom of building huge bonfires, shooting off firecrackers, and making a great din, originated with the very first Fourth of July. In wild excitement at their victory, drunk with their new freedom, the people collected in the streets and celebrated as all mobs celebrate - with noise, fires, and joyous shouting.
Since then it has been customary, on every recurring Independence Day, to commemorate the great occasion by shooting off fireworks and celebrating. Because of many accidents and disastrous fires, it has recently become customary for cities to ban the sale of fireworks for use on Independence Day, but generally, there are still safe, corporately sponsored public fireworks celebrations staged throughout the country.
A Fourth of July party may be as gay and jolly as one pleases, however, the occasion should carry a note of patriotism. The dinner table on Independence Day should carry a patriotic touch. The centerpiece might be blue and white flowers, in a red bowl. At each place, there might be a Liberty Bell of hard chocolate, or perhaps of red-white-and-blue paper.
The menu could continue the patriotic color scheme. Cakes may be frosted with red-and-white striped icing and decorated with tiny silk flags. Bonbons can be wrapped in red-white-and-blue tissue paper.
A costume ball on Independence Day can be fun if the participants wear costumes of the Colonial period. Evening entertainments on this day carry on the patriotic theme featuring stirring music, and many oohs and ahs at the public fireworks displays.
Jack Fein
Fort Totten Historian
Bloomberg Fan
Mayor Mike Bloomberg has done it again. This time he shakes up the political world by dropping out of the Republican Party and essentially becomes an Independent. He is always doing something to surprise us and some of his actions have benefited most New Yorkers. By Mike going Independent that says to me, he is running for president. Although he says he is not interested, I have to wonder. I may not agree with him on a number of issues, but I respect him as a man who has helped to lead and protect New York after 9/11. Our mayor is his own man and as an Independent he will owe nothing to any political party or any group whose interests are not good for America. I truly believe Mike Bloomberg wants to do what is good for his fellow man. I also believe he cares about this great nation of ours and only wants to make it greater. Well that I find refreshing. I therefore say, “Good Luck Mike.”
Frederick R. Bedell Jr.
Bellerose
Dysfunctional Department
Dear Ms. Stark,
Finance Commissioner:
My neighbors and I do not appreciate being repeatedly inconvenienced and misled by the New York City Department of Finance (DOF), year after year, when it comes to our property tax payments.
The Finance Department, which operates under your direction, is again causing panic among homeowners by delivering, at the last minute, property tax statements of account. These statements require mandatory, immediate payment within a ridiculously short time-frame which also coincides with a national holiday. Additionally they egregiously fail to provide any notice whatsoever of the payment “grace period” that is available to certain property owners.
Statements inappropriately backdated to June 1 by the DOF are only now being received by taxpayers here. As a result, we have just four business days to remit our payments by July 6, as required by the statement's unambiguous language. That deadline is not only unreasonable for all taxpayers, but also impossible for the numerous families that are vacationing away from their mailboxes and checkbooks during the Fourth of July week.
None of the papers included with the Statement mentions the existence of any payment “grace period.” To the contrary, payment stub emphasizes, in bold text, the words, “Amount You MUST Pay by July 06, 2007.”
As you must know, a “grace period” does exist for quarterly payers, although, incredibly, the DOF's own customer assistance telephone agents and its web site do not agree on the extent of the “grace period.” Customer assistance states that the final day to pay property taxes without an additional charge for interest is July 20; the DOF's web site displays July 16.
The DOF's failures have deprived taxpayers of a legitimate opportunity to pay prior to the “grace period,” the so-called “grace period” is actually a de facto emergency extension of the due date, necessitated by the DOF's own non delivery of statements in a timely manner.
On behalf of New York City's taxpayers,
Robert W. LoScalzo
Whitestone
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