April 12, 2015

Daily Holidays -April 12

National Licorice Day If you fancy something a little bit sweet, why not chew on some licorice for Licorice Day. Enjoyed by people across the globe, licorice has a distinctive flavour and is found in many modern sweets.

Created by Licorice International in 2004, Licorice Day celebrates the rich history of black licorice. Licorice is extracted from the licorice plant and can be used for confectionary, to flavour a drink (licorice tea is a popular example) and also has medicinal purposes.

Some great ways you can share the enjoyment of Licorice Day with your friends and family include giving licorice as a gift, researching the history of the plant and its uses (a great idea for a school project!) and sampling some licorice tea. Its flavour loved by many people, from children to the older generation, so Licorice Day is sure to be a big hit with your family, whatever their ages. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/licorice-day/

Drop Everything & Read Day Welcome to the official “Drop Everything and Read” website—where dropping things (chores, errands, paperwork, staplers . . . okay, maybe not that last one) and reading books is highly encouraged!

Our assertion around here is that reading, whether you’re on your own or cozied up on the couch with your kids, is so much more fun and rewarding than just about anything else (especially, chores!). So, we’re telling folks of all ages to “drop” what they’re doing and pick up a book, instead.

And, what’s more, we’ve packed the pages of this website with reading lists, activity ideas, digital assets, and other resources to get you started and keep you busy. Join us and help spread the love of reading in your home, school, and community all month long in April and beyond!

Sincerely,
HarperCollins Children’s Books http://www.dropeverythingandread.com

Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day Grilled cheese sandwiches are a delicious, toasted delight popular all across the world. They even have their own holiday, Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day, when it’s practically your duty to indulge in them.

Melting cheese on top of bread is a culinary concept that has been around since the time of the Romans, but grilled cheese sandwiches as we know them didn’t become popular until the 1920s. Due to the ready availability of cheese and sliced bread, they became an American staple, but also spread around the world.

Naturally, the best way to celebrate Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day is to make and eat a grilled cheese sandwich. All you need is bread, cheese and butter, although you can experiment by adding more ingredients of your choice. You butter the outside of each piece of bread, and grill the sandwich while the cheese melts on top. Delicious! https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/grilled-cheese-sandwich-day/

International Day of Human Space Flight

Slow Art Day

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/april12.html

April 11, 2015

Daily Holidays -April 11

National Cheese Fondue Day Cheese Fondue Day is a way to celebrate that delicious mixture of cheese and wine that goes oh-so-well with bread, meat, and veggies.

Fondue’s been around as a concept for hundreds of years, but cheese fondue is generally recognized to have come into existence in 1875 when the original recipe was published. Before then there was a dish called “fondue,” but it was more like a scramble, as there were eggs and sometimes truffles (no, not the chocolate kind!) mixed in. While the newer concoction had the two ingredients we see on this day, there was an issue because the sauce was continually trying to separate, requiring extra time and care to make the dish. However, right around 1905 cornstarch was introduced to Switzerland, and solved that problem quite handily.

And thus was cheese fondue created. You can dip bread into it, of course, but also popular are veggies like gherkin pickles, garlic cloves, olives, onions, and more. Some prefer fruits like grapes for a lighter repast. Generally, the fondue is cooked on a stove and then poured into the fondue pot itself when it’s served at the table, where the dipping begins.

While Cheese Fondue Day does seem to be tied mostly to the restaurant chain The Melting Pot (based in North America, almost entirely in the United States) and a marketing promotion, you can absolutely celebrate this wonderful food all by yourself, or with friends! There are several different traditions that go with eating fondue. One is the eating of the crispy cheese left at the bottom of the pot – it’s called “la religieuse” (“the nun,” in French). The other is the custom of what happens when your cube of bread falls off your fork. Ideally, if a man’s bread falls, he buys a round of drinks for the table, but if it’s a woman’s cube, she has to kiss her table neighbors. You can customize these and create new ones to fit your table and your lifestyle, of course, but those are ones that have been around for quite some time.

https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/cheese-fondue-day/

Barbershop Quartet Day On April 11, 1938 the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America was founded in Tulsa, Oklahoma, marking the official celebration of Barbershop Quartet Day. The image of four wearing straw hats singing together with complex harmonies could be considered a cultural cornerstone of the 1940s.

