 Up North And Personal
By Ken DeLaat Decoration Day It was called Decoration Day when I was a kid. It was called Decoration Day and it was always on May 30th. For 45 years now, or since the Uniform Holiday Act was put into place, it has fallen on the last Monday of the month. It was part of the deal that created more 3 day weekends as Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day, and Veteran’s Day were moved from their original dates. The veteran groups raised a bit of fuss over Armistice/Veteran’s Day being so offhandedly relocated that it was switched back to the original date 3 years later, but the other two as well as Columbus Day adhered to the Act and have been rather mobile ever since. Of course, unlike the Vet’s, George and Chris weren’t around to raise any objections so nothing has changed since. Oh yeah, that was also when it was decided by our ever-on-the-lookout-for-vital-legislation politicians of the day decided to make Columbus Day an official National Holiday. I’m sure you remember old Chris from history, right? You know, the Italian guy backed by Spanish money who stumbled into the...  Up North And Personal
By Ken DeLaat A Double Dip I. Red Hot Cubs Baseball fans from these parts are primarily adherents to the Olde English D, however if you have any interest at all in the other league known as the Senior Circuit there’s likely a piece of your heart that belongs to the lovable Cubbies. Yes we’re talking about those Billy Goat cursed , black cat hexed, Bartman bedeviled, Harry Carey favored Wrigley Field denizens whose devotees have endured a losing legacy that would make long-suffering Lion fans seem a bit...  Up North & Personal
By Ken DeLaat Just a Typical Mid-May Sunday Morning In The Mitten You can feel it can’t you? I mean, it’s a rainy and rather chilly weekend we’re enduring as we hit the Ides of May but the evidence is everywhere that despite the delays in arrival that have become as perennial as troubles in the Tiger bullpen it is indeed the advent of our warm weather season. Lilacs began strutting their stuff last week, flowering fruit trees are busting out a little personal glory and those...
of each of us that remained lodged in their presence. Where they lived didn’t seem to matter as they had long moved from either of the homes we grew up in. There remained a sense of belonging, an aura of as assimilation that seemed to occur during visits.
And when Mom left us, that particular experience departed with her. And so we became orphans....My Mother was a truly wonderful person, all familial prejudice aside. She adored my Dad, loved her...  Up North and Personal
By: Ken DeLaat Well, here we are. A new name for a new column in a new venue. After spending a decade and a half spouting opinions, spinning tales and splashing a bit of nonsense in print a decision has been made to relocate to a more technologically transmitted medium. If you are one of the literally dozens of folks who have read my column over the years (not including the relatives I was able to coerce into giving it a peek) there perhaps needs to be no introduction. You might be familiar with the ongoing obsession with solitary shoes abandoned alongside our... ----------------READ MORE------------->>>>>>>>>>>>> |
Letter to the Editor PolicyNear North Now welcomes original letters from readers on current topics of general interest. Simply fill out the form below. Letters submissions are limited to 300 words. Archives
September 2024
Categories |
RSS Feed