.Cultl All-Stars stn•ak past Hlut~/lh U I V[ .Sil'l •Jf D ' NEW A RK, OELA I PRECIOUS LIBERTY Examining the state of our basic freedoms on The Lady's 100th anniversary by John McWhorter Independence Day. To that was governed by the many Americans, the people, for the people. Fourth of July is a special On July 4, 1776, they for­ day filled with flag-waving mally declared their in­ parades down the local dependence and many lives Main street, family barbe­ were lost in the years that ques complete with grandpa followed, but finally, the playing horseshoes, and a war drew to a close and our wonderous fireworks display nation's founders set out to loaded with the usual oohs establish a government. and ahs. In 1791, the Constitution of And this year promises to the United States of be extra special. We'll still America was ratified and a have the parades and government was formed. ii1 wo rks, but there will be Soon after, a document 1another treat, the unveiling outlining the rights inherent of the refurbished Statue of to all Americans was also Liuerty, just in time for her ratified. That paper was lOOth birthday. called the Bill of Rights, and She arrived on the shores in the spirit represented by of New York in 1886 as a gift Lady Liberty we have at­ from France and with the tempted to examine the lighting of her torch, stood evolution of some of these as the protector of freedom rights. for the thousands of im­ Because there are 26 igrants arriving daily from amendments to the Constitu­ across the ocean. tion, and multiple rights are Just the mere sight of her granted under many of the was a signal to the oppress­ 26, we have chosen to ex­ ed peoples of the world that amine only those rights they had finally made it to granted under the First and the land of opportunity and Second Amendments. that under the laws of the Also, local experts have United States of America, been enlisted to help inter­ they could begin life anew. pret what the farmers of the Mter all, America was Consitution had intended founded by a group of peo­ and to examine how those ple from a foreign land who intentions have developed. were seeking a better way The First Amendment of life. When the first white covers the issues of religion, people arrived on the shores speech, press and assembly. of North America, they met and states: " Congress shall with many challenges that make no law respecting the would have overcome all establishment of religion, or but the most dedicated of prohibiting the free exercise adventurers, and for many there of; or abridging the years managed to do little freedom of speech, or the more than exist. press; or the right of the But as time went by, they people to peaceably assem­ learned and grew and ble, and to petition the became self-sufficient, so Government for a redress of much so that they decided grievances." they no longer needed or In order to begin examin­ could tolerate the demands ing this amendment, it is placed upon them by their broken down into three rulers from the other side of segments, the first being the Atlantic. freedom of religion. The se­ They decided to band cond is freedom of speech together, to rise up in pro­ test, and to found a nation See LIBERTY / 8a INDEX FACT FILE ~ Newarkers ........ 2a No trash collection July 4 News .............. 3a • July 1. 1776 - Caesar Rodney All City of Newark offices will be closed fo1 th ;n. Schools ............ 9a rides to Philadelphia. dependence Day holiday on Friday, July 4. Trash ... ,, _ University ... .... lOa • July 2, 1776 - Caesar Rodney mally collected on Friday will instead be co lie •. t .- .i n Community ....... 13a and Thomas McKean cast Thursday, July 3. Trash normally collected on 1 J•IJrS­ Entertainment.... 14a Delaware vote for independence. day will be picked up today, Wednesday, July 2. • J uly 3, 1775 - George Business .......... 17a Washington takes command of Opinion ........ .. 18a the Continental Army at Cam­ School board to nteet Sports ... ... ... " .. lb bridge, Mass. Lifestyle ..... .. ... 8b • July 4, 1776 - The Declara­ Th.e nex~ re_gular monthly meetin of the ' hnstma tion of Independence is adopted in Scnool D1stnct Board of Education will be hdd .: 7:30 Church ... ......... 8b P · ~· Tuesday, July 8 in the Administ ration Build ng on Philad ·lrhia. Mam Street. Classified .......... 