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Father’s Day:


The Celebration of Fatherhood


by Doug Robinson “On July 19, 1910, the governor of the U.S. State of Washington proclaimed the nation’s fi rst ‘Father’s Day.’ However, it was not until 1972, 58 years after President Woodrow Wilson made Mother’s Day offi cial that the day became a nationwide holiday in the United States” writes, www.history.com/ topics/fathers-day. Father’s Day is the celebration of honoring fathers and the celebration of fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the infl uence of fathers in society. In the United States, Father’s Day is celebrated on the third Sunday of June. Across the world, Father’s Day is celebrated at different times. For example, in Australia, Father’s Day is celebrated on the fi rst Sunday of September. “After the success obtained by Anna Jarvis (1908) with the promotion of Mother’s Day in the US, history refl ects that some wanted to create a similar holiday for other family members, and Father’s Day was the choice most likely to succeed. Thanks in large part to this association with retailers, who saw great potential for profi t in the holiday, Mother’s Day caught on right away. In 1909, 45 states observed the day, and in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson approved a resolution that made the second Sunday in May a holiday in honor of “that tender, gentle army, the mothers of America” continues the History of father’s Day. The origin of Father’s Day met with


many trials. “The campaign to celebrate the nation’s fathers did not meet with the same enthusiasm - perhaps because, as one fl orist explained, fathers haven’t the same sentimental appeal that mothers have’ continues www.history.com/topics/fathers- day. The Father’s Day history continues to state that, “On July 5, 1908, a West Virginia church sponsored the nation’s fi rst event explicitly in honor of fathers. A Sunday sermon (was given) in memory of the 362 men who had died in the previous December’s explosions at the Fairmont Coal Company mines in Monongah the (sermon was a) one-time commemoration and not an annual holiday. The next year, a Spokane, Washington, woman named Sonora Smart Dodd, one of six children raised by a widower, tried to establish an offi cial equivalent to Mother’s Day for male parents. She went to local churches, the YMCA, shopkeepers and government offi cials to drum up support for her idea, and she was successful: Washington State celebrated the nation’s fi rst statewide Father’s Day on July 19, 1910. Slowly, the holiday spread throughout the United States. ”In 1916, President Wilson honored the day by using telegraph signals to unfurl a fl ag in Spokane when he pressed a button in Washington, D.C. In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge urged state governments to observe Father’s Day. However, many men continued to disdain the day. As one historian writes, they “scoffed at the holiday’s sentimental attempts to domesticate manliness with fl owers and gift-giving, or they derided the proliferation of such holidays as a commercial gimmick to sell more products - often paid for by the father himself.” The History of Father’s Day continues


by stating “During the 1920s and 1930s, a movement arose to scrap Mother’s Day and Father’s Day altogether in favor of a single holiday, Parents’ Day. Every year on Mother’s Day, pro-Parents’ Day groups rallied in New York City’s Central Park - a public reminder, said Parents’ Day activist and radio performer Robert Spere, “that both parents should be loved and respected together. Paradoxically, however, the Depression derailed this effort.” When World War II began, advertisers began to argue that celebrating Father’s Day was a way to honor American troops and support the war effort. By the end of the war, Father’s Day may not have been a federal holiday, but it was a national institution.


In 1972, in the middle of a hard-fought presidential re-election campaign, Richard Nixon signed a proclamation making Father’s Day a federal holiday at last. Today, economists estimate that Americans spend more than $1 billion each year on Father’s Day gifts.


T e Class of 2012 waits for the ceremony to begin


by Kristen Hoffman Pouring rain pushed Salem High School’s graduation back a day, but it did not dampen the spirits of the 391 seniors who received their diplomas. The school celebrated its fi rst graduating class composed solely of Salem residents in over a decade on Saturday, June 9. Students from Windham had shared the halls of Salem High from 1994 to 2011; it


was the school’s fi rst graduating class since 1999 that didn’t include students from the nearby town. The band, under the direction of Marty Claussen played pomp and


circumstance for the senior’s processional onto the football fi eld. Principal Maura Palmer addressed the graduates, saying it was a privilege to be their principal for two years, “It was an honor to have continued to page 9- Graduation


Blue Devils Edge Pinkerton for Eighth Volleyball Title


by Chris White Winning state titles just doesn’t get old when you’re a member of the Salem High boys’ volleyball team. Even when your will is tested and your opponent pushes you to the max, you always scratch, claw, and somehow fi nd a way to come through to earn the victory.