However, Barbershop Quartet is by no means an American invention; the popularity of barbershops in England amongst men during the time of Shakespeare extended as far as in-house entertainment, often taking the form of a lutist providing a melody to which the queuing patrons could harmonize with. This idea and practice became popular in America in the West during the late 1800s, though a banjo was often used instead of a lute. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/barbershop-quartet-day/

National Pet Day Pet Day is a chance for those of us who own pets to show them how much we love them. Now, we all can think of the traditional things: a new toy, some tasty treats, or a long walk in the park, maybe a game of fetch, assuming you have a dog! But, think outside the box and come up with some ideas to celebrate your relationship with your pet. Once you have indulged your own animals with their favourite treats, why not consider donating to a shelter or or other animal welfare organization?

There are so many neglected and unwanted animals waiting for some love and attention. You can donate your time, or you can donate food or other supplies. Every little bit helps. If you don’t already own a pet, what better time to adopt one? A good phrase to keep in mind is “adopt, don’t shop.” https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/pet-day/

World Parkinson’s Disease Day World Parkinson’s Disease Day marks the birthday of Dr. J Parkinson. On this day there are efforts made to increase the public awareness of this terrible disease, as well as all the good works put forth by the worlds organizations dedicated to eradicating this disease. There are activities to promote this the entire world over, and the opportunity to participate is open to any and all who want to help in this effort.

One of the popular ways of supporting the awareness of this disease is participating in marathons in cities throughout the world. The number of countries that are participating in this expand every year, including Uruguay, Mexico, Bolivia, Fulvio Captinio, the USA, and an increasing number with every passing year.

Dr. Parkinson first described the disease in “An Essay on the Shaking Palsy”, he described a pattern of lessened muscular power, involuntary tremulous motion, even if these are supported. There is at tendency to bend the body forwards, and to involuntarily switch from a walking to a running pace, while the sense and intellect deteriorate. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/world-parkinsons-disease-day/

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/april11.html

April 10, 2015

Daily Holidays -April 10

National Cinnamon Crescent
 Croissant) Day A croissant is a buttery flaky viennoiserie bread roll named for its well known crescent shape. Croissants and other viennoiserie are made of a layered yeast-leavened dough. The "birth" of the croissant itself – that is, its adaptation from the plainer form of Kipferl, before the invention of Viennoiserie – can be dated with some precision to at latest 1839 (some say 1838), when an Austrian artillery officer, August Zang, founded a Viennese Bakery ("Boulangerie Viennoise&quot at 92, rue de Richelieu in Paris. http://wherefoodcomesfrom.com/article/10012/National-Cinnamon-Croissant-Day-April-10th#.VSd_Hro-CCk


ASPCA Day On April 10, 1866, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) is founded in New York City by philanthropist and diplomat Henry Bergh, 54.

In 1863, Bergh had been appointed by President Abraham Lincoln to a diplomatic post at the Russian court of Czar Alexander II. It was there that he was horrified to witness work horses beaten by their peasant drivers. En route back to America, a June 1865 visit to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in London awakened his determination to secure a charter not only to incorporate the ASPCA but to exercise the power to arrest and prosecute violators of the law.

Back in New York, Bergh pleaded on behalf of “these mute servants of mankind” at a February 8, 1866, meeting at Clinton Hall. He argued that protecting animals was an issue that crossed party lines and class boundaries. “This is a matter purely of conscience; it has no perplexing side issues,” he said. “It is a moral question in all its aspects.” The speech prompted a number of dignitaries to sign his “Declaration of the Rights of Animals.” http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/aspca-is-founded

National Siblings Day The bond between siblings is extra-special, even more so if one of them has a life-long illness or a disability. Sibling Day is a way of honouring that special bond. Siblings Day was created by Claudia Evart, a freelance paralegal from Manhattan, NY. Evart started the day after losing both her sister at an early age. It is a day of celebration and recognition for brothers and sisters around the world. Siblings Day can be celebrated by sending a card, gift, making a dinner invitation or simply going for a walk in the park. The date of National Siblings Day is very important to its founder Claudia as it marks the birthday of her sister Lisette.

