The mayor of Jacksonville FL, Donna Deegan, ordered the removal of two confederate statues from a public park and they were taken down on Wednesday. One depicted a woman in robes carrying a confederate flag, and the other a woman reading to two children. Per the NYT, they were erected in 1915 as part of a tribute to confederate women: part of a campaign to promote discriminatory Jim Crow laws and intimidate Blacks. They were commissioned by a national organization that promoted the “lost cause” myth that the Civil War was a noble fight for state rights (Hi Nikki!). Yeah, the “right of states” to legalize slavery.
The very inappropriately named Florida state representative Dean Black filed legislation seeking to block cities from removing confederate monuments, and called Deegan’s actions a “stunning abuse of power.” (We’ll see how far it goes next year.) And the J’ville city council voted not to remove the statues when the previous mayor was in office. But the city’s general counsel determined that city council approval was not needed as long as city funds were not used, so Deegan went ahead and trashed them. It cost $187,000 and the funds were provided by anony-mouse donors and a grant from the Jessie Ball Dupont Fund.
Here’s Deegan. Brava, Madam Mayor!
Okay — since you asked. Jessie Ball was a teacher in San Diego who used her savings to provide scholarships to needy students. She married Alfred I. Dupont in 1921 and continued charitable giving on a larger scale. She died in 1970; the Fund continues her work. She said, “Don’t call it charity. I think it is an obligation.” Those who work for the Fund consider it a privilege.
Wow — look at this lively puzzle grid today! The theme was CONFETTI, just in time for New Year’s Day!
But something else marks the calendar today. Here’s what I posted on Rex’s blog about it:
“Can we use some of that nice confetti to celebrate Sandy Koufax’s 88th birthday today? Happy Birthday SK!
“Sandy gained renown in the Jewish community for refusing to pitch the first game of the 1965 World Series because it fell on Yom Kippur. He also skipped games for a Passover Seder one year, three times for the Jewish New Year, and he once left the mound mid-game when his mother reminded him it was his cousin Lenny’s bar-mitzvah, which he raced to attend while still in uniform. Alright, I made that last part up, but the rest is true.
“Koufax’s first wife was Anne Widmark, daughter of actor Richard. He married three times but has no children. He has a step-daughter via his current wife and two step-grandchildren, who, I’m guessing, throw pretty wicked curveballs.”
We’ll celebrate Sandy’s birthday like an Indian wedding (Hi Lizzie!) — for four or five days. So I’ll discuss his baseball feats a little later on this week.
It’s an honor to have several autographs of his in my collection, including this beauty.
This piece is called “Bright Spot in the Sky.” It’s from tomorrow’s Met Diary and is by Frederic Colier.
Dear Diary:
I was up early to catch up on papers for my classes when I heard a garbage truck grinding down my Harlem street. It was just before 6 a.m. and still dark outside. I realized I hadn’t taken out the trash.
I got the plastic and the paper for recycling bagged up, but the truck was already past my house by the time I made it out to the street.
I caught up with one of the sanitation workers on the sidewalk.
“Plastic?” I asked.
“Paper,” he said.
I chased the truck to the corner and tossed my paper straight in. Just then my eyes caught sight of an unmistakable bright spot in the starless sky.
Seeing me stop, the worker stopped as well.
I pointed up.
“Venus,” I said.
His eyes followed my finger.
“This is Venus?” he said, his face breaking into a smile.
His colleague, seeing the two of us look up, looked up too.
“Venus,” we all said together, standing there for a few moments without another word.
There must be a special neighborhood in hell for those who reap political gain on the backs of hungry children. Otherwise, what’s the point of it? Anyway, they are surely keeping a seat warm down there for Nebraska governor Jim Pillen, a Republican (voo den?). Under a federal program, Nebraska is entitled to receive $18 million to help feed 175,000 children next summer who might otherwise go hungry. The only cost to the state would be about $300,000 in administrative costs. That’s it. You spend $300,000, the low-income kids get $18 million. Except Pillen rejected the funds.
[Oops — make that two hot seats! – Neighboring Iowa is also opting out, with GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds spurning $29 million and saying, “[The program] does nothing to promote nutrition at a time when childhood obesity has become an epidemic.” Sure, blame it on the fat kids. That’s really low, Guv.]
Pillen’s catching sh*t for it but not from anyone he cares about. He defended his decision at a news conference by saying “I don’t believe in welfare.” He said the state would continue to help food-insecure children through its Summer Food Program. Wait, what? I thought he didn’t believe in welfare? Now I’m really confused. Pass the donuts.
Do you listen to the wind of your soul? Do you let your music take you where your heart wants to go? Have you swum upon the Devil’s lake?
I need something to blunt the taste of those governors. You like Cat Stevens?
That’s better. See you tomorrow! Go Pistons!
The Wellington Files 