Dear Editor:
Several years, a family member waited at St. Paul’s International Airport in Minneapolis for his connecting flight. To his surprise, an ad appeared on screen beckoning travelers to visit Jersey City. The mayor wants to promote Jersey City but he and the rest of city government failed to recognize the 350th Anniversary of Jersey City in 2010.
The city spends its money paying overtime to police officers during ethnic parades, a luxury the city cannot afford, (a small portion is picked up by parade committee) but was silent on its own history.
Now history buffs are visiting different parts of the country on the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War. Again, Jersey City is doing nothing. There is a monument dedicated to the soldiers and sailors who served in the Civil War in front of City Hall and various cemeteries in Jersey City are the final resting places of those veterans as well. The late historian, J. Owen Grundy, a distance relative of Lincoln, said the president visited Jersey City and stayed at the Heppenheimer Mansion in the Van Vorst section of Jersey City. Let’s not forgot the oldest and continuing Lincoln Association still meets at Lincoln Park annually.
This pattern of ignoring its history might happen in 2012, the 200th Anniversary of the War of 1812 – its location at Dickinson High School was vital in that war.
Amazing, the city did recognize the 60th Anniversary of the Redevelopment Agency several years ago – an agency many residents feel have too much power with its ability to blight communities and ignore the local zoning.
Considering all the negative publicity concerning politics and corruption, one would think the city would want to promote positive stories about its history.
Yvonne Balcer