The siblings bonds are life-long relationships usually lasting from cradle to grave. It is usually the longest relationship of a person’s life and typically much longer than a mother’s and father’s relationship. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/sibling-day/

Safety Pin Day Celebrate simplicity and practicality this Safety Pin Day. Legend has it that, in 1849, Walter Hunt, the inventor of the safety pin, owed a friend $15 and decided to invent something new in order to earn the money to repay him. He invented the safety pin.

Strong and sharp, yet safe enough to be used on clothing, safety pins are a simple yet ingenious invention, which practically everyone has used at some point. Why not take inspiration from Walter Hunt this Safety Pin Day and try to come up with your own clever invention? It’s a great challenge for children, too, who love to come up with new ideas. Perhaps give a prize for the best new invention and watch their little minds tick away.

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/april10.html

April 9, 2015

Construction workers join fight for higher minimum hourly wage at Manhattan McDonald's rally

They weren't lovin’ it.

Construction workers joined the fight for a higher minimum wage for hourly workers by storming a Manhattan McDonald’s during a Saturday morning rally.

The hardhats, many from Gary LaBarbera’s Building and Construction Trades Council, joined forces with low-wage workers hoping to convince fast-food corporations like McDonald’s to raise their hourly pay to $15 per hour — while also protesting a controversial development being built without union workers.

About 200 laborers, union and nonunion, fast-food employees, airport workers, home health-care aides, adjunct professors and others calling for better pay marched from the Walker Tower on W. 18th St., the home of developer Michael Stern, to the McDonald’s on Sixth Ave. between 14th and 15th Sts. around 11 a.m.

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/construction-workers-join-minimum-wage-rally-manhattan-article-1.2173993

April 9, 2015

UAW-NYU graduate employees ratify contract

NEW YORK, N.Y. – April 7, 2015 – The United Auto Workers announced today the ratification of the contract with New York University which covers over 1200 graduate employees, members of the Graduate Student Organizing Committee-UAW Local 2110, who perform various functions for the university including teaching and research. Once again, this makes NYU the only private university in the country with a unionized graduate employee workforce. The agreement was ratified by 99% of the membership, with nearly 1,000 members voting.

“This contract is a major step forward for our members,” said Julie Kushner, Director of UAW Region 9A. “They did not back down after being stripped of their bargaining rights in 2005.Their commitment to justice will have a huge impact on the working lives of teaching and research assistants throughout the university. This victory has already inspired other private sector graduate employees to organize.”

The agreement made substantial gains in wages, health care, including a 90% subsidy towards individual coverage and first time support for dependent coverage, childcare benefits and tuition waivers. In addition, it doubles the starting wage to $20 per hour over the life of the five-year agreement for workers at NYU’s Polytechnic School of Engineering, who perform and support cutting edge research. (Greater detail is appended below.)

“This contract will make a real difference in our lives here at NYU, and will raise the bar for private sector graduate working people nationally,” said Lily Defriend, a Ph.D candidate in the Anthropology Department. “Right here in New York City our campaign and this contract win have contributed to graduate employees at Columbia and The New School organizing at the UAW.”

http://uaw.org/articles/uaw-nyu-graduate-employees-ratify-contract

April 9, 2015

Unions Are a Woman's Best Friend

With National Women’s History Month behind us now, it’s still important to celebrate the great strides women have made over the past decades. It is equally important to remember how many women workers still don’t have the basic necessities they need to support themselves and their families. The labor movement views the struggle for women’s equality as a shared fight, especially considering women are the sole or primary breadwinners for 40% of families in the United States. Women of color in particular have a hard time getting good pay and benefits and they make up a disproportionate share of low-wage workers.