9b • .lui) 5, 1776 - A picture of King Gc01·g • III 1s burned on Dover Green. l\'lunicipal code on 'ie ., • .July 9, 177fJ -- Articles of Con­ federation sign('d by Delaware Cop1:s of tl~ e Newark Municipal dr. wh tl'h con tain reprcs •ntatives. all c1ty ordmances, may be viewed fly the publi c from 8_: 30 a .m . to 5 p.m . weekda ys 111 th t '1t · 'ecretary' Of­ • .July Ul, 1781 - · Thumafi McKean chosen president of the flee! ewark Municipal Building, 220 Elkton Rd C~p1es are a lso on view in the Newa rk F' r e Library 0 ~ Cong1·ess. L1bra ry Av nue. .. 2a The New Ark Post July2,1986 ·-: NEWARKERS It is America's ongoing commitment to freedom and opportunity which have most struck im· migrants Antoinette Meloni and Ann McAlpine. Newark"s • • mm1grants ·. Antoinette Meloni an~ ~n McAlpine have found new home very hospitable of this country. "Everywhere you ·'· come from - this is better," she by Michael Ricci said, adding "If I found a better place, I'd go there." Ann McAlpine, who left There is perhaps no symbol ol' Scotland as a 21-year-old in 1930, America more widely known couldn't agree more. around the globe than the Sta tue " I've had a ball here," said :. • of Liberty. McAlpine, who came to America Yet, for several Newarkers after deciding " I wanted to see who arrived on this country's something of the world." shores within sight of the Statue, Like most Eurooean im­ thoughts of the opportunity and migra nts, McAlpine entered the promise of this land a re far more United States on a ship, the important than the memory of "Caledonia," through Ellis Gift Items For The seeing Lady Liberty. · Island. Antoinette Meloni and Ann Arriving on Mother's Day, #··' McAlpine now spend much of McAlpine missed seeing the their spare time at the Newark Statue because she was below Senior Center on East Main deck with a sick friend. Discriminating Collector Street. But in the first third of After leaving the ship, she this century, these women were remembers being surprised by tt'\\e sl\OPPES . HOC](£ss, just two of the more than 17 crowds of people wearing flowers \~ ~ /}( million immigrants who poured in celebration of Mother's Day. into Amel"ica through New " My uncle kidded me that they York's Ellis Island between 1892 were saluting me," she recalled. d reserve and 1954 . McAlpine initially lived in Pen­ come m an of the As the nation's official im­ nsylvania and New Jersey with migration station during those family members. She had an your coPY& MONTANA years, Ellis Island and the near­ easier time than many im­ by Statue were the first signs of migrants in adjusting to WASHINGTO~ State America seen by European im­ American life since she a lready 1st o prints m igrants. spoke English and had lived near In 1912, after realizing that Americans in Scotland. ouck stamP " you can't make a good living in "The people who didn't speak Italy," Meloni and her mother English had 10 strikes against DEALER FOR : Mill Pond Press, Wild Wings. left their home in Sicily to join them," she said. Voyageur Art and Sport'en Art. her father in the United States. Still, neither woman .".. Although the week-long voyage remembers facing discrimination across the Atlantic Ocean was from already-established " not too hard," she said everyone American citizens. State&Federal Duck Stamp Prints • Limited Edition Prints on the ship was sick during the " We all want to do better," Select Gifts • Custom Framing trip. said Meloni. " That's why I think Once in this country, the tO­ it's a great country- people year-old Meloni moved to Con­ should help each other." (302) 239-6488 necticut, where her father Both women eventually .~ operated a shoe factory. became United States citizens, " Everything was new," said McAlpine in the 1940s and Meloni Meloni who spoke only Italian in the 1950s. Both have also made whP.n she arrived in America. return trips to their native •.. Over the years, Meloni learned homes. to speak and write the English For the most part, American language, first through grade life is still better than European school and later in the work living, they agreed, although force. Still, even today she ad­ McAlpine said public transporta­ mits to having a better command tion overseas is more developed Now lri For Sales AndRen of Italian. than here. After 70 plus years in the Otherwise, " Everywhere you Un ited States, Meloni has had come from - this is better," plenty of time to judge the merits Meloni repeated. NEWARK CAR WASH =- : ANNOUNCES SUMMER HOURS AllkfJtmare MON.-FRI. 8 A.M.-8 P.M. -. SAT.8A.M.-5P.M. -~-·~ ON ELM STREET• 2 CLOSED SUNDAY .,. FREDDY'S REVENGE SELF-SERVICE BAYS OPEN ~~.' 24 HOURS # ./' "THE FILM IS SCARY .. Ciever specialt!ffects ... Fast and 264 ELKTON RD. -NEWARK nerve-racking ... Stsrtling!" - Janet Maslm. THE NEW YORK TIMES ':AS MUCH FUN AS THE ORIGINAl.