“Just Chillin’ A little History...& More


Sonoma County, CA. ~ It’s a new, complicated world, obvi- ously. When a wave of nostalgia about NYC hits--where I relished the fi rst


three


decades of my life--I feel a distinct up- beat ripple of amusement,


right up my spine, realiz-


ing that unless I am “just chillin’” with other “golden oldies,” or, with my curious young family mem- bers who “want to know what it was like way back when,” the NYC I recall has not existed for a very long time.


Seeing photos from


their recent trips, I can no longer identify the radically diff erent sky- line or even recognize the huge va- riety of neighborhoods that I felt so proprietary about long ago. Remembering many 4th of July


holidays, here are my recent per- sonal heroes. I’m a child of young immigrants who chose to live here. T ey became passionately loyal American citizens who responsibly brought over their skilled siblings. All added their talents in various


trades while raising


their young families and eventually set- tling in ten diff er- ent states. As John Adams, a favorite “founding father” in-


“melting pot.” Early American history les-


sons in school felt like exciting adventures in discovery. And sharing. My par- ents read my text- book assignments with unmistak- able pride


and


joy, express- ing awe and wonder at how our nation was


formed by the collabo- ration of so many remarkably responsible, compassionate and intelligent di-


cated, one generation made it pos- sible for the next to ever strive for higher education and,


always, greater respect for all in America’s


human beings. Topping the list of my personal choices of great American heroes is George Catlett Marshall, Jr., the fi rst American Army general to be promoted to fi ve-star rank, newly created Gen-


UPBEAT TIMES, INC. • July 2016 • 5


Upbeat July 4th ~ Happy 240th Birthday, America! by Ellie Schmidt ~ eschmidt@upbeattimes.com


eral of the Army, December, 1944. Marshall served in both the fi rst and second world wars with great distinction. Winston Churchill wrote about Marshall as the “or- ganizer of victory” in WWII. Later Marshall served as Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense. On June 5th 1947, (when my


classmates and I were singing dur- ing our commencement program at Hunter College High School in NYC,) the Harvard University Alumni Association audience of 15,000 heard the Hon. George C. Marshall, Secretary of State, giving “the most important address ever given at Harvard” with world-wide ramifi cations known as “T e Mar- shall Plan.” You can be read it all on-line at


“T e Marshall Plan.” Emphasizing that “political passion and preju- dice should have no part” in the “practical request” that all the dev- astated countries of Europe agree


... continued on page 6 Weird Facts & Fun Trivia - 2


Until relatively recently it was assumed that the brain was fully mature at 12 years old, with most of the crucial wiring completed when we are as young as three. Scans however by neurosci- entists in Belmont, Massachusetts, have revealed that a teenager’s brain is actually closer to a child’s than that of an adult. They found that the part of the brain responsible for selfcontrol, judgement and emotion- al regulation is one of the last parts to mature, while the limbic system (which is responsible for emotions such as anger) goes into overload during the teenage years. All this neurological re-wiring coin- cides with the emergence of the sex hormones, making it a particularly complicated time for adolescents.


The Grand Prismatic Spring is, at 370ft (112m) in diameter, Yellowstone Park in the USAs largest hot pool and the worlds third largest. The color spectrum for which it is named is caused by the presence of cyanobacteria.


An independent local Community Bank since 1890


Personal and Business Checking and Savings products and services: • Loans–Consumer and Business • Online Banking with Bill Pay and Paperless Statements–It’s the Greener way! • Youth Savings programs • ATM locations throughout Sonoma County for your convenience • A Customer Service team dedicated to answering your call before and after business hours


• We invite you to e-mail, call or visit us at any of our branches to answer your questions about how Exchange Bank can become your bank.


www.exchangebank.com 707.524.3000 or toll free 800.995.4066


“Stocks may come and stocks may go, but food goes on forever.” ~ Beatrice Fairfax


UPBEAT TIMES, INC. • July 2016 • 5


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