Nearly 7 million women have a voice on the job due to their union membership and women in unions are more likely than their nonunion peers to have access to paid sick leave and family leave. Collective bargaining through unions also narrows the pay gap between men and women significantly. A typical woman union member earns $222 a week more than a nonunion woman and is far more likely to have health and retirement security. This puts upward pressure on wages and benefits throughout industries that are predominately female, many of which traditionally pay low wages. Every worker deserves to have protections on the job and it is the goal of the labor movement to ensure that happens.

http://www.momsrising.org/blog/unions-are-a-womans-best-friend#.VSKkWFuwnHL.twitter

April 9, 2015

Rivers Casino Officials Accused of Anti-Union Practices

The National Labor Relations Board filed a complaint against Rivers Casino over allegations that staff members were interrogated to what extent they were involved in union activities. The agency pointed in its filing to a particular case when workers were even threatened with certain reprisals due to their relations to labor unions.

The complaint, which was filed on March 31, mentions an incident that occurred on November 21, 2014 in the casino’s Wheelhouse Sports Bar. The National Labor Relations Board claimed that workers were asked by an assistant manager and a supervisor as to whether they were related in any way to labor unions and what the activities of those were.

According to the filing, the supervisor referred to the union as a “gang membership.” Furthermore, employees were threatened with “unspecified reprisals”, due to their involvement in union activities.

A spokesman for Steel City Casino Workers Council, a union coalition that aims at assisting casino employees in their attempt to join forces, explained that the incident in question occurred after the supervisor noticed that the interrogated workers were wearing wristbands advocating a policy for fair attendance.

http://www.casinonewsdaily.com/2015/04/08/rivers-casino-officials-accused-of-anti-union-practices/

April 9, 2015

Daily Holidays -April 9

Chinese Almond Cookie Day Interesting Food Facts about Chinese Almond Cookies

In Mandarin Chinese, these are more literally called “Almond Cakes.”
The Chinese Almond Cookie is native to southern and southeast China.
There is no record of these cookies before the 1900’s.
The Chinese commonly prepared Almond milk and Almond tea.
http://foodimentary.com/2014/04/09/april-9-is-national-almond-cookie-day/

National Cherish An Antique Day A day is set aside in April of every year on which to appreciate unique objects that date back to a time when quality and craftsmanship were most valued by a discerning clients. It is a day on which everyone is encouraged to revisit an era of artistic talent that, for them, holds a special and timeless appeal.

Cherish An Antique Day can be celebrated by a visit to an art museum, or simply by retrieving a valued heirloom from its place of safety and exhibiting it for the day. The idea is to salute past artistry and to create a greater awareness of the type of aesthetic appeal that withstands the test of time. It is hoped that exposure to the past masters will encourage a commitment to quality rather than quantity in today’s production-line type of manufacturing. Cherishing an antique can make the past far more present. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/cherish-an-antique-day/

Appomattox Day Appomattox, Va. – Go to: http://video.magpi.net/videos/livestreams/page1/ on April 9 from 10 a.m. – 3:15 p.m. EST for a live look-in at events commemorating the 150th anniversary of the surrender at Appomattox.
Can't make it to Appomattox Court House National Historical Park for the 150th anniversary activities? – No problem! Tune in on Thursday, April 9, 2015 for a live broadcast and experience the commemorative events from 10 a.m. – 3:15 p.m. est. Feel the power of place as the broadcast takes place in "real time" from just outside the McLean House where General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant 150 years ago. http://www.nps.gov/apco/learn/news/confederate-surrender.htm


Jenkins Ear Day The War of Jenkins' Ear (known as Guerra del Asiento in Spain) was a conflict between Britain and Spain that lasted from 1739 to 1748, with major operations largely ended by 1742. Its unusual name, coined by Thomas Carlyle in 1858,[5] refers to an ear severed from Robert Jenkins, captain of a British merchant ship. The severed ear was subsequently exhibited before the British Parliament. The tale of the ear's separation from Jenkins, following the boarding of his vessel by Spanish coast guards in 1731, provided the impetus to war against the Spanish Empire, ostensibly to encourage the Spanish not to renege on the lucrative asiento contract (permission to sell slaves in Spanish America).[6]

After 1742, the war was subsumed by the wider War of the Austrian Succession, which involved most of the powers of Europe. Peace arrived with the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1748. From the British perspective, the war was notable because it was the first time that a regiment of colonial American troops was raised and placed "on the Establishment" – made a part of the Regular British Army – and sent to fight outside North America. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_of_Jenkins'_Ear

Winston Churchill Day On April 9th in 1963, Winston Churchill became the second person to become an Honorary Citizen of the United States, although this was the first time Congress had resolved that it was to be bestowed by the President of the United States, on a foreign national – he was granted citizenship of eight individual states as a prelude :- Hawaii, Maryland, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia. Winston Churchill Day commemorates this event.