In a true test of volleyball will and skill, the top-seeded Blue Devils fought off a feisty number two Pinkerton squad, 3-2, on Saturday, June 9 at Pinkerton Academy. The Astros were hungry for their fi rst title, but the Devils held off the Pinkerton charge and collected their eighth Division I state championship in as many seasons – almost a decade of dominance for the Salem program. With the win in the


championship game, the Blue Devils also capped an undefeated season with a record of 19-0. It’s the fi rst time the Devils went undefeated since the fall of 2009. The program’s only loss in eight seasons came last year in the spring of 2011, but Salem has never


Salem’s Andrew Ruff en and Jon Buatti go up for the block against Pinkerton


missed out on winning the state title. With that said, probably no team has threatened to dethrone Salem as much as Pinkerton did on Saturday night. Pinkerton took a 25-20 victory in game one, but Salem responded with wins in game two and three by the scores of 26-24 and 25-17, respectively. Pinkerton won again, 25-20 in game four, but Salem clinched the championship with a 15-7 win in game fi ve.


“I think they pulled together as a team after that fi rst game,” Salem coach John Roemer said of his players. “They felt they were the better team, but had made some mistakes. They felt if they eliminated their mistakes, they could win the game.” Brandon Ackroyd led Salem with 17 kills, while Jon Buatti had 13 kills, four blocks, and three aces. Also leading Salem’s front line was


Eric Denning with nine blocks and 10 kills. Blue Devil continued to page 15- Volleyball Title


Gaming Will Continue Despite Lack of Slots


by S. Aaron Shamshoyan No changes will be made to Rockingham Park in the near future despite the failure of an expanded gaming bill by the State House. President Ed Callahan of Rockingham Venture Inc. said the track will continue operation in its current capacity and is hoping to obtain an expanded gaming license in the future. In a presentation to selectmen Monday evening, Callahan said,


“Rockingham has sought some type of gaming legislation for a number of years,” adding two non-binding votes were taken previously in the town, one in 1994 and one in 2003, both favoring the project.


Pressure from the south continues to build as Massachusetts looks to construct its fi rst casino over the next couple of years. Callahan said a casino to the south would reduce revenues, and that they hoped to open their doors to expanded gaming before Massachusetts.


Until an expanded gaming bill passes, the track will continue to


operate in its current capacity. “We plan on continuing to operate as we do today,” said Callahan adding he felt the window for expanded gaming is beginning to close. He said the track continues to support a gaming bill and hopes a new governor would help persuade legislature to favor the idea. Callahan also requested working with the town prior to the passage of a gaming bill allowing for the project to begin


immediately upon approval from the state. “We want to be ready to work with the town as quickly as possible,” he said. Selectman James Keller questioned Callahan on the time span to build the casino. Callahan said the building timeline would be based on Massachusetts’s readiness to build trying to be up and running fi rst. Selectman Everett McBride asked an updated non-binding referendum be conducted prior to the construction. Callahan agreed saying the track would cover the cost to fund the referendum. An anticipated 4 to 5 million visitors would come to Rockingham


Park annually. This would help stimulate the local economy, said Callahan. Failure to produce an expanded gaming bill could be devastating for the property. Callahan said the site would be less then likely developed into offi ce space due to a lack of demand, but rather could see new life as retail space. He said new retail space would draw current businesses on Route 28 to the new location and could devastate other retail locations in town. “That’s a very important piece of property in this community,” he said, “We can do something that everyone will be proud of.” Callahan said gaming would have a huge economic impact on the town. The selectmen voted to favor an expanded gaming bill if one were to pass in Concord. Selectmen Chair Patrick Hargreaves suggested sending letters to gubernatorial candidates on the board’s position of gaming.


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View past issues and our other papers online.


Volume 5 Number 48 June 15, 2012 16 Pages


Class of 2012 Graduates from SHS


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Why is Your Dad the Best Dad in Town?


Happy


Father’s Day


Staff photos by AJ Dickinson in the week


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