This honour was bestowed upon him by the 35th President of the United States – John F Kennedy, although Churchill was not present himself at the ceremony, his son and grandson were there for him. It had been hoped Churchill would not only witness the event on television – which he did with his wife – but would be able to respond. Problems with a relay station in Cornwall prevented this. https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/winston-churchill-day/

National Former POW Recognition Day April 9th is designated by Congress as the Presidentially proclaimed observance of National Former POW Recognition Day. On April 9, 1942 United States forces surrendered on the Bataan Peninsula, beginning the Bataan Death March. The park observes the day through programs and raising the Avenue of Flags in the national cemetery. http://www.nps.gov/ande/planyourvisit/formerpowrecognitionday.htm

http://www.famousbirthdays.com/april9.html

April 8, 2015

Ferguson voters add two African Americans to city council

Ferguson residents voted to add two African Americans to the city council, a move that diversifies an elected body that was overwhelmingly white in a city with a majority black population.

Ella Jones, Brian Fletcher and Wesley Bell captured three seats on the Ferguson City Council. Jones and Bell are African American, while Fletcher is white. The six-member council will now have three black members for the first time in its history.

Jones won nearly 50 percent of the vote in a four-way race that also featured Adrianne Hawkins, Mike McGrath and Doyle McClellan. Fletcher captured about 57 percent of the vote against Bob Hudgins. And Bell took in nearly 67 percent against Lee Smith.

Eric Fey, the Democratic director for the St. Louis County Board of Elections, told St. Louis Public Radio reporter Jo Mannies that the turnout on Tuesday was around 30 percent. That surpasses recent municipal elections in Ferguson -- and nearly doubles the roughly 16 percent turnout in the rest of St. Louis County.

http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/ferguson-voters-add-two-african-americans-city-council

April 8, 2015

Ferguson, MO election results

COUNCIL MEMBER FERGUSON WARD 1
(Vote for ) 1
(WITH 7 OF 7 COUNTED)
ELLA M. JONES . . . . . . . . . 824 49.76
DOYLE McCLELLAN . . . . . . . . 217 13.10
ADRIENNE J. HAWKINS . . . . . . . 217 13.10
MIKE McGRATH . . . . . . . . . 389 23.49
WRITE-IN. . . . . . . . . . . 9 .54

COUNCIL MEMBER FERGUSON WARD 2
(Vote for ) 1
(WITH 4 OF 4 COUNTED)
BRIAN PATRICK FLETCHER . . . . . . 847 56.77
ROBERT (BOB) HUDGINS . . . . . . 636 42.63
WRITE-IN. . . . . . . . . . . 9 .60

COUNCIL MEMBER FERGUSON WARD 3
(Vote for ) 1
(WITH 6 OF 6 COUNTED)
WESLEY BELL . . . . . . . . . 494 66.94
LEE SMITH . . . . . . . . . . 242 32.79
WRITE-IN. . . . . . . . . . . 2 .27

DIRECTOR FERGUSON REORGANIZED R-2 SCHOOL DISTRICT
(Vote for ) 2
(WITH 54 OF 54 COUNTED)
BRIAN SCOTT EBERT. . . . . . . . 4,685 30.01
ROGER HINES. . . . . . . . . . 2,726 17.46
DONNA MARIE DAMERON . . . . . . . 1,710 10.95
MICHAEL PERSON. . . . . . . . . 1,145 7.34
COURTNEY MICHELLE GRAVES . . . . . 5,262 33.71
WRITE-IN. . . . . . . . . . . 82 .53

FERGUSON REORGANIZED R-2 SCHOOL DISTRICT - PROPOSITION I
**BONDS - CAPITAL IMPROV (57.15% NEEDED)**
(Vote for ) 1
(WITH 54 OF 54 COUNTED)
YES . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,263 73.25
NO. . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,653 26.75

http://electionresults.stlouisco.com/el150407/el45.html